Three years of loving him, three days to erase myself from his world novel Chapter 288

Clara walked into the grand hall and followed the signs toward the waiting room to prepare for the competition.

On her way, her phone buzzed with a call from Leo Miller.

"Nervous?"

His familiar, gentle voice washed over her like a warm breeze, sweeping away most of the gloom that had settled in her chest earlier.

She offered a small smile. "A little."

Leo chuckled. In his mind, there was zero suspense regarding this competition—she was the undisputed champion. He didn't dwell on it and quickly changed the subject.

"Are your things packed for Somerset? I'll drive you to the airport after the awards ceremony."

Clara turned him down.

She hated emotional goodbyes, and it wasn't as if they were never going to see each other again. "You don't have to do that."

Leo knew exactly how she operated, so he didn't push it.

"Alright then, just focus on the competition! Oh, by the way, I heard the owner of The Alabaster Atelier, Anna Vaught, is here today. Word is she's recruiting the first-place winner for a direct internship! Haven't you always wanted to join that studio? This is your golden ticket!"

Clara gasped in surprise.

"Are you serious?"

"Would I joke about something like this?"

Clara gripped her phone, her pulse racing.

Ever since she entered the design industry, she had known that The Alabaster Atelier was the absolute pinnacle of authority in the country. She had dreamed of joining them, but the opportunity had never presented itself because The Alabaster Atelier almost never held public recruitment drives.

She had originally planned to sharpen her skills at Leo's firm after the competition and slowly look for a way to apply to The Alabaster Atelier. She never expected the perfect opportunity to drop right into her lap!

Now, she absolutely had to win this competition! If she didn't, it would become the biggest regret of her life.

After hanging up.

Clara's heart was still pounding with excitement. It took her several long moments to calm herself down, tuck her phone away, and continue toward the waiting room.

Right at that moment, her phone vibrated again.

One text was from Julian Lowell.

The other was from Dominic Jarrett.

Clara ignored Julian's message entirely and tapped into Dominic's chat:

[Good luck out there.]

[...]

It was just a few simple words and an ellipsis.

Yet Clara felt a strange, thrilling ripple spread through her chest. She had no idea why she was suddenly so fluttery—it felt as if this was the exact encouragement she had been waiting for!

A ridiculous thought flashed through her mind.

Clara bit her lip and typed back: [Thank you.]

Dominic: [Can we meet up for a bit after the competition? There's something I need to tell you.]

Her heart skipped another erratic beat. Her eyes widened slightly. She was supposed to rush to the airport immediately after the competition ended.

But, somehow, the idea of rejecting him felt impossible...

In the end, she agreed.

Meeting up wouldn't take that long anyway.

What a fake!

Suddenly, a thrilled shriek echoed from the corridor outside. "Oh my god, Anna is here!"

"What? Anna Vaught is actually here?"

The room erupted in chaos as everyone leaped from their seats and bolted for the door.

"Let's go look! Just getting to show our faces to a VIP like her is worth it!"

"Exactly! Maybe we can pitch ourselves directly. This is a literal boss interview!"

"..."

Clara wanted to go see her idol too, but trapped in the corner behind a cluster of chairs, she was blocked in by the stampede. She had no choice but to wait.

Once the room finally emptied out,

Clara let out a soft sigh, dusted off her skirt, and tucked her notebook back into her bag, preparing to stand up.

Right at that moment, the crystal chandelier overhead flickered twice and then abruptly died. The windowless dressing room was instantly plunged into pitch darkness.

Clara jumped in shock. Her grip tightened instinctively around her bag as she stumbled backward. Realizing what was happening, panic seized her chest. She hurriedly pulled out her phone to use the flashlight and rushed to the door to pull the handle.

She twisted it violently, but it wouldn't budge!

She was locked inside.

Clara's face drained of color. A wave of dread washed over her. She pounded on the door and shouted, "Is anyone out there? Please help me open the door!"

"So you actually know how to panic. Weren't you acting so high and mighty just a second ago? Why aren't you acting high and mighty now?"

It was Seraphina's voice.