"This is monumental news! It is an absolute triumph that our entire industry should celebrate!"
"For years, incredible talents from Country H have submitted their work, yet very few have ever made it to the finals! But this time, not only did this designer's work make the finals, but it took home the crown! This is a historic moment for the architectural world in our country!"
As the host's words rang out, thunderous applause erupted. The entire ballroom buzzed with electric excitement.
Everyone knew that this particular award was the single most prestigious and authoritative honor in global architecture—it was essentially the Nobel Prize of the architectural world.
Throughout history, countless brilliant designers from Country H who had swept domestic awards found themselves hitting a brick wall at this competition.
This was the very first time a designer from their country had ever claimed the ultimate prize!
Instantly, the room erupted into hushed whispers and frantic speculation over who the genius behind the gold-winning design could possibly be.
But the host, knowing exactly how to work the room, deliberately kept them in suspense.
She suggested everyone raise a glass in celebration first, promising to reveal the winner's name at the climax of the evening.
The tantalizing delay had the entire crowd on the edge of their seats.
Yardley was equally stunned by the monumental announcement.
His immediate, irrational first thought was: *Could it be Scarlett?*
He instinctively looked over at her. She was still deep in conversation with the developers, her expression calm, poised, and entirely devoid of the eager anticipation one would expect from a potential winner.
*No, it couldn't be her.*
He knew her skills had improved over the years under his harsh critiques, but he didn't believe for a second that she had the time or capability to produce a masterpiece worthy of a global competition so quickly.
She didn't have the genius for it, nor did she have the bandwidth.

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