Amy's gaze flickered with quiet amusement. "So, I lost to... Liam?"

"Precisely," Nathan declared with an air of smug superiority. "Victoria was only 0.1 points behind you. And that tiny margin? That's just the difference between Liam and Oliver. Technically, it doesn't constitute an actual loss for Victoria."

At that moment, everything clicked for Amy. "So, you're refusing to honor your word?" Her voice was eerily calm, as if she had expected nothing less.

Alexander, standing nearby, felt a sharp twist of discomfort in his chest. For the first time, he truly saw how irrational Nathan could be.

Nathan doubled down, his voice rising defensively. "Who said anything about refusing? Victoria didn't actually lose! The judges themselves admitted that 0.1 was deducted because of Liam!"

Desperate to justify himself, he scoffed, "Honestly, what's so impressive about defeating a five-year-old? Especially when it's your own son! If you're not ashamed to boast about beating a child, go ahead—shout it from the rooftops. No one's stopping you."

Amy's eyes swept over the room. "Is that what everyone here believes?"

Charlotte averted her gaze, unable to meet Amy's piercing stare. Margaret turned away, her expression icy. Liam fidgeted guiltily, murmuring, "It was my fault." Victoria kept her head bowed, silent, offering no contradiction to Nathan's claims.

As for Alexander... Amy didn't even glance in his direction. In this moment, he was irrelevant.

Nathan smirked triumphantly. "See? Everyone agrees."

Amy's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. "Mr. Prescott, you seem awfully invested in defending Ms. Langley. I suspect this isn't about her at all—it's about you trying to weasel out of our bet, isn't it?"

Nathan's face darkened, and everyone except Victoria stared at him in shock. Clearly, they hadn't known about the wager.

Flustered, he snapped, "What nonsense are you spouting?!"

Just as he attempted to deny it, Amy casually pulled out her phone and played a recording.

For a heartbeat, Nathan's expression twisted in panic, but he quickly recovered. "You didn't truly beat Victoria, so the bet is void!"

At that exact moment, the lounge door swung open, and Samantha strode in, flanked by a crowd.

"This is utterly disgraceful!" she declared, shooting Nathan a look of pure disdain. "The entire room witnessed the bet being made!"

Sebastian smirked, arms crossed. "A man's word is his honor. Blaming a child for your own failure? Pathetic."

His gaze shifted to Liam, who looked small and worried, yet never once tried to defend himself. Sebastian shook his head. "It's pitiful when grown adults can't even hold a candle to a five-year-old."

The gathered onlookers at the door watched the scene unfold, their expressions shifting to open contempt for Nathan and his allies.

Amy might not have been born into privilege, and some might still look down on her for it—but breaking promises? That was a line no respectable person would cross. Who would ever trust someone—or a company—that couldn't keep their word?

Amy glanced at the judges who had followed Samantha in, then locked eyes with Victoria.

"Ms. Langley, if you truly believe Liam affected your performance, we can have a rematch."

She paused, her eyes gleaming with quiet challenge.

"I have all the time in the world today. If you'd like to compete again—and again—I'm more than willing."

The unspoken message was clear: no matter how many times they faced off, Victoria would never win.