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.

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