Franklin Foster was incredibly famous throughout the entire design industry.
He used to be the lead designer for an international haute couture brand but had returned to the country due to health issues, spending the last few years recovering.
Many people had reached out to hire him, but he had turned them all down.
In hindsight, they simply hadn't offered enough to tempt him.
"From the looks of it, our biggest competitor in this tournament is Franklin Foster."
Lyra completely understood Quincy Sawyer's implication.
An internationally renowned designer coming out of retirement was a massive psychological hurdle for many of the contestants.
"I know. Have someone keep an eye on Maxwell Sterling. If he makes a move, let me know immediately."
Lyra wasn't actually worried about Franklin; her real concern was whatever strings Maxwell might be pulling behind the scenes and the variables he could introduce.
She didn't care about her final ranking, but she absolutely refused to let Maxwell profit from this event.
Their relationship had deteriorated into nothing but bitter hostility.
"Understood, VP Lennox. I've booked the flights for you and Courtney. You'll fly out to Averston tomorrow at three in the afternoon and arrive by seven. The vehicle and hotel are fully arranged. The driver will contact you in advance."
If nothing else, Quincy was exceptionally competent and remarkably detail-oriented.
"Alright, got it. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now."
With that, Lyra ended the call.
Eleanor Lennox hadn't spent too much time shopping at the mall, so Lyra didn't have to wait long.
The following day, Lyra and Courtney boarded their flight to Averston.
Returning to the city, her mindset was completely different this time.
After resting for just a single day, the semi-finals began.


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