Chapter 44

A blush crept onto the doctor's cheeks before he managed to say,"Dr.your skills truly astonish me.I was blind to your brilliance until now. Please accept my apologies."

Turning away, Grace allowed a subtle, amused smile to appear. "No offense taken-I was just teasing, really."

A thoughtful pause followed before she added, "While most of the toxins have been flushed out of Mr.Pearson's system, he's not in the clear yet. He needs plenty of rest, more herbal baths, and continued care.If anyone wants to know more about my treatments, I'd be happy to explain."

Interest sparked immediately, and several doctors edged closer, eager for guidance.

"Dr. Q, can you explain the Revival Technique you demonstrated?"

"The herbal bath recipe looks complex, and some of those herbs seem rare. Can you share how you combine them?"

Genuine interest surrounded her, prompting Grace to explain in simple terms without holding back.

Her listeners nodded along, eyes wide with admiration as her words sank in.

Morning arrived, bringing the day of the exam results.Nerves and excitement mingled in the air as students filed into school.

Unlike her classmates, Gianna brimmed with enthusiasm. Hope for early admission filled her thoughts, and she felt certain her performance would secure it.

Her academic track record was flawless, and her adaptability always put her ahead of the curve.

Inside the classroom, conversation buzzed about the results. Gianna put on a calm face, doing her best to blend in.

Elsewhere, Grace's classmates were busy guessing who would earn the highest marks.

At her desk, Grace looked completely unbothered,drawing Adrianna's attention. "Grace, our teacher's going to share the scores soon. Are you really not the slightest bit nervous?"

Lifting her head, Grace responded easily, "What's there to worry about?" Adrianna found her remarkable. Even after all this ll she still didn't fully grasp how Grace could be SO unfazed.

Few could match that level of ease, and Adrianna found it genuinely impressive.

Nearby, a classmate scoffed, "No wonder she isn't nervous. She never stood a chance."

Just then, the door burst open and a student shouted,"The results are posted! Go see for yourselves!"

With that, excitement swept through the room as everyone hurried into the hallway.

At the very end of the crowd, Gianna and Lizzie moved at a leisurely pace, sure of themselves.

Gianna expected her name to be at the top. This was her moment to finally receive the admiration she'd always craved.

Without waiting, Adrianna latched onto Grace's arm."Come on, Grace! Let's go see the results!"

Though Grace had little interest, Adrianna's persistence wore her down, so she followed along.

At the bulletin board, students had already formed a tight crowd, jostling for a glimpse of the rankings.

Out of nowhere, someone cried out, "No way! Grace

Miller is at the very top!"

"How could that happen? Everyone said her grades were terrible, and she only got in because of some family favor."

"ls this for real? She has perfect scores in every subject! And look, she's ahead of Gianna by fifty points!"

No one had expected this turn of events.

Gianna stopped in her tracks, the smile vanishing from her face. Frustration flared as she pushed through the crowd, forcing her way to the front. The ranking list confirmed her fears. Grace's name sat at the very top,with hers just below. Her fingers clenched so tightly her nails bit into her palm.

"This can't be happening! There's got to be some mistake!" Gianna cried out, her composure shattered.All color drained from her face. All her focus was locked on Grace's name, as if she could erase it by staring alone.

Even Lizzie was at a loss. She stammered, "Gianna,this-this isn't possible, is it?"

Students all around shot each other bewildered looks,whispers passing from ear to ear.

"Gianna White really lost big this time..."

"Maybe Grace Miller was never struggling at all. Could she have been hiding her talent?"

"Those are perfect scores. Only a true genius could pull that off!"

"With those results, Grace Miller can definitely apply early to Summit University."

Lizzie's eyes darted across the crowd, quickly spotting Grace nearby with a faint, almost playful smile on her face.

Without hesitation, she stormed over, blurting out,"Grace Miller, did you cheat or something?"

Instantly, the hallway fell into an uneasy silence.

Adrianna fired back, her voice tight with anger. "Have you lost your mind? Just because Gianna White couldn't beat her, you start tossing out wild accusations?"

Not backing down, Lizzie tossed her hair and snapped,"She never had decent grades before. She only got into this school because of her connections! Now she's suddenly top of the class? There's no way that's legit.Gianna has always been at the top."

Right then, the dean strode into the midst of the crowd, his attention caught by the uproar."What's all this noise about?"

Lizzie tried to defend Gianna, whose distress was written all over her face.

She wasted no time complaining, "Grace Miller must have cheated-there's no way she could've gotten those marks otherwise!"

With a sharp adjustment of his glasses, the dean replied, "Mind your accusations. Her exam room was closely monitored. She broke no rules."

Lizzie opened her mouth to argue further,but Gianna quietly caught her arm and shook her head.

Everything about the exams had been strict, and Gianna herself knew Grace had been seated in the front row the entire time. Besides, no one could possibly answer every question correctly by cheating alone.

Still, Gianna couldn't accept that Grace had suddenly become so skilled.

No matter what the results said, she couldn't accept that Grace's improvement was real.

Her heart burned with frustration, determined that Grace wouldn't get lucky twice.

With dozens of eyes on her, Gianna gathered herself and forced a polite smile. "Grace, congratulations on winning first place. You really set a standard for the rest of us."

Outwardly, she acted gracious. Inside, resentment burned bright. She believed Grace had stolen what was rightfully hers. There was no way she would let Grace walk away with this victory unchallenged.