“Fine.”
To Wade, this was basically free food.
There’s no way Tilda is gonna make it.
Meanwhile, Kyla couldn’t resist sneaking near Tilda’s classroom.
She tucked herself into a quiet corner in the hallway, staying out of sight.
From there, she could see groups of students crowding outside the room.
And of course, everyone was talking about whether Tilda would pass the ultimate test.
“Do you all think she’s actually gonna succeed?”
“Maybe. Back in freshman year, she was at the top of our class.
“And now she’s with the Jensons. Maybe Wade even taught her a few tricks.”
“Yeah, Wade’s the only one who’s ever cleared it. And look at Tilda now – walking around like she’s confident. She must have something planned.”
“She’s wild. She was all quiet one minute, then suddenly – boom, turns out she’s the real Jenson daughter. Talk about rags to riches.”
“I saw Wade and Kyla riding to campus together this morning. I didn’t see Tilda, though. What do you think that means?”
“What else? The fake daughter was keeping the spot warm, but now the real one’s back. Guess who’s about to get replaced?”
Laughter broke out.
Hidden in her corner, Kyla’s face burned.
Fake daughter? Replaced?
No. I AM the Jensons’ daughter.
I’ve always been, and I always will be. Nobody can take that away.
The one who will be pushed out isn’t me – it’s Tilda.
If this had been before, Kyla wouldn’t have been worried.
She would’ve thought Tilda taking Shaun’s challenge was just her being cocky.
Even Wade had barely passed, so what chance did Tilda have?
But lately, Tilda’s whole vibe had shifted in ways Kyla couldn’t explain.
So the second she heard the news, she found herself sneaking over, almost without thinking.
Please, please fail, Tilda.
If she succeeded, people would compare them. And Kyla couldn’t stand the thought of that shame.
Just then, the classroom door opened.
Una came out, head hanging low.
Right away, classmates rushed up to ask.
“Nope,” Una sighed. “Professor Manning’s program is way too tough. I didn’t even know where to start.”
Everyone gasped.
Una was always one of the best students.
She was easily in the top three in the class.
And if she couldn’t solve it and gave up that fast, that just showed how cruel the challenge really was.
“Looks like Tilda’s doomed too.”
“Yeah, there’s only one hour. It’s already been 40 minutes.”
“Exactly. If it were easy, Wade wouldn’t still be the only one who ever passed.”
Una’s temper snapped. “Hey! Don’t talk crap! Tilda can totally do it!”
Everyone knew how close Una and Tilda were. And seeing her this mad, they all shut up quick.
But Kyla saw everything.
Kyla already met Una yesterday at the Porsche dealership.
So when Una came out complaining about how impossible the program was, Kyla finally felt a little better.
Yeah … I’ve definitely been overthinking.
Someone like Tilda? No way she can actually pull it off.
Her trying so hard will just backfire, turning her into the laughingstock of everyone watching.
Feeling relieved, Kyla spun around and walked away.
Five more minutes passed, making that 48 minutes now.
Just when everyone was certain Tilda had already failed, the door suddenly opened, and Tilda walked out, right beside Shaun.
Shaun’s whole face lit up with pride and joy.
“Time: 48 minutes. Congratulations, Tilda! You’ve set a brand-new record. Challenge cleared!
“From now on, you don’t even need to attend my classes. I’m giving you a perfect score!”
“What?!” The crowd exploded.
Except for Una, everyone had thought Tilda was doomed.
But no.
She’d actually done it.
And in only 48 minutes?
That was crazy.
Not just rare, not just once-in-a-lifetime – she had beaten Wade’s record of 54 minutes by a whole 6 minutes.
It was unbelievable.
Wade had already been called the genius of Orica University’s Computer Science department.
Professors praised his brains, talent, and sharpness.
But Tilda now outshone Wade!
It was hard to wrap their heads around.
“Yeah! I knew you could do it, Tilda!”
Una jumped up and hugged her tight, her face glowing with excitement.
Tilda smiled softly and ruffled Una’s hair. “I had to win – just to prove you were right about me.”
Truth was, Tilda could’ve solved Shaun’s program in 20 minutes.
This time, she didn’t hold back.
But she was stuck using the university’s clunky system instead of her own special hacking-repair software.
It had slowed her down a lot. That was the only reason it had taken her 48 minutes.
News of Tilda’s victory spread across Orica University like wildfire.
Of course, it reached Clive and Wade too.
“Hahaha! Wade, guess what? Tilda cleared it in 48 minutes! She beat your record by 6 whole minutes!”
Wade froze, his pen slipping right out of his hand.
“Th-this can’t be real!” His voice cracked with disbelief.
“Look! Even Professor Manning posted about it. Congrats and everything. You owe me a month of lunches now – no running away!”
Clive shoved his phone in Wade’s face before he could argue.
On the screen, Manning’s post read, “Proud to introduce, after 20 years of teaching, my most outstanding student yet, Tilda Jenson.”
Two pictures followed.
The first showed Tilda, smiling at Una, her face confident and radiant.
The second showed the program screen – finished, complete.
The timer stopped at 48 minutes.
Not a second more, not a second less.
“She really … did it … ” Wade whispered, his voice shaking.
Even his eyes trembled.
“Wade, looks like your sister isn’t as simple as you keep saying.
“Honestly? I think I’m starting to like Tilda myself.”
Clive dragged a finger slowly across his lips, eyes full of mischief.
Suddenly, Wade shot to his feet and bolted for the library doors.
“Hey! Wade! Where are you going? Wait for me!”
More Kickass Romance Reads
Dive into irresistible romance stories packed with possessive heroes, forbidden passion, billionaire obsession, mafia intrigue, and heart-stopping twists. One chapter is never enough—your next addiction starts here.