The presentations began.
More than half of the first few contestants hadn't even finished. The remaining few had managed to complete their pieces, but the designs lacked any real wow factor, resulting in rather low scores.
Anna Vaught's brows furrowed slightly; she was clearly unimpressed.
The audience murmured in anticipation, "Now it all comes down to Ms. Vance and Ms. Shaw's designs!"
"Next up, please welcome Ms. Shaw!" Chloe announced.
"Wow, I can't wait!"
"Ms. Shaw's work is definitely going to be amazing!"
Seraphina smiled. Carrying her box, she walked up to the display table. She placed it down, removed the lid, and gave the staff member beside her a polite, signaling smile.
The next second, the cameras and spotlights focused squarely on the jewelry inside the box, projecting its image in perfect clarity onto the massive screen behind her.
It was a striking sapphire blue necklace. The craftsmanship was undeniably top-tier, with flawlessly cut chains and a brilliantly proportioned pendant. More importantly, the overall design was highly innovative, a complete departure from the generic styles flooding the market. It was an absolute showstopper!
"So beautiful..."
"As expected of Ms. Shaw. I already want to buy it!"
"..."
The praises from the audience rolled in relentlessly.
Clara's expression remained indifferent.
Seraphina picked up the microphone, offered a gracious smile of thanks, and began her presentation. "Esteemed judges, ladies, and gentlemen. Hello. Today, I have designed a sapphire necklace."
"My design philosophy has always been finding elegance in tranquility and creating ambiance through simplicity. I don't chase flashy embellishments. I believe an accessory shouldn't just be an extra decoration, but an extension of the wearer's own aura."
"Therefore, out of all the glass gems provided today, I chose this understated sapphire blue."
"Now, if you look at the screen, you might notice that I've incorporated three major highlights into this piece."
"First is the color innovation. Most items on the market right now use standard blue tones, but this time, I abandoned regular blue and light blue. Instead, I opted for a deep ocean blue with low saturation but high clarity. It has a natural, soft-focus glow that is neither too garish nor too dull, giving it a profoundly luxurious feel!"
"My second innovation is structural. I broke away from tradition..."
"..."
Both the audience and the judges listened intently. Even Anna, known for her strict standards, nodded in approval and jotted down a few notes.
Seraphina spoke for a full three and a half minutes. When she finished, she offered a deep bow. "That concludes my presentation. Thank you all for listening."
"Excellent!" The crowd erupted into thunderous applause.
"With a piece this incredible, first place is a lock!"
"..."
The judges agreed. "Ms. Shaw's talent is truly remarkable!"
Anna gave her high praise as well. "You have an exceptional sensitivity to color. You are prime material for a designer!"
Seraphina suppressed her wild excitement and offered her thanks.
After some deliberation, Chloe announced, "Ms. Shaw's final score is 97!"
"Next, let's welcome our final contestant, Ms. Clara Vance!"
Seraphina's smile faltered for a fraction of a second. She smirked, picked up her box from the display table, and turned to head back.

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