Caroline found it strange too, but she busied herself with calming Gwen down. She didn't put much thought into it. Soon, the host walked up to the stage, and everyone fell silent. After delivering a speech, he said, "Next, let us invite Venusta's CEO to come on the stage and announce the contestant who won fifth place!" A man about 40 years old with a balding crown walked up the stage and announced, "In fifth place, we have Lucy Quill."The audience applauded.Gwen inched closer to Caroline and whispered into her ear. "They're turning it into an award ceremony." Caroline smiled and kept her eyes focused on the stage. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't nervous. This contest was especially significant to her. In no time, the person who'd won third place was making her way down the stage. Caroline's heart palpitated wildly. "We're left with the second and first places now," whispered Gwen as she gripped Caroline's hands. "Carol, I'm sure you'll win this!" She'd barel

Caroline clicked on the comments section to see rows of compliments. "Wow! Layla's design is so pretty! When will the brands use this design for their packaging? I'm definitely going to buy more!""I only focus on the ingredients of the products, but this design is simply gorgeous. If they use her design, I'd be the first to grab one!""Back then, I thought that the Evans family only had one daughter, Caroline. Who knew that they had another one called Layla? She even won the first prize, yet Caroline only got second. It seems to me that Layla is better than Caroline.""Eddy Morrison's taste says it all.""Yep, we're so far behind compared to her. Eddy Morrison's choice could never go wrong! Even though the Morrisons haven't made an official announcement about their relationship yet, we've seen pictures of him going out to meet Layla.""The thing is that Layla completed this design even though she's sick! Caroline can't even be compared to a patient. She must've gone mad from th

After Caroline washed up, she went downstairs to make breakfast. As she put the plates on the table, she was thinking about how to ask Kirk what he'd meant by not wanting to be friends. However, when she looked up and saw him, her mind went blank.Kirk had changed into a casual outfit, lacking his usual upper-class style. He looked more relaxed and carefree. "What are we eating today?" he asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down at the table.Caroline hurriedly looked away, her heart beating wildly like a deer in headlights. For a moment, she felt like they were acting like an old married couple. She answered, "Pasta. Let me get some for you.""I'll get it myself," Kirk responded, walking into the kitchen.Caroline stood where she was, watching Kirk put some pasta on his plate with swift movements. Then, he said, "We'll meet my dad in a few days."Caroline was surprised. "Is your father that anxious to meet me?"It might take several days to get to the bottom of the is

As soon as the organizers announced this, it caused a media storm."So, does it mean that Layla's design is actually Caroline's? Layla plagiarized Caroline's work?""I don't think things are that simple. The organizers allegedly received the complete design process of one of Caroline's designs. It looked exactly like Layla's. Some people suspect that Layla stole Caroline's design and submitted it as her own.""There's no way that's possible. Only an idiot would do that. At any rate, I don't believe it. Did Caroline buy off the organizers? Hurry, Layla! Show some evidence to prove them wrong!""I also think that Caroline bought off the organizers. She must be jealous of Layla, so she bribed them, telling them she's the original designer.""Speaking as a design enthusiast, the concepts of the two designs are completely different. The winning design emphasizes the packaging's aesthetic, while the runner-up's design focuses more on marketing value, which is a more mature approach. A v

Caroline called Gwen insane in response to her claims before hanging up the phone. Just as she put down her phone, she got another call from an unknown number. She answered the call after a moment's hesitation. "Hello?""Hello. Is this Caroline Evans?""Yes.""I'm Jules Hawkins, the newly appointed CEO of Thorne Industries. First, I hope you accept our sincerest apologies for our major mistake during the judging process." The CEO himself had apologized to her. Their standards were high."It's all good as long as the truth is out.""Thank you for your understanding," Jules said in a charming voice. "After some discussion, our company has unanimously decided that you're both the winner and the runner-up of this competition. So, you'll get the winnings and prizes for both places. "Just as we'd announced, there's a special bonus for the winner: a lifetime contract as the design director at our company. Are you interested in our offer, Ms. Evans?"Caroline's breath got caught.