Chapter 131 Pushing You to the Top
"Seems like that name had quite an impact on Ms. Martinez." Stefan didn't miss her momentary pause.
Cecilia slowly put down the apple and fruit knife in her hands, arranging them neatly on the bedside table.
"Of course." She pulled out a tissue and carefully wiped the juice from her fingertips, her movements unhurried, with a deliberate calmness.
"He's our common enemy, isn't he?"
"Every time I hear his name, it only reminds me more clearly what our goal is in working together."
Stefan didn't press further, just gave a soft acknowledgment and changed the subject.
"These past few days, you seem anxious. And it's not about the competition."
Cecilia's nerves tightened again.
Stefan's perceptiveness made her uneasy.
"I'm just not used to putting my fate in someone else's hands." Cecilia decided to lay out her concerns openly. "Rufus took such a big hit, but he's been quiet for days now. That's not like him."
"The calm before the storm is what's most unsettling."
She knew Rufus too well.
Rufus was a vindictive mad dog who would never easily swallow any grievance.
"He's busy." Stefan's answer dispelled some of her doubts.
"The trouble I had my people arrange for him turned out to involve more than expected. He's overwhelmed right now, frantically trying to distance himself and clean up the mess."
Cecilia understood immediately.
Stefan's people must have been secretly fanning the flames, delivering evidence that Rufus was desperate to hide into the hands of certain key figures.
Rufus was probably in complete chaos right now.
"But his patience is limited." Stefan looked out the window.
"Once he's done dealing with what's on his plate, we'll be his next target. So tomorrow, we're going back."
"Okay." Cecilia didn't hesitate.
The next day.
The roar of the private jet replaced the hospital's silence, and after some time, it landed smoothly at the city's private airstrip.
The driver took Cecilia back to her place.
Before she got out, Stefan said softly, "Rest up during this time. Except for the National Jewelry Design Summit which you should attend as usual, spend the rest of your time preparing for the competition."
"Don't worry about work—everything can be pushed back. You just need to get yourself in the best shape possible. On competition day, I'll come pick you up."
"Okay." Cecilia nodded slightly.
She really did need some time to process recent events and prepare fully for the tough battle ahead.
Over the next two weeks, Cecilia had a rare period of complete peace that belonged entirely to herself.
She shut all distractions outside her door and immersed herself in sketches and design inspiration. Her physical exhaustion gradually recovered through rest, while her spirit became increasingly sharp and determined through focus.
On the day the competition opened, Stefan's car arrived as promised.
Cecilia opened the door and got in.
The car started smoothly again, this time heading straight to the other side of the city.
"I've prepared a surprise for you." Stefan suddenly spoke. "This time, I'm not just going to make you win the championship. I'm also going to make you become the hottest designer in the country overnight."
Cecilia's heart skipped a beat.
Overnight? The whole country?
What an arrogant claim.
"What do you mean?" She was confused.
"You'll know when we get there." Stefan kept it mysterious, signaling the driver to stop.
The car door opened, and what appeared before Cecilia was a huge modern stadium.
Giant posters hung outside the venue, displaying the artistic lettering of "National Designer Competition," alongside a list of the country's top design masters who were serving as judges for this competition.
Everything looked normal.
However, when she followed Stefan into the contestants' private entrance, she noticed something was off.
Along both sides of the corridor were mounted tracks and professional cameras.
Staff members wearing headsets rushed about, loudly coordinating lighting and sound issues. The air was filled with that unique tension and busyness that only exists at a TV program recording site.
"This place..." Cecilia stopped in her tracks, looking at Stefan in confusion. "Why are there so many cameras?"
This wasn't a serious professional competition at all—it was clearly a large-scale television program recording.
"Oh, that." Stefan's reaction was calm and matter-of-fact.
He surveyed the busy production crew and explained in a tone that stated facts: "I thought the traditional competition format was too dull, and the publicity effect was too poor. So I just added some additional investment for the organizers."
Cecilia's mind went blank for a moment.
He added investment?
"So," Stefan's lips curved into a smile, "starting this year, the National Designer Competition will be broadcast live as a reality show on the country's largest TV and online platforms simultaneously."
Cecilia was completely stunned.
She stood in the middle of the busy corridor, and all the sounds around her disappeared.
Stefan had turned the country's most authoritative and professional top-tier design competition into an entertainment reality show?
Just to promote her?
This wasn't arrogance anymore—this was insane!
Using money to change the rules of an industry's top competition—only a madman like Stefan could pull off something like this!
"You..." Cecilia opened her mouth but found she couldn't say a word.
Shock, anger, and a tremor she herself hadn't even noticed.
He always had ways to make all her plans and predictions look ridiculous.
"Why would you do this?" Cecilia finally found her voice.
She stepped forward, staring intently into Stefan's eyes, and demanded in a lowered voice, "A professional competition turned by you into a sensational show—what do you think those respected senior judges are? What about all the competing designers? What about design itself?"
Stefan seemed quite satisfied with her reaction, even savoring her anger.
"I consider them tools, Ms. Martinez."
"Tools to push you to the top."
"You..."
"You think I want an unknown champion?" Stefan interrupted her, his eyes sharp enough to pierce through her.
"I want the entire country's audience to witness with their own eyes how you crush all your opponents with talent. I want Rufus to sit in front of his TV and watch the woman he once discarded become a light he can never reach."
"I want everyone to know that you, Amelia, are my person."
"Isn't that the loudest slap in Rufus's face?"
Stefan took a step forward, leaning down slightly, close to her ear.
His warm breath brushed past her ear, making her instinctively want to step back, but his next words pinned her in place.
"Welcome to your exclusive stage, Ms. Martinez."
"Now, the entire country's audience is waiting to watch your performance."