Chapter 94 Face to Face
Three days later, at the television studio where the design competition was being recorded.
The car hadn't even reached the entrance when Kate urged the driver to stop. The driver glanced at Ethan, and only after seeing him nod did he pull over.
"I'll go in first, and you can drive up later," Kate said.
As she moved to exit, Ethan caught her arm.
Kate looked back, puzzled. "What is it?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Honey, I understand wanting to keep some boundaries in public, but at this point, our relationship isn't exactly a secret. It's okay if people see us together."
Though he had a point, Kate still preferred to maintain a low profile to minimize gossip.
"No, I'd rather go in alone. Be good," she said.
She leaned over to kiss Ethan quickly, and he shook his head in resignation before releasing her. Kate jumped out of the car, running a few steps before turning back to make a heart shape with her hands. The driver couldn't help but avert his eyes from Ethan's adoring expression.
Ever since Ethan and Kate got together, the driver couldn't help but turn away whenever they showed affection.
The driver silently sighed. After Kate entered the building, Ethan directed him to drive into the underground parking garage. He then exited the car and entered the internal elevator.
Ethan was heading directly to the sixth floor, while Kate would need to register and wait in the lobby.
The elevator was made of glass, and as his gaze passed the first floor, he immediately spotted Kate among the crowd. She was bent over the registration desk filling out forms when, as if sensing his presence, she suddenly looked up toward the elevator.
Their eyes met through the glass for just a moment, but both instinctively smiled. Though brief, the exchange caught the attention of others nearby.
"Wasn't that Mr. Levington in the elevator? And who's that woman? Isn't she the one who was trending recently—Mr. Levington's girlfriend?"
"I think it is! I didn't realize she was competing. That's quite a special position to be in."
"Hush, it would be awkward if she heard. But she really is beautiful, and her skin is flawless."
The whispers floated through the air, but Kate pretended not to hear them. She had anticipated this reaction.
She continued filling out her forms. When finished, the staff member smiled and handed her a sticker.
"Ms. Jennings, your number is 023. Please attach this to your clothing. The waiting area is over there, and you'll be called to enter in about thirty minutes."
Kate nodded politely and took the sticker. She chose a seat in a corner, hoping to avoid drawing attention.
As she sat down to attach her number tag, she heard a familiar voice.
"Ms. Jennings, it's been a while."
Her movements faltered momentarily as she recognized the voice, and she felt a sudden headache coming on. She had hoped to avoid confrontation today, given the special circumstances.
But it seemed her concerns were materializing right before her.
When Kate looked up, Helena was standing a short distance away. She wore an ivory pantsuit, holding contestant sticker number 024 between her fingers. One glance told Kate this wasn't a friendly encounter.
"I didn't expect to see you here," Helena said.
She gracefully took the empty seat beside Kate. Her perfume—a subtle woody scent—wafted between them as she spoke with a hint of nonchalance.
"I'd heard Ethan invested in this competition, but I didn't realize you would be participating as well."
Really? She hadn't heard? Did Helena actually believe that?
While the production team wouldn't release the participant list until after the first round of eliminations, someone like Helena could easily obtain such information if she wanted to.
Such a transparent pretense.
Kate didn't feel like engaging with her games. She attached her sticker to her sleeve with an expressionless face and replied calmly, "I'm just giving it a try."
"Trying is good. Who knows, you might actually place," Helena said with a light laugh, raising her eyebrows slightly.
"Though the competition rules are quite strict. Are you sure you're up for it, Ms. Jennings? This is purely an individual competition—from initial sketches to finished garments, everything must be done by yourself. Oh, I sorry."
She paused as if suddenly remembering something, her tone tinged with false regret.
"I forgot you graduated from a professional institute. You must find these competitions beneath you. Besides, with Ethan involved, I'm sure no one else stands a chance at first place."
Was she implying Kate would win through nepotism?
Kate raised her eyes, a sudden coldness entering her gaze.
Though she preferred avoiding conflict, she wasn't about to let Helena off easy.
"Ms. Vale, are you looking down on me, or on Ethan?" she asked in a low voice, narrowing her eyes. "Do you think he would show favoritism? Is that the kind of person you believe him to be?"
Her words struck Helena's vulnerable spot. While Helena might feel comfortable disparaging Kate, she wouldn't dare speak ill of Ethan.
Helena forced a smile before she regained her composure, her fingertips lightly tapping her knee.
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?" Kate's voice suddenly deepened, causing Helena to involuntarily furrow her brow.
She felt unexpectedly intimidated by Kate, which irritated her. "Are you interrogating me, Ms. Jennings?"
Their eyes locked, sparks practically flying between them.
People were beginning to glance in their direction, so Kate raised an eyebrow, put away her cold demeanor, and scoffed. "Does it matter if I am or not?"
Helena frowned, a flash of coldness passing through her eyes, though her expression remained controlled. She didn't respond.
Kate spoke quietly.
"Ms. Vale, I actually quite admire you, but your current behavior is truly disappointing. You love someone and want to compete for him—that's fine. But you could be more straightforward about it, competing with me directly instead of trying to create drama and undermine others to gain attention."
"If you want to attract someone, do it through your own charm and abilities. Always trying to push others away... even if you succeed temporarily, how long will that last?"
She loved Ethan, but she didn't think that meant losing herself.
A truly exceptional person would naturally be noticed.
She didn't understand why someone as accomplished as Helena couldn't see this.
Kate sighed slightly. Helena's fingers had crumpled her number tag.
She seemed to have something to say but couldn't find the words.
Helena closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again. Though her eyes revealed a hint of bitterness, her voice remained steady.
"No offense, I was just trying to make conversation, Ms. Jennings."
"Are you sure about that?" Kate replied, picking up her design portfolio from her lap.
"Instead of wasting time talking to me, you might want to focus more on the competition. After all, the competition judges ability, not who can deliver the cleverest insults."
The words were like a fine needle, pricking Helena's heart.
She looked up sharply, ready to retort, but when she met Kate's straightforward gaze—which contained no hostility, only disdain for wasting time—she swallowed her words.
At that moment, the waiting area's announcement system came to life, instructing contestants to prepare their preliminary sketches for submission.
Kate stood up, giving Helena a slight nod as acknowledgment before walking toward the submission area.
Helena watched her leave, initially clenching her fist, but seconds later, she relaxed her hand and smiled self-mockingly.
She wanted nothing more than to compete fairly and openly.
But with her grandmother still in her father's control, she simply didn't have that luxury.