Chapter 85 The Most Vibrant Student

Clara's piece was this sky-blue, round, chubby vase. The blue faded smoothly from a grayish-white to light blue and then to dark blue, with the transitions cleverly designed to look like ocean waves.

The whole vase was beautifully colored and stylish, showing off some serious craftsmanship. It had a bunch of parents stopping to admire it.

Clara stood next to Lorna, covering her mouth and giggling. "So, what do you think, Bernard, Lorna? Pretty awesome, right?"

Lorna smiled, feeling a weird sense of pride.

Bernard, on the other hand, decided to be a buzzkill. "Clara, don't get too full of yourself. You haven't won anything yet!"

Clara's good mood took a hit. Just as she was about to snap back, she heard his cold voice again, "By the way, the limited edition Ferrari you've always wanted is parked in the garage at home."

Clara practically tackled Bernard, hugging him tight and whispering, "Bernard! You're the best brother ever! I'll never call you a poker face or cold-hearted again!"

Bernard pried her off and said, "Alright, go enjoy the exhibition."

The exhibition area was huge, with tons of pottery on display. After making a round, they saw a crowd around Clara's piece.

They thought it was because people were admiring her work until they heard the whispers.

"Oh my god, such a beautiful piece ruined. What a shame."

"Yeah, I wonder whose it is. So unlucky."

"I heard this was Willie's last chance to take on an apprentice. Missing this would be heartbreaking!"

Clara's face changed, and she rushed over.

Lorna and Bernard followed quickly. When they got closer, they saw Clara squatting beside a shattered vase, staring blankly.

Clara's piece was broken into several large pieces, clearly on purpose.

Bernard's expression darkened, and he immediately texted his assistant to check the surveillance footage.

Lorna noticed Clara's low spirits and gently patted her head. "Is there any way to fix it?"

Clara snapped out of her daze, looked at Lorna, then stared at the broken pieces, thinking for a moment.

Suddenly, Clara stood up and ran to the nearby art academy, coming back with a bucket of paint and brushes.

The onlookers watched curiously as she worked, eager to see what she would do.

Clara mixed various shades of green and applied them to the cracks, sketching out a cluster of tender green grass and branches, then used white paint to add shadows along the cracks.

Clara paused, looked up at the light, repositioned the cracks, and then took Bernard's sunglasses.

The crowd was even more intrigued—what could sunglasses do?

Next, Clara positioned the sunglasses in a spot with strong light, using the lenses to refract light onto the white paint in the cracks.

In an instant, the crowd was amazed, and spontaneous applause and cheers erupted.

"Amazing! This girl is incredible!"

"Indeed! Although the pottery piece was broken, she turned it into a scene of resilient grass growing from the cracks. So creative!"

"I declare this piece the best in the exhibition!"

"Agreed!"

Lorna looked at the piece on the ground, where the refracted light from the sunglasses made the white in the cracks appear more natural, like a beam of light shining into the earth, bright and dazzling.

Not far away, two men who had witnessed everything also showed appreciation in their eyes.

Willie instructed, "Brady, go find out that girl's name."

"You're interested in her?" the younger man asked, surprised.

Willie immediately gave him a light smack on the head. "Watch your mouth! Don't give people the wrong idea!"

Brady looked aggrieved, "You're so old. How could anyone misunderstand?"

With that, Willie and Brady left the venue joking and bantering.

Seeing so many people cheering for her, Clara became happy again.

Lorna, noticing Clara's improved mood, smoothed out the wrinkles on her dress and asked, "Why are you so happy again?"

"Even though I missed the chance to be Willie's apprentice, I got so much appreciation and recognition. I think that's what really matters." Clara's face was flushed from the effort of fixing her piece, but her eyes were brighter than ever.

Lorna looked at Clara appreciatively, with a mysterious smile on her face.

"Lorna, why are you looking at me like that? Do I have paint on my face?" Clara, who had just been calm, now panicked and ran off to touch up her makeup.

The contrast in her behavior made the surrounding audience burst into laughter and call her adorable.

Lorna shook her head. Bernard walked over, his bright eyes sparkling, and asked her quietly, "What did you notice?"

Lorna smiled slyly, "Clara's complexion is rosy, and her luck is strong today. It means something great will happen. What do you think it could be?"

Bernard opened his mouth, eyes widening in surprise. "You mean?"

Lorna raised her eyebrows and smiled, her meaning clear.

They exchanged knowing smiles. Just then, Bernard received a message from his assistant.

It was a surveillance video.

Assistant: [Sir, Ms. Allard's piece was deliberately damaged by a girl named Selene Peterson. Here is the surveillance video and information about Selene's family.]

Along with the message was a detailed report on the Peterson family, showing several collaborations with the Allard Group.

Bernard's brows furrowed, his eyes darkening, and he made a call.

"Terminate all dealings with the Peterson family, issue a statement, and check the status of other companies that work with them," Bernard said on the phone.

Hearing his words, Lorna was shocked, realizing for the first time the extent of Bernard's influence, enough to indirectly pressure other companies to sever ties with the Peterson family.

After finishing the call, Bernard saw Lorna looking at him with admiration and asked, amused, "What kind of look is that?"

Lorna grabbed Bernard's hand and started to lead him to find Clara, grinning cheekily, "The look of me admiring a big shot!"

Bernard smiled indulgently, letting her pull him along.

After finding Clara, who had touched up her makeup, they headed to the school auditorium, where Willie and the judges were already seated. The awards ceremony had begun.

Clara led Lorna and Bernard to their seats, unaware that Willie had already noticed her.

Brady tugged at Willie's sleeve. "Alright, just take her as your apprentice later, okay? There are so many media watching. Control yourself a bit!"

"I'm telling you, Clara is the most vibrant student I've ever seen! This is talent!" Willie said excitedly to Brady.

Their whispers were caught by the media, and sharp-eyed cameramen followed Willie's gaze, capturing Selene and quickly making it to the headlines.

#Shocking! International Master Willie Has Already Chosen His Favorite Student, Selene!

#Breaking! Selene Might Become Willie's Final Student?

In just a few minutes, it topped the trending charts, spreading nationwide.

However, the judges at the venue were unaware, and Clara and her friends quietly watched the awards ceremony.

"Look, darling!" Selene's boyfriend excitedly handed her his phone. "You've been chosen by Willie!"

Selene's face lit up with joy. Seeing the glances from others, she feigned modesty, "Don't say that. It's not confirmed yet. Willie just met my father once."

Her words hinted at a close relationship with Willie.

The media quickly published another news story: [According to insiders, Selene has already become Willie's student. Willie and her father have a good relationship. This exhibition might be the occasion for Willie to announce Selene as his final student!]

Selene, upon seeing the quickly spreading news, was overjoyed and received congratulatory messages from her parents.

On the other side, Bernard received a message from his assistant, smiling slightly.

Assistant: [Sir, I've informed the media. Selene is already trending.]