Renee glanced at the audience, her gaze landing on a man in the VIP section. Beside him, an event organizer was speaking quietly, head bowed. The man seemed disinterested, holding a teacup and staring at Renee with dark, intense eyes through the rising steam. The pressure of his gaze made her uneasy, and she quickly looked away.Most of the audience didn't seem to expect much from Renee. After all, few contestants used million-dollar gemstones like Annie had, let alone with such innovative designs.The organizer shared this sentiment. "Mr. Grey, don't worry. I just spoke with Professor Xander. She's very impressed with Ms. Simmons. The first prize is surely hers."Carl sipped his tea and replied coolly, "Not necessarily."Confused, the organizer followed Carl's gaze to Renee on stage. After a moment of thought, he nodded. "I understand, Mr. Grey."Carl ignored him, fixated on Renee's striking figure. The organizer bowed and left, whispering to a staff member who quickly ran off.
Renee glanced at Annie, then took two steps forward."Even though we're classmates, are we really that close? Why would I need help from a competitor, especially in a situation like this?"Annie faltered, her expression turning wounded.One of the judges, aware of Annie's unusual background and seeing Carl standing behind her, quickly stood up and scolded Renee. "Renee, you dropped your own work, and Ms. Simmons was just trying to help you. Is this how you respond? Security! Take her out! If you have no work to show, you have no right to be here. Don't waste everyone's time."Annie discreetly wiped her eyes, casting a triumphant glance at Renee.But Renee remained unusually calm. "Who said I don't have any work?"She turned toward Annie and continued, her voice steady and deliberate, "Life is unpredictable. I prepared a second set of samples just in case."Annie's expression stiffened.The next moment, a staff member whom Renee had specifically hired to stand by came onto the s
Only Renee knew that her Sarah was the most wonderful daughter in the world. Since Sarah was old enough to understand, her only birthday wish has been for Renee to be happy.Sarah would always tell her, "Mommy, please don't cry anymore, okay?"She also said, "Mommy, other kids have their daddies help them put on their crowns."Later, when Sarah realized her father didn't care about her, she told Renee that she looked even more beautiful wearing the crown.Thinking of this, Renee's eyes reddened for a moment, but she had promised Sarah that she would never cry again, so she held back the tears.She raised her hand to gently touch the crown on her head, lifting her gaze slightly."Sarah, Mommy made you a crown. Do you like it?"Putting aside the earlier incident, Mandy was genuinely impressed with Renee's skills. Her design and creativity were more innovative than Annie's.Annie's work was good too, but there was one glaring flaw—the overly flashy ring.At that moment, Mandy sud
It wasn't until Mandy said, "Let's continue with the competition," that the tension eased.The host quickly shifted gears. "Thank you, contestants. Please take a moment to rest while we invite the next participant to the stage."Renee descended from the stage with a smile, but Annie quickly followed behind her."Did you know all along?" Annie demanded."Ms. Simmons, what are you talking about? I don't understand. That wasn't your work, so what could I possibly know?" Renee replied, feigning confusion.Annie glanced around to ensure no one was listening and lowered her voice. "Why did the necklace break?"Renee smiled faintly. "You didn't even bother to adjust the specs after copying my design? You can't even plagiarize properly?"With that, she turned to walk away, but after a few steps, she paused and looked back at Annie. "Didn't Uncle Carl warn you not to overdo it when he gave you the design? That ring was truly awful.""Renee Lacey!" Annie was livid, nearly losing her pois
Renee accepted the heavy trophy, her expression blank, as she gazed out at the audience. It felt like an invisible hand was clutching her throat, suffocating her, and reminding her of the challenge of escaping a predetermined fate—especially when facing an opponent with powerful support.But in the next moment, she tightened her grip on the trophy. In her past life, she hadn't even qualified to compete, but now she held a trophy that threatened Annie's victory. Finally, the cursed fate that had haunted her was starting to shift.One day, her desired path would align with her destiny.Renee lifted her head and smiled at the audience, especially at the owner of those dark eyes—Carl Grey.No one could bring her down anymore, unless... she fell on her own.In the audience, Jackson approached Carl and leaned in to report quietly, "Mr. Grey, it's done.""Good."Carl picked up his teacup, locking eyes with Renee, narrowing his gaze to hide his displeasure. Her dazzling smile under the
She might not have intended to target Carl directly, but being photographed next to him would undoubtedly lead to the picture going viral online, giving her the exposure she desperately needed.Lucy understood that people are naturally self-serving, so she wasn't wrong to seize this opportunity.Renee stepped aside and smiled at Lucy. "Go ahead. The ink-wash effect of your dress will complement Mr. Grey in the photo."She even gave Lucy a reason.Lucy hesitated for a moment, then thanked Renee and moved to stand on Carl's other side.Renee positioned herself at the far end.As everyone settled into position for the photo, Carl raised his hand to block the camera.In a low voice, he said, "The contestants should be in the center."With that, he subtly removed Annie's hand from his arm and moved to the far end, right next to Renee.Instinctively, Renee tried to distance herself from Carl, but he suddenly placed his hand on her back.His warmth seeped through the thin fabric, ca
This turn of events was unexpected for Renee. Annie was determined to discredit her and would stop at nothing.Annie knew exactly who had copied whom, yet she was now trying to frame Renee for plagiarism. The word "inspiration" had been cleverly chosen.The reporter reminded everyone that Renee had seen Annie's design drafts before the competition. If Renee confessed to "borrowing," it would imply that Annie was superior and that her own entry needed to draw from Annie's work.If Renee denied it, she would appear stubborn in refusing to admit the truth, casting doubt on the legitimacy of her second-place finish.Annie, attempting to play the peacemaker, chimed in, "Oh, please don't say that. If Renee found inspiration in my work, I'm honored."Then, with feigned sadness, she added, "But the reason I included the sun in my design was because I see the sun as a symbol of Mr. Grey. It's his light that makes everything so wonderful. Knowing that my idea was borrowed is disheartening."
"Don't move," Travis whispered.Renee looked at him, confused. "What's the matter?""You have some confetti in your hair. Let me get it out."As Travis reached out to delicately remove the stray pieces of confetti, his fingers intertwined with her hair, his gaze shifting as he moved in closer to catch a whiff of her hair's fragrance.Realizing their proximity, Renee blushed and quickly shielded her head with her hands."I... I forgot to wash my hair. Does it smell weird?"Travis let out a light chuckle. "No, it smells nice.""Big brother, you're really good at teasing," Renee said, feeling a bit embarrassed."Come on, my car is by the side entrance.""Okay."They walked together, side by side, and Renee instinctively twirled a lock of her hair—a small, shy gesture she did without thinking.Meanwhile, from a distance, Carl observed this with a stern expression, his aura growing increasingly dark and ominous. With a sharp click, he ignited a cigarette, taking a deep drag befor