Chapter 120 Isadora's Slander
Countless business elites, fashion buyers, and media reporters surged toward Cecilia like a tide, surrounding her completely. Just a few steps away, Isadora, who had been the original center of attention, now stood awkwardly with only her team members clustered around her.
The cameras and microphones that should have been aimed at Isadora were now all focused on Cecilia.
"Ms. Martinez! I'm the purchasing director of Bright Gems Jewelry. Does your studio accept commercial partnerships?"
"Ms. Martinez, can we get your contact information? Our magazine would like to do an exclusive interview with you!"
"This is amazing! This is definitely the biggest surprise in the domestic design scene this year!"
Facing the crowd's enthusiasm and endless questions, her expression remained calm and composed.
She nodded slightly toward the crowd, her clear gaze sweeping across the excited faces, then spoke unhurriedly in a clear and strong voice:
"Thank you all very much for your love and support."
"Regarding specific matters about collaborations and interviews, please feel free to contact my studio through official channels later. Today, I hope everyone can enjoy the conference itself."
Outside this noisy center.
Isadora was surrounded by her team members, but their comforting words now sounded incredibly grating.
She was barely holding herself together, using every ounce of strength to maintain her composure and avoid breaking down on the spot.
She had schemed so carefully to package herself as a genius who appeared out of nowhere, only to be crushed without dignity by the unknown Amelia in their first public showdown.
What utter humiliation!
The conference came to an end.
Cecilia and Stefan left through the back door.
"Very impressive."
Stefan leaned down slightly, moving close to Cecilia's ear, whispering at a volume only the two of them could hear.
"Tonight, you made my opening show absolutely perfect."
Cecilia didn't pull away, simply turning her face slightly: "This is what I should do."
Stefan's smile deepened, his eyes behind the lenses gleaming with intense excitement. "This is just an appetizer."
He straightened up, resuming his refined and elegant demeanor.
"Next week, Harmony City will host the National Jewelry Design Summit, and all the top figures in the industry will be there. That's the real battlefield."
"Are you ready to make 'Amelia Design Studio' make an even bigger splash?"
Cecilia's heart skipped a beat.
The National Jewelry Design Summit—that was the stage she had dreamed of in her past life but never got to step onto until her death.
She looked up, meeting Stefan's gaze, and nodded calmly.
"Thank you, Mr. Hensley, for giving me this opportunity."
She needed this stage, needed this chance to stand higher where no one could ignore her.
"This opportunity means a lot to me. I won't let you down, and I absolutely won't embarrass 'Amelia Design Studio.'"
This was Cecilia's first step toward revenge against her past and clearing her name.
Stefan was satisfied with her response.
What he wanted was a partner who was ambitious, capable, and smart enough.
"Let's go." He said nothing more, leading Cecilia out of the venue with composure, under countless envious and jealous gazes.
Back at the hotel apartment Stefan had arranged, Cecilia declined the assistant's company and walked into her room alone.
She changed into comfortable loungewear, then opened her tablet.
Sure enough, the internet had already exploded.
Clips from the Starlight Design Awards livestream had been edited into countless short videos, spreading like wildfire across all platforms.
#"Fractured" Crushes "Celestial Heart"#
#Genius Designer Amelia#
#Light Lies in Conquering Darkness#
These topics had shot to the top of the trending searches, with discussions running high.
Cecilia clicked on the most-viewed video, which showed her holding the microphone and explaining her design concept.
The comment section was almost unanimously full of praise.
[Shit! This is real design! Even I, a complete outsider, was blown away! "The meaning of light lies in what darkness it has conquered"—that's so deep!]
[Isadora's "Celestial Heart" is beautiful, the kind of beautiful where you just know it's expensive and flashy. But Amelia's "Fractured" is a work that hits you right in the soul!]
[Amelia Design Studio, right? I'm following!]
[Looking for Amelia's social media accounts!]
Reading these comments, Cecilia felt nothing inside. She just scrolled through the screen like an outsider, calmly analyzing what practical benefits this media frenzy could bring her.
Fame was her first weapon for fighting back.
However, before she could even enjoy this brief victory, the tide turned without warning.
Just half an hour later, another batch of topics surged to the trending list with even more force.
#Starlight Design Awards Suspected Rigging#
#Amelia's Background#
#"Fractured" Design Concept Suspected Plagiarism#
Cecilia clicked in to find countless marketing accounts and "netizens" of unknown identity frantically stirring things up.
[An unknown newcomer with a blank resume suddenly becomes chief designer of the Hensley Group's new studio and produces a stunning design? There's definitely something fishy here!]
[This Amelia used to be just a nursing intern, with no connection to design! Didn't she get the position of the Hensley Group's chief designer just because of her pretty face?]
[That "Fractured" concept is also problematic, okay? The theme of "light born from darkness" is so common. I suspect she plagiarized from some obscure foreign designer's work. Still looking for evidence!]
[That rope knot clasp design also looks familiar. I feel like I've seen it somewhere. Can someone knowledgeable explain?]
These comments precisely attacked every questionable point in her resume, using malicious speculation and leading language to try to completely destroy the "genius designer" image she had just built.
Such familiar tactics.
Looking at those uniformly worded posts, Cecilia even had a cold, mocking smile on her lips.
Isadora lost the competition and now wanted to win back public opinion with these underhanded methods?
How pathetic.
Cecilia picked up her phone, about to call Stefan's assistant to inform him of this PR crisis and discuss countermeasures.
But just as her finger was about to touch the screen, she habitually refreshed the webpage.
Then Cecilia's finger froze in mid-air.
Those vile words, those malicious speculations, those trending smear topics—all vanished without a trace in an instant.
On the trending list, only one statement remained, posted by the official account of the "Starlight Design Awards Organizing Committee," righteously reaffirming the fairness and justice of the competition and expressing appreciation for all participating designers' talents.
All negative information had been scrubbed clean.