95

Could there have been a hidden reason I got this prize? Did Drake help me win this? Did I not win this with my own skills? The cash prize had been increased from 10,000 to 1 million-outsiders might see this as the company’s generosity, but it doesn’t seem that simple to me now.




 The more I think about it, the more this seems to be one of Drake's acts.




He intentionally raised the cash prize, and he intentionally gave me the chance to win this.




 He’s indirectly trying to repay me.




Nicole felt her face turning hot as a mixture of shame and anger filled her insides.




She grabbed her phone from the table before leaving the meeting room.




On the way out, a bunch of people congratulated her.




Nicole often got things her way in the company, and she was close to the boss, so none of the staff members had the guts to trigger her.




Instead, all of them tried to suck up to her.




Once Nicole walked into the elevator, she pressed for the eighth floor without any hesitation.




That was the level Drake's office was on.




She bumped into Rey right after the elevator doors opened, and she immediately questioned him.




“Is Drake inside?”

“President Butler is…” Rey was about to ask for a reason Nicole wanted to meet him, but she had already pushed the door open.




A handsome man was seated on the couch, and he shifted his gaze up to see a woman walking while panting.




With a calm, unfazed expression, he looked into her eyes. “Is anything the matter?” he asked.




“Tell me-did you have anything to do with the International Jewelry Design Competition?” she asked in an interrogative tone.




Behind her, Rey shot Drake a nervous look. 




However, Rey turned and shut the door behind him after exchanging glances with Drake.




“Felicia told me that you won first place in it.

 Congratulations.




”Drake narrowed his eyes for a moment before speaking. There was only one thing Nicole wanted to know then.




 Did I win first place with my own skills? If this guy arranged for me to win it, then I wouldn’t feel accomplished at all.




 There would be no meaning to this title.




"Don't you have any confidence in yourself

at all?" He curled his lips into an icy smirk..




“Of course I have confidence in myself… But-“Nicole fixed her mesmerizing eyes on him. 




The man cut her off before she could finish her sentence. “Do you think I have nothing better to do, Nicole? Do you think I would mess around with such tiny competitions? If you don’t want the money, the company can always save it instead of handing it to you.




" He spoke in a domineering and arrogant tone that allowed him to take full control of the situation in the room.




Nicole felt herself losing the courage she had earlier after he threatened to withdraw the cash prize.




She desperately needed the money-she didn’t want her father to worry, and she wanted pete to go to a better school. 




“Drake, you’d better give me the cash prize if you’re sure that you didn’t meddle with the results.




"Nicole turned to leave right after finishing her words.

The man curled his lips into a thoughtful smile after she left.




"Once Nicole got back to her office, Felicia walked over to congratulate her.




Felicia got Nicole to attend the award ceremony and told her to place the trophy among the rest of the showcased items in the company.







Nicole nodded obediently. At 3.00PM

sharp, she brought her assistant, Grace, to

collect the.




trophy before setting it at the most

conspicuous spot on the shelf. 




There was even a picture of Nicole on the trophy

 made it more eye-catching than ever..




That evening, the staff members discussed and agreed on a location to have dinner together.




Alice was the only one who didn’t attend the dinner, while Nicole was the main highlight of the night.




The dinner was mainly organized to celebrate her win, after all,

Nicole requested for Felicia to take some money out from her cash reward to pay for the dinner, but Felicia rejected this idea immediately.




Before the dinner celebration, Nicole had phoned her father and asked if he had the time to pick pete up.




“I have a dinner that I have to attend,” she explained.




It had been a while since Francis saw his grandson, so he gladly agreed to pick pete up.




Perhaps it was due to his age, he was increasingly appreciative of having a grandson to care for.




The company dinner was hosted at a restaurant nearby their office.




More than10 of the staff members gathered at a long table, and the restaurant served all sorts of dishes that filled the table. 




None of them had to worry about the price of the food they ordered since it was all paid for by the company.




Nicole sat beside Felicia, and they talked about the competition that had just passed.




 There had always been great competition among the jewelry companies in their local industry, yet none of the more established businesses managed to win any prizes this time.




All of the designers were furious when they heard that Nicole was the one who won the prize!