Chapter 105

Chapter 105

Holden was no amateur. His age and experience spoke for themselves—he'd chaired countless major conferences and moderated international panels. His ability to command a room far surpassed most people's. There was no way a junior designer could knock him off his game.

After Cordelia finished speaking, he neither dismissed her nor continued the debate.

"We won't discuss design philosophy further today. Everyone's approach is different. What I said earlier was directed at current market trends. If you want to pursue the artistic route, having ideals is admirable—as long as you can bear the weight of reality."

That last line was addressed to the room, but it landed squarely on Cordelia's heart.

The gap between ideals and reality couldn't be bridged by passion alone.

She knew that all too well.

Not just professional ideals. Life dreams. And... the ideal marriage.

The seminar had a time limit. Holden wrapped up with some thoughts on design methodology, invited everyone to join a group chat he'd created for design exchange, and the session was essentially over.

Cordelia hesitated, then decided to join.

Exposure to diverse thinking wasn't a bad thing. She was happy to learn.

The audience trickled out gradually. Cordelia remained in her seat, lost in thought.

Liliana came over. The man in sunglasses had already left.

She'd wanted Ellington to stay—after all, with the sunglasses on, his features weren't immediately recognizable.

But... Cordelia would definitely have figured it out.

"Still here? What are you thinking about so hard?" Liliana sat down beside her. "You have no idea—your exchange with Mr. Parker was incredible. I heard several people around me complimenting you."

Cordelia couldn't believe it.

"Stop making things up. I'd be lucky if they weren't mocking me for overstepping."

People complimenting her? Impossible.

But Liliana was serious. "I swear, plenty of people were praising you. They just kept it quiet—this is Mr. Parker's event, after all. Nobody's going to openly undermine him."

Then Liliana caught herself.

Wasn't that exactly what Cordelia had done? Publicly challenged Holden to his face?

That it hadn't escalated into an ugly argument was entirely thanks to Holden's composure.

Griffin turned around and nodded at Cordelia. "She's right. Things might not be as bad as you think."

"If Mr. Parker truly looked down on you, he wouldn't have given you that much face up there."

The more they praised her, the more Cordelia wanted to crawl under her seat.

They were probably just being kind because they were her friends.

She'd been so lost in her daze that she hadn't noticed Holden was still in the venue.

After stepping off the stage, he'd been immediately swarmed by reporters and admiring designers. He still hadn't managed to break free.

Cordelia gazed toward the crowd, one thought circling her mind.

If she ever achieved what Holden had, would her philosophy still be called a pipe dream?

"You can head out first." Griffin's face was full of concern. "Take care of yourself. If you're really worried about the Mr. Parker situation, I'll explain things to him on your behalf."

Cordelia nodded, but clarified: "I'm not worried about being misunderstood."

If anything, she'd love the chance to talk with him properly.

---

By the time the venue fully emptied, two hours had passed.

The reporters had come prepared—they weren't leaving without direct answers.

Handling them had thoroughly exhausted Holden.

When the hall finally fell quiet, he scanned the seats. To his surprise, Griffin was still there.

"Where's that girl?"

With guts like that, he'd expected her to stick around for a private debate after the session.

Griffin's lips curved into a cool, detached smile. "She wasn't feeling well. I told her to go home and rest."

"Ha! At her age, talking about not feeling well? Young people just don't exercise enough!"

Holden shook his head, then said with a note of admiration: "Cordelia—that girl has a bright future ahead of her."

Griffin raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?"

It wasn't that he doubted Cordelia. But coming from Holden's mouth, it didn't quite sound like praise.

More like mocking her for being naive and arrogant.

"I mean it." Holden's smile faded, seriousness settling into the lines of his weathered face. "You've known me three years now. When have you ever seen a junior openly challenge me? Even you wouldn't dare."

He hadn't expected the conversation to turn toward himself. Griffin's tone stayed even, though something dimmed in his eyes. "Plenty of people disagree with you. It's not that they don't dare speak up—they just don't see the point. Going against you means making a formidable enemy."

Self-preservation. Nothing more.

"Which is exactly why I say Cordelia has a bright future." Holden murmured. "People who achieve great things need broad knowledge and deep experience. Many lose themselves along the way. If she can hold on to her convictions all the way to the top—she'll surpass me."

A tender smile touched Griffin's lips. "I believe she can."

"Think it's too late for me to take her on as a mentee?"

Holden certainly thought it wasn't too late.

Whether Cordelia would agree—that was the question.

Because of Ondine, he hadn't thought much of Cordelia at first. But once the plagiarism scandal broke—and it turned out Ondine had stolen Cordelia's designs—Holden felt his own reputation had been dragged through the mud.

He wasn't Ondine's teacher, but he was her family.

A man of his stature, with a niece embroiled in a plagiarism scandal. It was almost laughable.

He had no idea what Pearl had been teaching that girl.

Thank God Flynn and Nolan had no interest in pushing a match between Ondine and Ellington anymore. Otherwise he'd truly have nowhere to show his face.

He protected his own—but that didn't mean he abandoned reason.

---

When Holden returned to Lawson Villa, the first thing he heard was Ondine's gleeful laughter.

"She actually dared challenge my uncle in public! Who does she think she is? Wins one gold award, lands a few commissions, and suddenly she's somebody? Holden really put her in her place for me!"

What a grating voice.

Holden let out a cold snort and walked up to Ondine. "Feeling proud of yourself?"

"Holden!"

The video of Cordelia questioning Holden had been recorded and posted online. The comments were tearing her apart—calling her delusional, saying she didn't know her place. Ondine was thrilled to watch Cordelia get dragged by the masses. How could she not be happy?

But Holden's attitude right now... wasn't what she'd expected.

"You spend every waking moment gloating, never once reflecting on your own mistakes. What on earth did your mother teach you?"

The color drained from Ondine's face. Pearl's expression wasn't much better. "What's that supposed to mean? She's your niece. How can you side with an outsider over your own family?"

"You can't tell right from wrong as a mother—Ondine turned out this way because you failed to guide her!"