Chapter 82

Leyla's heart hammered against her ribs like a caged bird desperate for escape upon hearing the announcement.

Terror of discovery drove her away from Eliana and Carl's vicinity with urgent steps, propelling her back toward the safety of Hector and Jeffry's presence.

However,a suffocating dread continued to coil through her chest like poisonous smoke.

"Leyla, are you alright? Your face has gone completely white. Are you feeling sick?" Hector's voice carried genuine worry as he registered the ghostly pallor that had drained all color from her features.

Jeffry's sharp gaze swept over her with curious concern, searching for answers in her troubled expression.

Leyla summoned a brittle smile that felt like it might shatter at any moment. "I'm perfectly fine."

The moment those hollow reassurances escaped her lips, her anxiety swelled into a crushing wave that threatened to drown her composure.

Following a moment of desperate calculation, Leyla sank her teeth into her lower lip and ventured carefully,"Jeffry, I understand how demanding your schedule must be. If urgent matters require your attention elsewhere, please don't feel obligated to remain here. We can certainly update you on the competition outcomes later."

Jeffry's brow creased with puzzlement, while Hector mirrored his bewildered expression.

Hector's confusion spilled into his words. "Leyla, what's gotten into you? The results are being revealed at this very moment, and Dad came specifically to witness your triumph in person."

Jeffry's head moved in agreement, his typically stern features softening with unexpected kindness as he offered comfort. "There's no need for such overwhelming nerves. Even if victory eludes you today, life wvill continue, and other opportunities will arise." Her acceptance as Davi's student had already secured her artistic future with promising prospects.

Consequently,regardless of today's outcome, Jeffry's perception of her worth had evolved significantly,opening doors for her to demonstrate her capabilities.

The smile that twisted Leyla's lips resembled a pained grimace more than any expression of joy as his words reached her ears.

Desperation clawed at her as she realized the futility of her situation-Jeffry remained immovable, and Carl proved even more impossible to divert from his purpose.

Her only refuge lay in desperate, silent prayers that Carl would remain oblivious to her theft, or that some miraculous emergency would demand his immediate departure.

Under such circumstances, her artistic crime would remain buried in shadows, known to no one.

Though Leyla's thoughts spun like a tempest of panic and calculation, the clock had advanced merely two agonizing minutes.

Without warning, electric excitement rippled through the assembled crowd as the massive screen in the main hall blazed to life with the champion's identity.

"Hurry! Let's see who won!"

"The winner's name is finally revealed!"

Humanity flowed toward the display like a rushing river, their collective mass blocking the crucial announcement from distant view.

Hector seized Leyla's hand and carved a path through the dense crowd with determined force.

Jeffry preserved his dignified composure as a man of influence, refusing to join the undignified scramble,yet his keen eyes remained fixed on Hector's face, ready to read victory or defeat in his son's expressions.

Simultaneously, Eliana and Carl joined the surge of bodies pressing toward the revelation.

The moment Eliana's presence became known, the masses automatically created a respectful path, allowing her unobstructed passage.

In the following heartbeat, the screen blazed with three bold characters that seemed to burn themselves into everyone's retinas: "Champion, Leyla Murray."

Eliana's eyebrows drew together in a delicate frown of confusion. Something felt terribly wrong-how had Carl been denied the victory that should have been his?

Doubt began creeping into her usually confident assessment, making her question whether her instincts had led her astray.

The logic seemed impossible-if Leyla had indeed stolen Carl's work, how could the copy somehow eclipse the original masterpiece?

Carl's eyes found the crushing announcement, and disappointment settled across his features like a heavy shroud.

"I'm sorry, Lia. I've failed you completely." His apology emerged as barely more than a whisper,heavy with self-reproach.

Eliana emerged from her stunned state and offered him a gentle shake of her head, accompanied by a warm smile meant to ease his pain. "Don't worry about it, Carl. This is merely one competition among many.Losing today doesn't diminish your incredible talent in the slightest."

Despiteher reassuring words, Carl's spirits remained crushed under the weight of defeat.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he admitted, "It appears our suspicions were completely unfounded."

Eliana's head moved in reluctant agreement, experiencing the unfamiliar sensation of questioning her usually reliable instincts.

At the same moment, Leyla and Hector's eyes absorbed the shocking revelation.

Pure joy transformed Hector's face as his fingers closed around Leyla's hand with triumphant pressure."Leyla, didn't I tell you those nerves were unnecessary? You've claimed the championship! My heartiest congratulations!" From his vantage point, Jeffry witnessed the explosion of happiness across his son's features and drew the obvious conclusion. He advanced through the crowd and verified that Leyla's name indeed blazed across the display in letters of victory.

Relief flooded through him instantly as he reconsidered his son's romantic choices with newfound respect-perhaps Hector's judgment possessed more merit than he had previously acknowledged.

"Congratulations," Jeffry said.

Even as triumph coursed through her veins, an undercurrent of anxiety continued to poison her joy.

The terrifying possibility that Carl would recognize his stolen creation the moment it appeared on screen haunted her thoughts like a specter.

This fear drove her to seek escape as she announced with forced casualness, "Thank you both so much.There's an urgent matter I must handle briefly-I'll return momentarily."

Jeffry granted his permission with a nod, while Leyla's gaze zeroed in on Eliana and Carl with predatory focus, drawing courage from a deep breath before advancing toward her targets.

She carefully crafted a mask of serene composure, employing honeyed tones calculated to irritate and provoke them into leaving. "How thoughtful of you both to remain here just to offer your congratulations."

Carl's eyes blazed with barely contained fury as he opened his mouth to unleash his thoughts, but Eliana's restraining hand silenced him before the words could escape.

"Indeed, congratulations on obtaining exactly what you desired. Carl, we should take our leave now," she declared with cool dignity.

Carl's agreement came with a sharp nod, but just as they prepared to depart, an imposing figure materialized through the crowd, flanked by an intimidating phalanx of professional bodyguards.

The commanding presence belonged to none other than Tristan himself.

Every gaze in the vicinity snapped toward him like iron filings drawn to a powerful magnet.

Davin, Larry, and the remaining panel of judges formed a distinguished procession behind Tristan's authoritative figure.

Tristan's voice carried across the hushed crowd with deliberate gravity, "Ladies and gentlemen,concerning today's competition results, the judging panel encountered significant disagreement regarding the rightful champion.Following extensive deliberation, we reached a unanimous decision that this year's competition shall honor not only Leyla Murray, but also a second, equally deserving champion."

His announcement ignited an immediate explosion of excited chatter that rippled through the assembled spectators.

"What? A second champion?"

少

"Who could it possibly be? Were the works so evenly matched?"

Eliana's eyes automatically sought Carl's face before swiveling toward Tristan with growing anticipation.

Tristan's gaze found hers at that precise moment, his mouth forming the ghost of a smile as he proclaimed with crystal clarity, "The second champion is Carl Murray."

The announcement struck. Leyla like a physical blow, her eyes flying wide with pure terror and disbelief.Carl?! The name echoed through her mind like a death knell. How was this possible?! Had he taken part in the competition too? When was this? How had she remained completely oblivious to his participation?Wasn't painting merely a casual hobby for him, something he pursued without any competitive ambition?What had driven him to break that pattern now? Questions bombarded her consciousness like artilleryfire.

Panic crashed over her in devastating waves, making her legs tremble and her world tilt dangerously off its axis.

Though surprise flickered across her features, Eliana's face blossomed into genuine joy as she offered her heartfelt praise. "Carl, you've achieved championship status as well! This is absolutely wonderful news!"

Carl, still reeling from the unexpected honor, broke into a radiant smile that transformed his entire face upon hearing her celebration. "This is incredible! I haven't disappointed you after all."

A bittersweet smile tugged at Eliana's lips as she recognized that Carl valued her approval far more than any competitive victory could ever mean to him. At that crucial moment, Tristan's voice commanded attention once more. "The time has arrived to unveil the masterpieces created by our dual champions."

Eliana's eyebrow arched with knowing anticipation as her gaze shifted meaningfully toward Leyla.

Exactly as she had predicted, Leyla's complexion drained of all color in an instant.

The sight confirmed what her instincts had been screaming all along-her judgment remained as sharp and reliable as ever.

In the next breath, the massive screen illuminated with both Carl and Leyla's artistic creations displayed side by side.

One canvas captured the delicate beauty of wintersweet blossoms, while the other blazed with the golden radiance of sunflowers.

Despite the contrasting subject matter, the artistic techniques and stylistic approaches were so remarkably alike they could have emerged from a single hand.

An untrained observer might easily assume both masterpieces had flowed from the same creative genius.

The assembled spectators erupted into another wave of animated discussion.

"Now I understand why they both claimed victory! These pieces are absolutely breathtaking-no wonder the judges struggled to choose between such extraordinary talent."

"With artistic abilities of this caliber, both champions are destined to become legendary figures in the oil painting community!"

However, several particularly observant individuals began expressing troubling concerns.

"Am I the only one who notices that these two paintings share an unnervingly identical artistic style?"