Chapter 52 What Would Come, Would Come
Jasmine had not expected to score so high. She was so stunned that she blanked out for a moment. I can’t believe she not only did not give me grief out of spite, but she also gave me such a high score.
Thus, she gave a deep bow. Her bow was mainly to show her gratitude toward Olivia for being fair and not holding any grudges against her.
Afterward, the live show continued.
There were a total of ten designers, and Olivia had already seen nine of them. Even so, she had yet to see Anna’s design.
She was quite curious about what kind of designs Anna could come up with. However, she didn’t know what Anna was trying to do after pulling that farce today. Therefore, she was feeling rather anxious about it.
Finally, she finished scoring nine of the designers. Then, she massaged her temples. After watching the runway for so long, her eyes were beginning to tire.
Eugene had been watching Olivia the entire time. He didn’t even spare a single glance at the fashion show going on. Listening to the suggestions and opinions she gave those designers, he found his perception of her professionalism increasing the more he listened.
He, who usually couldn’t bear staying at gatherings for more than an hour, had stayed in his seat for nearly two hours now.
Meanwhile, the host smiled again and introduced the final designer, “Next, let us welcome our last designer, Anna Maxwell, and her design team! Their works have been well-received among the audience and have taken the top spot among the rankings! Now, let us welcome them onstage!”
After that, a gentle melody played by a harp sounded throughout the front hall, matching perfectly with the models who came walking out slowly.
The four models wore four different styles of dresses, each incorporating the four gentlemen of the seasons: the plum blossom, the orchid, the bamboo, and the chrysanthemum. The colors and designs of each outfit were distinct and stood apart from each other—they were elegant and noble whilst still incorporating the cultural heritage of the country.
As soon as they appeared on stage, it gave off a dazzling feeling.
When Eugene heard Anna’s name, he scowled. Why is she here too?
However, his expression changed completely when he saw the models walking out. Then, he took out his phone and looked through it. At the same time, Curtis leaned over, asking, “President Nolan, don’t you think the plum blossom-themed design looks awfully similar to the design in Miss Maxwell’s portfolio?”
He glanced at Curtis. “You think so too?”
Curtis nodded, but his gaze did not leave the model. “It’s identical.”
Just then, Eugene found the picture of Olivia’s design on his phone. It really is like two peas in a pod—they were exactly the same!
This is clearly plagiarism!
He cast his glance at Olivia and saw that she had already stood up. “Stop!”
Everybody was confused by her actions, and they all looked at her.
Olivia was so angry that her face looked pale. I was wondering what kind of design Anna could come up with. Instead, she turned out to be so brainless! It’s blatant copy-and-paste; she didn’t even make any changes to it whatsoever!
At the same time, the model stopped in her tracks and stared at Olivia suspiciously.
The host didn’t understand what was going on. Walking over to her, he asked, “Miss Maxwell, what’s wrong?”
“Whose design is this?” Olivia raged.
The host seemed taken aback for a moment. “All four designs were designed by Miss Anna Maxwell.”
Then, she said, “Bring her here!”
Anna, who had been watching everything going on in the front hall from backstage, couldn’t help feeling uneasy.
She had assumed that Olivia was a participant. Therefore, she was banking on the fact that when Olivia claimed she had stolen her designs, she could counter by saying that Olivia was adopting malicious methods to kick her out of the competition by deliberately slandering her. After all, Olivia had no proof. How could I have known that she turned out to be a judge?
Thus, when she heard the host asking for her to go on stage, she knew that what would come, would come—the inevitable was about to happen.
Taking a deep breath, she glanced at Sarah, who was standing beside her.
Sarah came over immediately and helped her walk out to the front hall, step by step.
Anna was limping; the slap mark on her face was still clear as day. She had a band-aid on her forehead. No matter who saw her current state, they would probably ask after her.
The host frowned slightly and asked in a gentle voice, “Miss Maxwell, what happened to you?”
