Five days later.
Mariana, Charlotte and Mary Beth arrived early at the venue where the selection of the forty official candidates for Miss Supernational will be announced. There were several women in the waiting area, and Amanda Santander was also there.
"This is it girls. Good luck to all of us and no matter what happens, we will still remain as friends, okay?" Mariana smilingly relayed to her friends.
"Of course, nothing will change. We're still best friends forever!" Charlotte nodded in agreement.
"That's a promise." Mary Beth made a sincere promise as well.
More candidates arrived at the venue, and after about an hour, the staff called them all to start selecting the 40 Official candidates for Miss Supernational.
"This is it, Mariana. This is what you've been waiting for..." Mariana whispered to herself, while crossing her fingers, and wishing for the best.
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A month quickly passed by just like a blink of an eye.
Mariana Clemente and Amanda Santander are the last two standing at the stage. They are nervously waiting for the host to announce the new Miss Supernational USA queen...
"And the new Miss Supranational USA is!"
Mariana closed her eyes as she could clearly hear the fast beating of her heart. This is the moment that she has been waiting for. thumping of her chest. This is the moment that she has been waiting for.
She is already proud and honored to be included in the Top 2. It's already a big deal for her, and it's already a high spot for such a big beauty pageant just like this.
She has no regrets because she knows that she gave her all for this competition...
She is holding hands with Amanda Santander, her strongest contender and the crowd favorite of beauty pageant enthusiasts.
"Let's all welcome our new Miss Supernational USA... Our new queen, and it's none other than Miss Mariana Clemente!" the host finally announced her as the winner.
Mariana cried tears of joy when she heard her name as the winner.
The previous Miss Supernational USA immediately put the sash on her and the beautiful and sparkling crown.
"Now please take your first walk as the new one Miss Supernational 2024!" announced the host, as she is finally closing the coronation programme.
Mariana started walking onstage with the sash and heavy crown on her head. She smiled at everyone, and she blew kisses towards her best friends, Charlotte and Mary Beth who are obviously and genuinely happy for her.
She also started waving to the audience, but he suddenly stopped when he saw the man staring at him while he was smiling. It was none other than Benedict Rochester,
And that is none other than Benedict Rochester, a famous billionaire who owns numerous hotel chains in the whole country...
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The next day.
Mariana woke up to the sound of the chirping birds. Even though she's still feeling a bit sleepy because she attended the party until late at night, she still forced herself to fully wake up.
She decided to get up from her bed, as she needs to get herself ready because she will attend a press conference at lunchtime as the new Miss Supernational USA.
She stared at the crown and her sash at the center table. She lets out a big, happy smile because she has finally fulfilled her dream of becoming a beauty queen.
Aside from the crown and the title, she also won One million dollars, a new car, and one year supply of wardrobe and jewelries from one of their sponsors.
She can still clearly remember what happened last night. The crowd was all cheering and congratulating her, but one particular person caught her full attention...
Benedict Rochester is the billionaire hotel magnate who owns the hotel where she is staying today, and he is also one of the most important sponsors of the Supernational Organization.
He was looking at her as if she is the most beautiful woman on earth. He also smiled at her, and it sent shivers down her spine, but in a good way...
Mariana snaps out from her reverie when she heard someone knocking at her room hotel door. She decided to stand up to see who was outside. As soon as she opened the door, she saw a bellhop boy standing by the door.
"Good morning, Ma'am. Mr. Benedict Rochester specifically instructed me to knock at your door at 8 am sharp and he told me to give you this..." said the bellhop, as he handed her the small paper.
"Oh...Thank you." Mariana politely thanked the bellhop.
Once the bellhop boy finally left, Mariana closed the door and started reading the paper.
"Miss Mariana Clemente,
I will wait for you at the dining hall to have breakfast together." - Benedict Rochester.
Mariana lets out a playful smile after she reads the letter.
She is not stupid not to notice that Benedict Rochester is smitten by her. Of course, she feels flattered because she is given so much attention by this billionaire, and she feels like a modern Cinderella...
Everyone knows Benedict Rochester. He is a business genius, tall, dark, rich and handsome. Every man wants to establish a connection with him, as Mr. Rochester's influence can be very beneficial to them.
Many women also crawl at his feet as he is considered as their ideal man. He is tall, dark, and handsome, not to mention he can provide financial security to whoever is going to be his wife in the future...
Well, it wouldn't hurt just to meet up with him for breakfast, right?
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After a few moments.
Mariana lets out a big, calming breath while she is walking towards the hotel's garden. He saw Mr. Benedict Rochester's back, and it was obvious that he was waiting for her.
She is already familiar with almost everything about him. He already knows his family and educational background, even his career history and even his hobbies, which is all thanks to the internet...
To summarize everything, everyone can say that he is a good catch.
"Good morning, Mr. Rochester. I apologize if I made you wait too long." Mariana immediately greeted the man.