Chapter 118 Hypocritical Concern
This sudden proposal plunged the entire venue into an eerie silence.
The next second, uncontrollable murmurs completely erupted throughout the hall.
"Are they crazy? The Starlight Design Awards doing impromptu creation? Who are they trying to embarrass publicly?"
"This is going to be good! Isadora is a genius recognized even in the international haute couture circle. This kind of challenge is nothing for her."
A senior industry insider lowered their voice: "Not necessarily. But I'm more worried about the other person. Can that newcomer Mr. Hensley brought complete a piece in such a short time?"
The person next to them immediately asked: "Which newcomer?"
"That one, called Amelia. Didn't you see her almost getting into an argument with Mr. Chapman and Ms. Penrose earlier? Stefan stood up to Rufus for her. Now the organizers are pulling this stunt, basically handing them the opportunity to see how they'll fight it out!"
Whispers merged into an undercurrent, surging through the crowd. Every glance cast their way was filled with scrutiny, curiosity, and anticipation for the drama.
This was a public showdown presented to everyone.
Cecilia felt those stares, but they couldn't stir even the slightest ripple in her heart.
The moment the host announced the theme, her world became unusually quiet.
Light.
What is light?
Is it the first ray of dawn breaking through darkness? Is it hope ignited in despair?
Or is it that brilliance that brings rebirth, seen when opening one's eyes in endless void after death?
It's rebirth.
The theme she had conceived for Whimsy Gallery perfectly overlapped with this prompt at this moment.
Countless fragmented, brilliant sparks of inspiration instantly converged and collided in her mind, then reorganized into a clear and complete vision.
In the lounge area not far away, Stefan leisurely swirled the wine glass in his hand, savoring the fine wine specially brought out by the conference to entertain investors, looking completely unconcerned about the competition.
Several business partners around him were restless.
One of them leaned in closer, speaking with concern: "Mr. Hensley, your chief designer, she'll be okay, right? This is being broadcast live. If she can't produce anything in front of everyone, our studio's reputation..."
"Exactly," another chimed in, "Ms. Penrose has already started. Look at her presence—she's clearly confident."
Only then did Stefan look up, following their gaze.
Isadora occupied the most central position in the venue. A huge canvas stood before her, with an assistant carefully grinding pigments beside her.
She herself maintained an elegant posture and focused expression, enjoying everyone's attention.
Stefan withdrew his gaze and chuckled softly: "What's there to worry about?"
"An uncut jade—before it's carved, who knows if it contains a top-grade gem inside?"
"Just watch."
His words left the business partners exchanging glances, but their anxiety didn't diminish in the slightest.
On the other side, Rufus's entire attention was similarly focused on that corner.
He watched the woman called Amelia.
She didn't even use a canvas, just bent over a small table, concentrating on sketching something.
That figure, the slender curve of her neck when she lowered her head, the way she held the pen.
Everything eerily overlapped with the Cecilia from deep in his memory, who used to hide in the studio secretly drawing designs.
An absurd thought, one that almost tore his rationality apart, once again crashed wildly through his mind.
Impossible!
Cecilia was dead. He had personally laid her to rest.
But if it wasn't Cecilia, how could he explain that familiar aura on Amelia that made his heart ache?
Before putting pen to paper, Isadora instinctively glanced at Rufus.
She saw clearly that Rufus's gaze didn't linger on her for even a second.
All his attention was on that Amelia huddled in the corner.
Rufus's lost, soul-captured appearance made Isadora feel a bone-chilling cold and humiliation even worse than his loss of control at the gala.
She was the genius designer brought back at great expense, the chief hired by the Chapman Group with a hefty sum, Rufus's legitimate companion!
Why should she have to stand here and have all the spotlight and attention stolen by some Amelia who came out of nowhere!
An uncontrollable fury and jealousy coursed through Isadora's entire body.
She had to win.
Not just win, but win completely, win beautifully!
She would crush Amelia with her talent in front of everyone, leaving her unable to pick up her dignity ever again!
Isadora took a deep breath, stopped looking at anything else, and poured all her resentment and pride into her pen tip.
Her movements were extremely fast, her lines precise and magnificent, full of confident showmanship.
Time passed minute by minute.
In less than forty minutes, Isadora put down her pen.
"Ms. Penrose is finished!"
Someone in the crowd shouted, and everyone's attention was instantly drawn over.
On the canvas was an extremely luxurious diamond necklace design.
Countless tiny diamonds converged into a brilliant Milky Way, spiraling upward, ultimately supporting a huge, perfectly cut yellow diamond.
The entire design radiated light, full of strong visual impact, perfectly fitting the theme of "light."
"Oh my god, it's beautiful! This design is practically made for royalty!"
"Worthy of Ms. Penrose—both commercial and artistic value are impeccable!"
"I think we can just give her this year's Starlight Design Awards best work directly."
Praise flooded in like a tide.
A proper and proud smile appeared on Isadora's face. She enjoyed all of this—this was her stage!
She gracefully set down her brush, her gaze searching through the crowd before landing precisely on Cecilia.
Everyone quieted down, watching Isadora with interest.
Isadora walked through the crowd, stopping in front of Cecilia's table, looking down at that face still bent over the drawing.
"Ms. Martinez, how's your drawing coming along?" Her voice was deliberately soft, but her tone carried barbs.
Cecilia didn't look up, her pen tip still moving across the paper, completing the final details.
The smile on Isadora's face deepened.
She raised her volume slightly, making sure people around could hear.
"I'm just a bit curious."
"Why would Ms. Martinez, so young and not even trained in design, gain Mr. Hensley's favor and even be directly appointed as chief designer to participate in the Starlight Design Awards?"
Isadora's seemingly complimentary words implied in every sentence that Amelia got this opportunity through improper connections.
Isadora's remarks naturally drew low snickers from those around.
Seeing her remain silent, Isadora felt even more pleased.
Isadora leaned in closer, her voice dropping lower, yet just loud enough for nearby people to hear clearly.
"Ms. Martinez, don't say I didn't warn you. This isn't just drawing for fun. This is the Starlight Design Awards, with hundreds of eyes watching, plus live cameras."
"You doing this isn't just embarrassing yourself—you're making Mr. Hensley and his new studio the laughingstock of the entire industry."
"I know you might want to use this method to gain attention, but ability is the only pass in this circle."
Her voice rose again, full of false concern.
"Time's almost up. I'm sure Ms. Martinez must have some exceptional qualities we don't know about, right?"
Isadora's gaze locked onto her, pressuring her.
"Why don't you open our eyes too?"