Chapter 1042 Jane Watkins, where are your skills?
The middle-aged woman next to the judge stood up. "I also think this matter should be properly resolved. Since Ms. Watkins is not convinced, let's clear things up right here to avoid any unfounded criticism later. Everyone present today will be a witness!"
The middle-aged woman who spoke had long hair parted in the middle and wore a very stylish black suit. She looked stern and imposing.
Jane recognized this middle-aged woman named Lydia Bennett, a very famous figure in the domestic photography scene, often appearing in photography textbooks.
However, Jane had no personal relationship with Lydia, who was also known for being unapproachable. Lydia speaking up for her was completely unexpected for Jane.
The judge who argued with Jane before chimed in, "Mrs. Bennett, the timing of our award ceremony is fixed, and the rental time for the hall is also set. Interrupting the process now isn't appropriate, is it?"
"Jerry, since when did a judge like you start worrying about the budget? We only need to ensure the professionalism and fairness of the competition. The rest is not our concern," Lydia said gently but firmly. "Don't you agree?"
Jane hadn't remembered the name of this veteran judge named Jerry Torres until Lydia mentioned it, and she instantly recalled a point she had overlooked: Madeline's mother's last name was Torres!
Torres wasn't a common surname. Could this Jerry be related to Madeline's uncle's family?
Jerry felt awkward. "Then I'll ask someone to check if we have the time to deal with this matter."
In any case, the answer would most likely be no.
Once the schedule was adjusted, the costs for renting the hall, hiring the host, the lighting crew, essential staff, and the appearance fees for the celebrities present would all be calculated by the hour.
Such a large sum of money—the organizers would be crazy to agree!
Moreover, one of the sponsors of this event was Madeline's family. Would the Stewart family want to see their precious daughter's winning moment disrupted?
Of course not.
But before the logistics team could ask the person in charge...
"It's just money, I'll cover it." A voice came from the direction of the venue's entrance, and a tall figure seemed to be standing by the door.
The spotlight operator instinctively directed the light over, revealing Anthony's handsome, chiseled face, with sharp eyebrows and piercing eyes.
Anthony wasn't wearing a formal suit but casual clothes, looking somewhat out of place in this formal setting.
"Who is that? So bold."
"Oh my God! Isn't that Anthony Clark!"
"I'm so excited! Is there going to be some drama?"
"As expected, wherever Jane Watkins is, there's never a dull moment."
"If entertainment reporters had known Anthony Clark was coming, today's event would have gone viral."
"What are you thinking? Would Anthony Clark let entertainment reporters leak the news?"
For a moment, there was a buzz of discussion.
Almost everyone recalled various stories about Anthony and Jane, whether confirmed or rumored.
Jane stared blankly at Anthony, watching him walk towards her leisurely, completely unaware of the disruption he was causing or any sense of awkwardness.
Jane's face seemed to say: What are you doing here?
Her surprise and shock were no less than that of the other guests present.
"Jane, where's your courage?" Anthony asked Jane, placing one hand on the back of her chair, his tone ambiguous. "You were quite tough on me, weren't you?"
His words was equivalent to—"you were tough on me, so why can't you be tough on others? Go ahead!"
Although Anthony's words seemed to mock Jane, everyone present felt that Anthony was encouraging and indulging her, urging Jane to stir things up.
And if Jane caused trouble, Anthony would back her up.
What was supposed to be a simple award ceremony for a photography competition had inexplicably turned into a display of affection?
No one noticed that Madeline on stage turned pale the moment she saw Anthony.
"Mr. Clark, are you serious? If the event is delayed, you'll cover all the costs?" Lydia asked.
Anthony nodded nonchalantly. How much could it cost? It was still less than a single piece of jewelry Jane used to own.
The guests near Anthony thought, 'What's going on? Why does it feel like Anthony is disdainful, as if spending this money is an insult to him?'
Lydia was very satisfied with his response. "Jane Watkins, if you have anything to say about the controversy over this work, say it now."
"This..." Jerry tried to intervene.
"Mr. Torres!" Jane suddenly called out to Jerry. "I just checked online, and if I'm not mistaken, you should be a relative of Madeline Stewart's uncle, right? Although this makes you a distant relative of Madeline Stewart, it's still a connection. It's best if you don't speak now to avoid any suspicion of bias, which could tarnish your reputation and authority."
"Are you implying that I'm deliberately favoring Madeline Stewart? The matter isn't even clear yet, and you're attacking me, a veteran in this industry?" Jerry said.
"I'm just kindly reminding you," Jane said with a slight smile. "You should understand the importance of 'avoiding suspicion,' right?"
The other judges nodded, indicating that for the sake of his reputation, Jerry should remain silent.
Jerry took a deep breath in anger but couldn't say anything more because of Jane's words.
"Actually, it's easy to determine the authorship of this work," Jane said, looking at Madeline on stage. "Madeline, you claim to be the author of this work. Do you know where it was taken?"
Madeline seemed to find the question amusing, her tense expression relaxing.
"Of course, it was taken in the West. Not only do I know the location, but I also have the original negatives and other discarded shots from the same location," Madeline said confidently. "Jane, I understand your feelings. You're upset about losing to me, you're jealous, so you slander me and insult my talent!"
Jane couldn't help but show an expression that said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
But considering that every minute Jane delayed could cost Anthony thousands of dollars, she didn't want to waste time arguing with Madeline.
Jane asked, "The West, which country's West?"
"Of course, it's in our country. Our country is vast and rich, with such magnificent scenery," Madeline replied, thinking that with Jane's current financial situation, she could only get by domestically, ruling out any international possibilities.
Jane nodded seriously. "Can you show everyone the original negatives you have?"
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