From Divorced Wife To The Top Heiress novel Chapter 99

Falcon Barclay glanced at the impeccably dressed Kendall Brett, his eyes crinkling into a smile. “Kendall, I know you’re Ryan Blake’s protégée and have never been a fan of my tastes.

“I can accept your criticism. But as a judge, I prefer this other piece, and I have the right to voice my opinion.”

“You have the right to your opinion,” Kendall shot back. “But you’ve been championing this same designer through the first two rounds. Her linework isn’t even clean, and her concept is so derivative that it completely misses the theme. How can you possibly argue she deserves first place?”

She continued, “Besides, you can tell she doesn’t sketch regularly. Her inspiration feels barren. How can someone like that win?”

Kendall glared at Falcon, her expression full of accusation.

She couldn’t believe he’d try to pass off such a subpar entry. ‘How dare someone with zero design sense even call themselves a designer?

‘The old man is lying through his teeth.

‘What is he up to?‘

Falcon was speechless. Kendall’s words were sharp and hit their mark. Looking at Eliana’s design, he was, in truth, deeply disappointed.

But he had taken money from Beatrice Ashford and promised to ensure her daughter–in–law won. He figured he could just mentor her properly afterward.

Still, this was a stretch.

Even he was let down by the work.

‘How on earth did she win first place last year?‘ he wondered.

Of the five finalists on stage, only Eliana looked nervous.

Serena, by contrast, was perfectly calm.

Throughout the entire competition, Eliana hadn’t found a single opportunity to sabotage her.

The racing theme was a bit outside her comfort zone, and she hadn’t been sketching much lately, so her skills felt rusty. The final drawing had left her deeply worried.

But seeing Falcon championing her so strongly, all she could do was wait.

Falcon and his supporters were at a loss for words.

They were all seasoned designers; if it weren’t for them, Eliana’s piece would have been eliminated in the first round.

20:36 Thu, Feb 12

Chapter 99

VPN

4/

55 vouchers

Kendall’s critique was devastatingly accurate, and Falcon truly couldn’t find a single good thing to say about the design.

Joseph Hayes saw the sour look on Falcon’s face. He leaned in and whispered with a knowing smile, “Falcon, my friend, I know about your… arrangement with that woman. I also know you’re trying to push her daughter–in–law to the top.

“But if you actually go through with this, you’ll be blacklisted by the entire fashion industry. You can return the money, but at our age, if you ruin your reputation, you’ll have nothing left.”

Falcon flinched. ‘How does he know?‘

He grunted, taking a step back, his face grim. “Fine. Since you’ve all made up your minds and I’ve had my say, go ahead and announce the winner.”

Last year’s competition hadn’t been broadcast live.

This year, with cameras everywhere and the judges sitting so close together, cheating was impossible.

He’d just have to return the money.

Joseph looked at the host. “You do it.”

The host beamed as he took the design sketch. He tore off the label covering the name and turned to the audience, his voice booming with excitement. “After a unanimous decision from our esteemed judges, the winner of the seventh annual design competition is… Ms. Serena Hale!”

Dylan wasn’t surprised to see Serena win. She had always been exceptional.

Serena smiled faintly, surprised she had managed to take first place so easily.

She stepped forward and gave a slight bow to the crowd.

“Thank you to all the judges for your hard work, and thank you to the entire staff.”

Her gratitude was expressed with grace and poise.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify