"Find out who did this! I want to know who dared to mess with my woman," Shane commanded, his voice seething with anger.Even through the phone, Dean could feel his boss's rage. After hanging up, he rubbed his arms, noticing the goosebumps that had formed. Someone was definitely going to pay for this.On stage, Haley was still deeply focused on her sketch. The time left was rapidly dwindling. Creating an outstanding piece in just half an hour was almost impossible. All the contestants here were highly skilled, so Haley could not afford to take them lightly.As the countdown approached its final moments, everyone watching the competition held their breath, their eyes glued to the screen displaying Haley's work. Despite knowing the near-impossible odds, they could not help but feel anxious for her.With only ten seconds remaining, Haley's hand continued to move with precision. Many spectators shook their heads, thinking she had no chance, and began to shift their attention to the oth
Louis was about to say something when a cool female voice interrupted from his side. "Mr. Lowe, it's best not to jump to conclusions before we've seen all the entries."The speaker was Luna Jenkins, the founder of a fashion company, known for her sharp looks and even sharper tongue. Mr. Lowe's expression stiffened. "Miss Jenkins, what I said is the truth. Can you find a design better than Stella Campbell's?""Why don't you continue looking at the remaining entries?" Luna gave him a cold glance, seemingly seeing through all his schemes.Feeling a bit guilty under her icy gaze, Mr. Lowe reluctantly continued, though his confidence wavered. "Fine, I'll look. I doubt there's a design better than Stella's—"He abruptly stopped talking. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the design in front of him.Seeing his reaction, the other judges quickly gathered around. When they saw the exquisite design, flawless in every detail, their expressions turned to shock. How was this p
Luna, known for her strong personality, did not change her attitude regardless of the other person's status. At this moment, her stance was unwaveringly firm.Louis opened his mouth to say something but ultimately stayed silent. Luna was right that he had no evidence to prove Haley had cheated. Yet, he remained convinced it was impossible to produce such an outstanding piece in just half an hour. Even as a top designer with over 20 years of experience, he doubted he could achieve that.How could a 20-year-old girl like Haley do it?When the judges' scores were announced, the other judges gave Haley's work scores of 9 or even perfect 10s. Only Louis gave a score of 2.Haley was momentarily stunned when she saw Louis's score. Just as she was about to speak, a staff member asked, "Mr. Louis, could you explain why your score is so different from the other judges'?"Louis sneered and said, "Maybe my standards are different. In my view, a piece created through cheating is worthless."
"What are you so proud of, Haley? It's just empty talk!" Stella thought to herself. Stella could not believe that someone as young as Haley could genuinely be that skilled. Even industry veterans would not dare claim they could produce an outstanding design in just half an hour. Why should Haley be any different?A judge in the audience asked, "Miss Haley, can you tell us if you cheated?""No, I did not," Haley replied firmly.Louis sneered and spoke in a harsh tone, "Creating such an excellent design in half an hour? That's impossible."Despite the skepticism, Haley remained unruffled. She calmly replied, "Just because you can't do it doesn't mean others can't.""You...!" It was the first time Louis's professional ability had been questioned openly, and he was furious. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "You're a rookie in this industry. How could you have such skills? Are you just trying to create a buzz for your company?"The audience erupted in murmurs again, a
Although the contestants were already exhausted and reluctant to continue competing, some held onto the hope that if Haley really had cheated, the additional competition would expose her. The design competition strictly prohibited plagiarism and cheating. Anyone caught would be disqualified and banned for three years. This was a huge temptation for those who wanted to win.After much deliberation, most of them agreed to the additional round. Only Stella's face turned pale when she heard about the new competition."I disagree! Why should we all suffer for one person's mistake?"Haley narrowed her eyes slightly, her cool voice tinged with a hint of coldness. "I am the victim here, am I not?""Don't change the subject. We just finished one round and are already exhausted. We're not in the best condition to compete again.""I am also exhausted. Besides, I completed two design sketches in the same amount of time, so if anyone should be more tired, it should be me, right?"Stella sta
Louis stared intently at the sketch, mumbling, "Impossible, how is this possible?"He had always held himself in high esteem, believing he was the cornerstone of the industry, the pinnacle of talent. Many begged him to design clothes, but he rarely obliged, feeling he had the right to be selective.But now...Louis's face burned with humiliation.Luna, seeing his expression, added insult to his injury. "Mr. Louis, it seems even you can make mistakes. Your chosen designer... her performance was quite disappointing this time."Louis glanced at Stella's work, his expression growing even darker. Although she had completed her design, it was clear that it lacked any standout features. Her background in jewelry design was evident, as her habits had influenced her sketch, making it look awkward and mismatched.The judges examined the sketch and shook their heads in disappointment. This was too poor. Comparing it to the previous design, it was like night and day.Hearing the judges' cri
Everyone accepted Haley as the winner without any objections, having witnessed her extraordinary talent firsthand. Even Louis, fell silent unwillingly.At that moment, a deep, cold voice echoed from the audience, “Before the competition ends, I have something to say.”All eyes turned to the source of the voice, and when they saw Shane’s stern face, they were stunned."Mr. Shane Ford?"The judges frowned, unsure of his intentions. Professor Wood glanced at Haley on stage before asking, "Mr. Ford, could this wait until the competition ends?"Shane glanced at him briefly, his lips barely moving as he replied, "No."Professor Wood wiped the sweat from his brows, asking, "So, what does Mr. Ford intend to say?"Shane stood up and made his way to the stage, his imposing presence causing the room to fall silent. Everyone watched in confusion, including Haley.Shane stopped in front of Haley and looked toward Louis. “I heard this competition prides itself on fairness and integrity, with
Haley sniffled and nodded softly. "Yes, I'm happy."It was not the apologies that made her happy, but rather the fact that she had met Shane in her life.Shane pulled her into his arms and addressed the audience, "I accept your apologies on behalf of my wife, but beyond that, I expect the competition organizers to provide an explanation to all the contestants."The organizers exchanged confused glances, unsure of the meaning behind his words.Shane continued, "My wife has proven her abilities through a second round of competition. Now, what about those who truly cheated? What consequences should they face?"His words sent a shockwave through the crowd, reigniting the tense atmosphere. Everyone turned their puzzled gazes toward Shane.Louis could not sit still any longer. He yelled at Shane, "Mr. Ford, what on earth are you talking about? Please don't delay our award ceremony any further!"Shane, uninterested in arguing, gave Dean a quick signal. His deep voice was laced with col