Chapter 489:

Freda stared at the judge, utterly disbelieving. Why had he given her the microphone? Couldn't he handle this straightforward issue himself? Why was she expected to intervene?

Irritated, Freda grabbed the microphone and addressed Elyse directly. "Do you really believe your performance was flawless? Didn't you see any faults?"

Elyse responded with a serene nod. "Yes, I believe my performance was flawless. You won't find any errors."

Gavin, observing Elyse's unwavering confidence, felt relieved. Her dedication was paying off; she was truly evolving. Determined to help, he quietly excused himself and left.

Just then, another judge intervened, sensing the rising tension. "There's been a mix-up with the ranking table," he announced, holding up a document. "Here's the correct one. Elyse, you're actually ranked seventh. Congratulations."

The judge intended this to give Freda a graceful way out.

Freda opened her mouth to speak, but the judge's urgency silenced her. This was the Champions Cup final; any attempt by Freda to unfairly influence the results would damage the event's reputation.

While the judge managed to restrain Freda, Elyse remained defiant, refusing to accept the situation.

Her expression icy, Elyse raised her voice. "I want each judge's scores announced publicly. My performance didn't deserve seventh place."

The judge, angered by Elyse's persistence, retorted, "You received high marks because of your talent. Don't be ungrateful!"

Elyse shook her head firmly. "I refuse to accept seventh place if my performance didn't warrant it. If there was a flaw, point it out. Otherwise, I reject this result."

Tracy, unable to contain herself, erupted in protest. "That's right! Elyse has consistently topped the charts. Why is she suddenly seventh? The Champions Cup isn't playing fair!"

Other spectators followed suit, rallying behind Elyse.

"If Elyse performed poorly, explain specifically where she went wrong. Don't just give her a low score without reason."

"We aren't fools. We know a good performance when we see one. The judges need to provide a clear reason for Elyse's low score, or they'll never convince us."

"I've been following Elyse in every Champions Cup tournament. I don't accept this outcome!"

The audience's unrest grew, their dissatisfaction palpable.

The situation was spiraling out of control. The head judge glanced at Freda, his voice low and urgent. "What do we do now? We can't fabricate reasons to justify Elyse's low score. Miss Jimenez, your input is needed."

Freda was stunned by Elyse's impact. Despite her limited competition experience, Elyse had surprisingly numerous supporters. Freda had clearly miscalculated. Yet, she couldn't acknowledge Elyse's skill.

Frustrated, she snapped, "If you can't handle such a simple task, what good are you?"

The head judge responded firmly, "Then we must go by the actual scores. It seems Elyse has earned first place."

"No way! She can't be the winner!" Freda blurted out, attempting to pressure him into reconsidering.

There had to be another way.

Lost in thought, Freda barely noticed a tall, middle-aged man approaching the judges' table with Gavin.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" Freda exclaimed, surprised, her eyes darting to Gavin. Had he brought her father?

Ignoring Freda, the man reviewed the official score chart. Then, taking the microphone, he addressed the competitors. "Given the dissatisfaction with the results, why not settle this with another round?"

...