Chapter 28 Insider

Bethany looked up and saw the man sitting leisurely in the loft, smoking. He lowered his gaze and looked at her passionately through the hazy smoke.

He was with a hint of elegance mixed with a touch of ruffian. Bethany felt her heart skip a beat under his gaze.

The loft's position offered a complete view of the entire hall. Bethany knew that it was a privilege reserved for esteemed figures.

Bethany thought, “This man is not ordinary.”

She messaged him, [How did you come here?]

The man replied, [For you.]

Bethany was puzzled. What was this guy up to?

Amidst the crowd's anticipation, the organizers of the art exhibition announced, "The winner of this art exhibition competition is Emily Campbell!"

What?

The winner turned out to be Emily?

When this result came out, the whole venue erupted in astonishment.

"How could it be Emily? Shouldn't it be Bethany?"

"Exactly! Emily's work is nowhere near Bethany's!"

"Could there be some insider dealing going on?"

...

Bethany looked gloomy, her fingernails digging deeply into her palms. The aura of victory, which was within reach, was ruthlessly extinguished.

She had hoped that this opportunity would allow her to make great strides. She even picked out a house and waited to use the prize money as a down payment. But now, everything had gone down the drain.

She couldn't understand. Even a discerning person could see that Emily's work was mediocre. On what basis did the judges still give her a high score?

At this moment, Emily gloated, "Didn't expect it, did you? The opportunity for a national exhibition tour is in my hands.!"

Bethany's gaze turned desolate. "What trick did you use?"

Emily smiled, "If winning first place means resorting to tactics, and you're not happy about it, then why don't you also use tactics to win an award?"

"Look at everyone here. Who would be convinced by the result?" Bethany said.

Emily scoffed, "To the victor belongs the spoils. Those people are just jealous of me. I don't care about the idle talk of losers."

"Bethany, you've always suppressed me, but today, you've lost!" Emily held her head high, trampling Bethany's dignity underfoot.

Bethany's expression grew darker and darker.

Amidst the murmurs of doubt, Emily was called onto the stage by the host to receive her award. Despite the questioning gazes from the audience, she remained unfazed, for she was the victor.

These people were nothing in her eyes.

Despite Bethany's usual composure, watching Emily's triumphant appearance, she couldn't help but feel agitated.

Just as she was about to leave, a journalist shouted, "Wait! The judging panel is fraudulent! This award doesn't count."

Following that, a recording was played.

"If it weren't for pressure from above, I really wouldn't want to give Emily a backdoor entry. Her work just doesn't cut it for the big leagues, and it's nowhere near Bethany's!"

"Who doesn't know that? If we weren't forced, she wouldn't even qualify for the top three!"

"It's a pity for Bethany. The glory that should have been hers was stolen."

"Yeah, her work is outstanding and widely recognized. Who’s there?"

"Oh no, someone's secretly recording!"

...

The scene fell into dead silence, with countless accusing eyes locked on Emily.

Emily was on pins and needles.

She didn’t know why things developed into this.

In a daze, a barrage of mockery and condemnation engulfed Emily.

"So she stole Bethany's honor for this award?"

"I knew it! There must be insider dealing for such an ordinary work to win!"

"In such an important art exhibition, even the judging panel can be corrupt. It's simply unbelievable!"

"Strong protest! Re-evaluate the results!"

"Thief, return the honor to Bethany!"

For a moment, public opinion turned against Emily, and she found herself in a predicament of being condemned by everyone.

She looked at the faces of the audience below and looked pale, trembling with despair.

"I don't know what happened. I didn't cheat. Believe me..." Emily cried out in confusion.

However, her explanations and tears were quickly drowned out by the cameras of journalists, who were eager to capture this moment. It was headline news.

Emily was on the brink of ruin.

Emily looked towards Bethany standing below the stage, only to meet Bethany's meaningful gaze. She had been outsmarted.

Amidst the discussions, the organizers stepped in to resolve the issue. Soon, the results of the re-evaluation were announced, and the winner was Bethany.

Emily watched in disbelief as the hostess handed the certificate of honor, which should have belonged to her, to Bethany. Thunderous applause filled the hall.

At that moment, Emily became a laughingstock.

Many people congratulated Bethany, and she basked in the glory of victory. Meanwhile, Emily became like a pariah and was summoned by the organizers for questioning.

Turning the tables against the odds, Bethany won the hearts of many.

She looked up at the loft, only to find the man in a suit standing by the window, overlooking the entire hall. His gaze was sharp as if he had everything in control.

Somehow, she felt that this matter was related to Vincent.

At this moment, someone approached her and said, "Ms. Campbell, I'm from the organizing committee of the art exhibition. Our chairman, Mr. Gordon, invites you to dinner tonight to discuss the contract."

Bethany agreed with a nod. When she looked up at the loft again, the man was gone.

She collected her thoughts and called Jacob to go with her, only to run into Emily, who had tears on her face.

"Bethany, we share the same blood after all. Why did you frame me?"

Bethany looked coldly at Emily and said, "Are you delusional again? I didn't accuse you of stealing my honor, and you came to question me. How interesting!"

"I didn't steal it. You framed me!" Emily stared at Bethany, her eyes burning with rage. "Besides you, who else sees me as a thorn in the eye?"

"Are you crazy? It was the journalists who exposed the truth. What does it have to do with me?" Bethany felt annoyed.

Emily was frantic, resembling a rabid dog.

"Only you know whether you used tricks or not. But let me remind you..."

Bethany's gaze grew colder. "Nobody here is a fool, especially not the organizers. With this incident blowing up so big, they won't let it go easily."

Emily knew what Bethany meant.

When she was summoned for questioning, the organizers had given her a warning. If Emily had been involved in this incident, she could forget about having a future in this circle.

Emily had to find that person quickly and get him to clear her name before the media got hold of it.