The tension in the room was thick as everyone waited for Brenda’s next words.

She stayed calm, eyes fixed on the countdown to the commercial break.

“Here’s why I’m hesitating,” she said. “The last two contestants were both exceptional, each with a total of 37.1. If I show any bias, I could tip the scales.”

She looked over at Bianca. “After careful thought, I’ve decided to give both of them a perfect score of 10, bringing their totals to 38.1. This means we have a tie for first ...