The Thorne Heiress Unveiling Shadow novel Chapter 31

The day of the Blackwood Innovation Prize finals arrived with the kind of electric tension usually reserved for a major sporting event. The massive, glass-walled auditorium was already buzzing with activity, with tech crews setting up cameras and student spectators vying for the best seats.

Evelyn and Chloe were walking across the sun-drenched campus quad towards the venue, Chloe chattering nervously and clutching a tablet to her chest.

"I reread the competition rules three times last night," Chloe said, her words tumbling out in a rush. "The final challenge is always a live build from scratch, no outside resources allowed except the approved libraries. Can you believe it? Three hours to build a functional data encryption model. It's insane. I'm so nervous I think my stomach is going to climb out of my throat."

Evelyn, looking calm and composed in a simple white blouse and black trousers, gave her friend a reassuring smile. "You'll be fine, Chloe. Just focus on what you do best."

They were about to enter the building when a voice cut through the morning air, stopping them in their tracks.

"Evelyn Thorne."

Mark Chen was standing in front of them, his arms crossed, his expression a tense, unreadable mixture of awe and disbelief. His usual arrogance was gone, replaced by a raw, nervous energy. His two teammates hovered awkwardly a few feet behind him.

"Mark," Evelyn acknowledged, her tone perfectly level. "Shouldn't you be preparing with your team?"

Evelyn, however, didn't even blink. Her expression remained perfectly, unnervingly calm. She met Mark's intense gaze, her eyes like cool, deep pools of water, revealing nothing of the thoughts beneath the surface.

"That's a fascinating theory, Mark," she said, her voice soft, yet carrying an unshakable weight. "It sounds like you've been doing a lot of interesting research." She then gave him a small, almost pitying smile. "You have a big competition to win. You should focus on that."

With that, she turned and walked into the auditorium, leaving him standing there on the pavement. Her dismissal was absolute. She hadn't confirmed anything. She hadn't denied anything. She had simply demonstrated that his probing, his knowledge, his suspicion—none of it was a threat to her. It was irrelevant.

The calm, impenetrable demeanor was more terrifying to Mark than any confession or denial could have been. It was the absolute confidence of a higher being swatting away a fly. He watched her walk away, a cold dread mixing with his disbelief. He was more convinced than ever, but he had no proof, nothing but a wild theory that sounded insane. The ghost was real, and she was about to compete against him.