Under the Heiress' Facade

Lily's mind raced.

How could this happen? She had arranged for a professional hacker to register Hera and had personally confirmed the details. If Hera didn't attend the competition either, why was her name not on the absentee list? Why was it Lily's name instead? Where had her meticulously crafted plan gone awry?

"If you couldn't attend the competition, you shouldn't have registered for it! This news won't just tarnish your own reputation but also Cavenridge's century-old prestige!"

Yuliana's voice boomed with disapproval. "Call your parents and wait for the academy's disciplinary action together!"

Lily felt a cold dread wash over her, her legs turning to jelly.

...

Meanwhile, Hera and Christopher's speech had just concluded. Watching the constant barrage of camera flashes, Hera couldn't help but worry a little. If Bernard saw their photo together, would he start his usual nagging about not having a photo with her and demanding one?

Following the opening ceremony, the afternoon was reserved for a meeting with representatives from various prestigious schools. The next day was the much-anticipated pre-university examination.

That very afternoon, the school released the list of students who had successfully passed the registration review and were eligible to take the examination. The majority were seniors, with only two exceptional sophomores making the cut-Cindy and Hera.

As soon as the list was posted, the school forum erupted into a frenzy of speculation and debate.

"How did the Belle even pass the registration review for the pre-university examination?"

"Her spoken language is amazing, but her grades are abysmal, right?"

"She's been here for half a semester and hasn't passed a single exam. She's fluent in language but can't seem to write a word."

"She must've pulled some strings."

"Didn't Christopher ditch Zyler for her? Of course, he's using his influence to help her out."

"Christopher doesn't seem worried, though. Passing the review doesn't mean much if she can't actually perform well. They should just give her a direct recommendation."

"The Belle's gorgeous, but I wish she'd stop causing so much drama."

"Agreed. The examination results are going to be shared with the representatives. Let's not become an international laughingstock."

"To save the academy from embarrassment, I say they should just disqualify her from the examination."

In Class K, Katie finished scrolling through the school forum. She turned and looked seriously at Hera.

"Boss, if Kerry forced you to register for the pre-university examination, blink twice!"

Hera was rendered speechless.

Just then, Kerry rushed over, excitedly announcing, "Hera, you passed the school's registration review!"

She then earnestly advised Hera, "During tomorrow's examination, please don't leave your paper blank again. At least answer the multiple-choice and true-or-false questions. Remember this strategy for multiple-choice...

"If three answer choices are long and one is short, go for the shortest. If three are short and one is long, choose the longest. If there are two long and two short, pick B. If all the answers are the same length, go with A. If the answer lengths are all over the place, choose D. And if it's a complete mix, just pick C."

Katie was taken aback. "Ms. Lane, didn't you always say that strategy was complete nonsense?"

Kerry replied, "Desperate times call for desperate measures. Just don't turn in a blank paper!"

Hera looked at them helplessly.

Katie observed the interaction and pieced together the situation. It wasn't Kerry who forced Hera to participate; Hera had registered herself. Her boss was definitely up to something!