Meg adjusted the curls framing her face and straightened her outfit before pulling back the curtain.


    Meg and Matthew were in the same year, and her final exam scores had ranked third in the city, nearly ten points ahead of Matthew. As soon as she stepped into Prestige College, she caught the attention of many professors and eventually became the department head''s protégé. Her future was looking brighter than a Broadway marquee.


    So, when she walked onto the stage, she did so with her head held high, exuding an elegant confidence as polished as her makeup.


    She had every reason to be proud.


    Meg didn''t even bother with notes; standing at the podium, she didn''t show a hint of stage fright. If Matthew''s speaking style was all about humor and Taylor''s was passionate and powerful, then Meg''s was incredibly engaging.


    Her confidence was infectious, earning her as much apuse as Taylor.


    "Meg''s pretty good, isn''t she?" Anthony said to Mr. Hammond, seated beside him in the audience.


    He nced back at the students, all of whom were fixated on the stage, and added, "I think this speech could really make an impact on everyone."


    Mr. Hammond leaned back, murmuring his agreement.


    Suddenly, Anthony seemed to remember something. "Mirabe seemed a bit nervous, didn''t she?"


    Mr. Hammond''s gaze lingered on the stage for a moment before he looked at Anthony. "Nervous?"


    Anthony nodded. "At the start of the speeches, I saw Ms. Ate talking to Mirabe. I guess she might be feeling the pressure. Maybe I should go backstage and give her a pep talk? Tell her not to be too tense?"


    After all, as Parkside High School''s closing student speaker, a meltdown on stage would be less than ideal.


    Mr. Hammond thought about how Mirabe had never shown fear in front of Prestige College professors and concluded this little speech wouldn''t faze her.


    He raised his hand, dismissing the idea with a simple, "No need."


    Anthony found it odd but trusted Mr. Hammond''s judgment and dropped the subject.


    Soon, Meg concluded her speech to fervent apuse. She was pleased, gracefully exiting the stage after scanning the crowd of over eight hundred students.


    Backstage, Taylor offered his praise, "You were fantastic."


    He was genuinely surprised by Meg''s charisma, which seemed just as strong as his own, if not stronger. It''s no wonder the biology professors couldn''t stop talking about her.


    "Thanks for thepliment, Taylor. I was actually kind of nervous," Meg said, sticking out her tongue yfully.


    Taylor just smiled.


    Meg then looked over at Mirabe and Matthew, who were deep in conversation. A hint of coolness touched her expression.


    Anyone with a shred of politeness would know to exchange pleasantries with her at that moment, a basic show of mutual respect.


    Meg''s lips twitched into a smirk before she looked away.


    "...So, let''s talk about choosing majors after the final exam, okay?" Mirabe was saying to Matthew, not outright rejecting the idea.


    She was starting to see why the physics professor had been so keen on chatting with hertely.


    Matthew sighed, "You''re already guaranteed a spot at Prestige College, exempt from the final exam. Why so focused on it?"


    Mirabe raised an eyebrow, "I''m someone with ambitions."