Chapter 69

Chapter 69

"If you can't learn to keep your mouth shut, then don't bother coming out with me anymore." Tatum had finally lost her patience with Lark. After throwing out that last sentence, she sat quietly, waiting for the final model to leave the stage.

The Golden Throne was different from other competitions; each entry consisted of only one complete look. This significantly shortened the judging time.

Back in the dressing room, Priscilla also noticed the change in atmosphere. "The show must be over. We should probably head out," she prompted.

"Forget it, checking the security footage will take a while. Let's go see the results first," Mireille said, putting down what she was doing. She was a little nervous herself. This was, after all, Priscilla's first major competition in Avalonia. If she could make a name for herself here, her future path would be much smoother. Not to mention, Algernon was waiting in the wings, ready to collaborate once Priscilla made her mark.

On the main floor, well-known buyers and celebrities were already waiting, eager to purchase the new season's pieces as soon as the results were announced. Priscilla's palms were slick with nervous sweat.

"You've won international awards before. A small competition like the Golden Throne won't be a problem for you," Mireille whispered encouragingly in her ear. Priscilla shot her an exasperated look.

Diagonally in front of them was Tatum, who seemed much calmer than she was. Tatum, of course, had noticed Priscilla as well; she had spotted her on the runway earlier.

The judges soon emerged. The hosts were the well-known entertainment personalities Dahlia Hughes and Zephyr Thompson.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends." Dahlia began. She wore a tailored champagne-colored suit, her long hair neatly coiffed, giving her a particularly gentle appearance. Zephyr was in a blue suit. As one of the most capable hosts of his generation, he had emceed countless events. Priscilla had seen him once at an event abroad, but back then, he was just a fledgling host. It was amazing to see how accomplished he had become.

"We are delighted to be invited to host the Golden Throne today." Zephyr said with a smile.

"And now, we will announce today's winning designs!" Dahlia followed up.

The large screen behind them lit up, first revealing the third-place winner. Priscilla nervously looked in that direction and saw Tatum's profile appear on the screen.

"Let's congratulate our bronze prize winner, Tatum Lawson!" Dahlia said, smiling at the screen. The cameras were already searching for Tatum in the crowd. The moment she saw her ranking, a flicker of surprise crossed Tatum's face. Only third place?

On stage, Dahlia had already begun introducing her. For someone who had won international awards, this was not a satisfying result. But on the podium, she couldn't show her disappointment too obviously. The speech she had prepared seemed useless now. Tatum gave a few standard words of thanks and left the stage.

In the audience, Pearl's face was brimming with confidence. "Quinlan, just you wait. I'm definitely going to be first today!" she whispered. "I heard Mr. Visconti himself is presenting the first-place award!"

Quinlan's smile almost faltered. Ever since the news of her broken engagement had been released, she was constantly asked about it wherever she went. Why was Pearl bringing up Algernon now? Was she trying to show off?

Countless cameras were broadcasting live. Afraid of revealing her true feelings, Quinlan maintained a dignified smile. "Is that so? Well, good luck then."

Pearl lifted her chin slightly. "Just watch me. If we end up collaborating with Mr. Visconti, I'll ask you to be the model! That way you'll have a chance to get close to him. Maybe you can even rekindle your old flame?"

Rekindle an old flame? Quinlan sneered inwardly. Does Pearl not know that there was no flame to begin with? During their engagement, they had been like colleagues, not even attending a single banquet together in over three years.

Just then, the large screen went dark. Priscilla instinctively gripped Mireille's hand. Both their palms were clammy.

"Don't be nervous. Trust me, you're definitely going to win something today!" Mireille whispered, trying to boost her spirits.

Priscilla's eyes were glued to the screen. Soon, it lit up again, but the photo and name displayed were not hers.

"Flora Reed?" Mireille looked at the name, stunned. "She's a newcomer, right?" She had almost no memory of her.

As Mireille suspected, Flora was a recent college graduate, and her work was still full of youthful rawness. But it was precisely this rawness that gave her design an ethereal and lively quality. Flora, shocked to have won, stammered through her acceptance speech.

Soon, it was time to announce the first-place winner. This time, it wasn't just Priscilla; all the contestants, except for Tatum and Flora, were tense. Everyone stared at the screen, holding their breath.

Finally, after a thrilling drumroll, the screen lit up!

"See! I'm definitely first!" Pearl's confident words had barely left her lips when Priscilla's name appeared prominently on the screen. The rest of Pearl's sentence was stuck in her throat.

"How is that possible? How could it be her?" Pearl stood frozen. "Her design was like that, how could she win?"

Quinlan, who had been annoyed by Pearl's comments just moments before, felt an unexpected sense of satisfaction at the result. She lifted her chin slightly. "That's why we should never be too proud beforehand. Accidents can happen." Her cool tone left Pearl fuming.

Meanwhile, Priscilla was still reeling from the surprise. She had won? And first place?

Mireille stood up and gave her a huge hug. "I knew it! You could definitely do it!"

After the hug, Dahlia's gentle voice came over the speakers. "The winner of the first prize is Priscilla Medici, from Ethereal Autumn Studio..." Priscilla had intentionally erased her experiences abroad, so Dahlia didn't elaborate.

When Priscilla walked onto the stage and accepted the champion's trophy from Algernon, she still felt dazed. Everyone waited quietly for her acceptance speech. Clearing her throat, Priscilla took the microphone.

"First of all, I want to thank everyone for your recognition." Priscilla said, her eyes shining as she looked at the audience. She bit her lip slightly, the memories of winning awards abroad flooding back to her.