Modesty looked at Arthur’s back and felt disgusted.
She found Aurora who was looking at her new self-made nail art, “Rest assured. I have arranged
everything well. Once the contest has ended, the money will be transferred to his account. In regard to
you…”
Aurora glanced at her up and down twice and said in an apathetic tone, “If he wants you to go, you
should go. Maybe he and you could share experiences with each other. After all, the both of you are in
the same boat. If you are unwilling to do it, he will not force you.”
After listening to Aurora, Modesty sensed that Aurora had the intention of casting Modesty aside after
achieving her goals. Modesty couldn’t help but frown, “Ms. Barton, we are actually in the same boat.”
Aurora was unconcerned and laughed, “The person who is in the same boat with you doesn’t matter.
As long as we have the same goals, everything will go well. Things have come to this point. Don’t tell
me you regret everything you have done and want to change your mind?”
“I have no intentions of doing that. I am only…”
Aurora didn’t have the patience to continue the conversation and was annoyed, “Ok, ok. I know what
you are thinking. I find someone to talk to him later. He will be notified that you are not going to the
meeting. What a hassle.”
Modesty had a lot of pent-up frustrations but she could not quarrel with her directly. She could only say,
“Thank you, Ms. Barton.”
Aurora acknowledged her words lazily. She lifted her head to look at the door of the lounge, signalling
to Modesty that she should leave.
After exiting the lounge, Modesty stood in the same spot for a moment and walked towards the
staircase with her phone.
Although Arthur had some fame and did not have a very poor reputation, it wasn’t his first time he had
cheated for someone in a contest. Moreover, he was notorious for toying with women with his cheap
tricks.
Modesty stood on the staircase and dialled Adolph’s number. However, his phone was turned off.
Modesty couldn’t help but frown. After thinking for a long time, she dialled her home number but
nobody answered the phone.
Modesty felt very irritated. What were they doing?
They usually talked a good game, but when something happened, nobody was there.
……
Stella stayed in the bathroom for ten minutes and left when someone entered the bathroom.
After taking a couple of steps, she saw a man smoking on the balcony.
Clarence met her gaze and lifted his brows slightly. He flicked ash from his cigarette gently and said in
a magnetic voice, “I thought that you fainted in there.”
“…Didn't you have something to do and couldn't come?”
“Is there anything more important than you?”
Stella raised her hand to touch her brows and walked towards him.
Clarence stubbed out half of the cigarette remaining, “Are you very nervous?”
Stella denied, “How do you know?”
“Your facial expression has already betrayed you, baby.” Clarence flicked her forehead, “Your furrowed
brows could kill a fly.”
Stella reached out to touch her brows instinctively but she heard the man’s low-pitched laughter.
He played a joke on her.
Stella punched his chest and said angrily, “You are joking with me at this point of time?”
The corners of Clarence’s mouth quirked up, “I just want to make you less nervous.”
Stella leaned against the wall beside him and closed her eyes, “I am not nervous because of the
contest.”
Since the incident with Chan, although she had been adjusting herself to the current situation, she still
could not sleep well these days. She could not get in contact with Adolph and moreover, she didn’t
know what Charles would do next.
“You should not be worried about other matters. The contest is your battlefield.”
After listening to Clarence, Stella was quite surprised as she didn’t expect Clarence to speak these
words.
A moment later, she suddenly spoke, “Clarence Conrad, if I win this contest, can you gift me
something?”
Clarence lifted his brows, “Of course. Not to mention one gift, I will gift you whatever you desire.”
Stella looked at him and said in a steady pace, “I just want an honest reply from you.”
Meeting her direct and compelling gaze, Clarence looked calm and said slowly, “Everything I have said
to you is true. If this is what you want, it will work out in my favour, won’t it?”
Stella paused for a while, “Just pretend that I have never said that.”
The wretched man was tight-lipped.
Soon, it was time for the contest to start.
Stella said, “I am going to the venue. The contest will last for three hours. You should attend to your
work.”
Clarence said, “I will accompany you outside.”
“No need for that. You will only affect my performance.”
Clarence could not think of a reply.
After she had finished talking, Stella turned around and headed towards the venue.
The designers who had originally participated in the previous round did not leave. They sat in their
seats as if they wanted to wait to witness the birth of the champion with their own eyes.
Stella, Modesty and Charlotte entered their respective glass rooms one by one under the staff’s orders.
Although the glass rooms were transparent, they were well soundproofed and hence, the contestants
could not hear any noise from outside the rooms.
Furthermore, the walls of the rooms were made of special glass. People outside the rooms could see
what was inside the rooms, but those inside the rooms could not see anything outside the rooms. That
way, not only the openness of the competition was ensured, but also the designers would not be
affected by external influences.
After all the contestants had entered their rooms, the timer on the table was started.
Holding their breaths, everyone outside the rooms watched the contest. Modesty and Charlotte began
to move their pens one after the other. Stella was the only contestant who stood in the room while
staring at the paper. She seemed to be thinking about something.
Some spectators couldn’t help but discuss softly, “The organizers did not announce the theme of the
finals this time. The contestants have to rely on themselves to guess the theme. It is indeed quite
difficult. Luck will become a huge factor of success. The one who is incapable of winning the contest
can become the champion by accident. Whoever guesses the right theme will win the contest.”
“It seems that Modesty and Charlotte are quite confident. I guess that they have already figured out the
hidden theme. However, Ms. Radomil is acting as if she does not any clues about the theme.”
“In my opinion, Modesty will definitely become the champion. If you think about it, Modesty studied in
Paris for three years and learned from Robert in person. In regard to Ms. Radomil, she is a gifted
designer. But in overall, her works are too mediocre and mainstream. It will be difficult for her to be
recognized as a high-class designer. She will not succeed internationally.”
When everyone was having a lively discussion, a man who was at the side said coldly, “In your eyes, if
someone didn’t go to Paris to hone their skills, her works will be inferior to those who studied there?”
“Hey, brother, this is not my own opinion. Paris is considered as a heaven for designers. Every
designer has aspired to go there. When a designer studies there, she will broaden her horizons and
gain new knowledge. Therefore, she will be more capable than an average designer. Not going to Paris
was a great loss to Ms. Radomil. Anyway, I think that she will not be able to defeat Modesty this time.”
After the reporter had finished talking, he finally noticed that the crowd around him fell silent. Everyone
around him lowered their heads to minimize their presence. They were afraid of meeting his gaze.
The reporter seemed to have realized something. He turned around stiffly and saw the person sitting
behind him. The person was the president of Conrad Group who was renowned for arguing with online
haters and doting on his wife.
The reporter was shocked to the core.
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