Chapter 22 Susanna Took the Lead
"Aaron!" Just as Susanna and Aaron were in the middle of their heated exchange, Erica's voice rang out from behind them.
Seeing Erica and Elaine approaching, Aaron promptly released Susanna's wrist. A subtle hint of sarcasm danced in Susanna's eyes. Was he perhaps concerned that Erica could misinterpret the situation?
Erica hooked her arm around Aaron's and smiled. "Aaron, I've been looking everywhere for you. The judges need to discuss something with you. Susanna, it's a shame you didn't place this time, but you have talent. Keep trying."
Susanna's expression remained impassive, her silence speaking volumes.
Aaron turned to leave. "Let's go."
Erica nodded. "Sure, I'll just hit the restroom first."
Once Aaron was out of earshot, Erica's smile vanished, replaced by a haughty expression. "Susanna, today's competition is a perfect example. You lucked into the finals, much like your marriage into the Abbott family. Trying to force your way into a world that's not yours will only lead to failure, just like today."
Elaine sneered in agreement, adding, "Erica's family practically owns this competition. She's already handling significant projects at such a young age. You tried so hard only to be eliminated. It's almost pitiful. Competitions might be your only ladder up, given your modest beginnings. Unlike us, who always seem to have doors wide open."
"Oh, really? You think she doesn't have a chance?" Justin's sudden appearance interrupted the tense exchange, his handsome features now adorned with a smirk as he approached Susanna. Casting a concerned glance her way, he inquired, "Are you alright?"
Susanna remained silent, simply shaking her head. However, the anguish etched on her face caused Justin's expression to darken. He turned to Erica and Elaine, wrapping an arm protectively around Susanna's shoulders. "You don't need to worry about Susanna. Focus on yourselves. I've already filed a complaint with the competition organizers. Silverpeak Innovations also thinks there's something fishy about the results. They're reviewing the process and rankings. So, it's anyone's guess who'll come out on top?"
He shot a meaningful glance at Erica, whose face changed instantly but quickly forced a smile. "You're joking. The competition..."
"Competitions, no matter who organizes them, must be fair," Justin cut her off bluntly. He then turned to Susanna with a gentle voice, "Let's go back to the venue."
Susanna hesitated. "Go back? But I've already..."
"It doesn't matter. The result isn't important. I believe you're the best." Justin's words were like a beacon of light in Susanna's heart, dispelling her earlier gloom. She nodded and let Justin lead her back to the venue.
Upon their return, Susanna noticed the judges gathered in a huddle, deep in discussion. Aaron sat in a chair, studying a design sketch that bore a striking resemblance to hers. Erica joined him, their heads close together, sharing whispered words. Their camaraderie was evident.
Susanna instinctively shifted her gaze away, unwilling to witness the scene. Aaron, catching the movement, turned his eyes towards her. Observing a man offering her solace, his gaze turned even frostier.
Noticing Aaron's gaze, Erica suddenly spoke up, "Aaron, I'm going to announce a special award for Susanna."
Aaron looked up. "A special award?"
"Yeah, I just got a call from Edward. He wants a re-evaluation. I think it's because of Justin, but there's no need to re-evaluate; the results won't change. So, I've decided to give Susanna a special award. My hands are tied," Erica said, secretly watching Aaron's reaction, feeling a surge of frustration.
She had just received word from the event planner that Edward specifically requested a re-evaluation. Though she didn't understand why, she was sure it had something to do with Justin. But this worked in her favor; if Justin and Susanna were seen together, Aaron would definitely stay away from Susanna.
Aaron frowned and placed the design sketch on the table. "Which one is Susanna's?"
"Aaron, the evaluation is confidential. If she didn't place, it means her work wasn't good enough." Erica calmly collected the sketches from the table. "That's it. I'll go make the announcement."
With that, Erica took all the design sketches from the judges and headed backstage. She opened the sketches to reveal the names and found that Susanna's had the highest score.
Her face turned cold, and without hesitation, she fed Susanna's sketch into the shredder. Watching the beautiful design turn into confetti, Erica felt an indescribable satisfaction. She had orchestrated the evaluation process with meticulous precision, ensuring the judges were kept in the dark about the artists' identities.
She carefully designed the selection process, ensuring that the judges cast their votes blindly. By wielding the power to dictate rankings, she could simply assign Susanna a low score, undermining Susanna's talents and subjecting her to a very humiliating public defeat.
However, Susanna's work had the highest score, which made Erica hate her even more. She quickly swapped Susanna's name onto a pre-prepared, low-scoring design. She had thought this backup plan wouldn't be necessary, but was now glad she had been thorough.
Just as she was about to leave with the altered sketch, the event planner stopped her. "Ms. Jones, Mr. Jones has instructed me to handle the rest of the competition."
"Fine, but I need to announce this award first," Erica said.
"No need. I'll handle the awards. You can take a break, Ms. Jones."
Seeing the planner's firm stance, Erica could only nod with a forced smile, though unease churned inside her. Did Edward lose trust in her because of this incident?
After the planner left, Erica, fearing exposure, destroyed all the design sketches. She then walked back to the judges' table as if nothing had happened. "Aaron, let's go sit over there."
Aaron stood up, his eyes involuntarily drifting towards Susanna. Was it because of what he said outside the restroom that Susanna had asked the man beside her for a special award?
The thought made Aaron even more irritable.
Erica stood still, hearing one of the judges say, "Ms Jones, I heard Master Susan also made it to the finals. I wonder which design is hers?"
At these words, Erica's face changed slightly. But thinking about her perfect arrangement, knowing no one would discover the truth, she calmed down.
She smiled faintly and said, "I believe the answer is not hard to guess!"
She wouldn't reveal that the person was Susanna!
"Of course, it must be Allison, the first-place winner. That's the design Mr. Abbott was holding just now, very much in Master Susan's style. And it has the highest score, so it must be the first place."
Aaron glanced at the design, and it was indeed as the judge said. However, Master Susan had declined his invitation twice.
He took out his phone and sent a message to his assistant: "Go talk to the first-place winner."
Since he had encountered her now, he could negotiate the terms and try to recruit her to work for his company.
The first-place winner, Allison, was surrounded by a group of people. Many companies handed her business cards and showered her with compliments.
Susanna glanced at her from the side, then finally withdrew her gaze.
Elaine, sitting nearby, quickly spoke up, "Erica, why aren't you presenting the award?"
Erica's expression was strained. "Edward thought I was overworked and had someone else take over."
Elaine sighed, "Erica, I'm so jealous you have such a doting brother." After her envious remark, Elaine turned to Susanna. "Why are you still here? Don't you know there's no award for you? Anyone with sense would have left by now."
Susanna maintained a composed demeanor. Meeting Aaron's intense gaze with unwavering confidence, she responded in a measured tone, "The banquet isn't over. Why should I leave?"
Elaine sneered, "Oh, yes, this high-end banquet is a rare opportunity for someone like you. Make sure to take lots of pictures for social media; you might not get another chance. Without the Abbott family, you're nothing, right, Susanna?"
Aaron frowned. "Elaine, if you can't say anything nice, just shut up."
Elaine felt embarrassed and was about to retort when Erica pulled her back, shaking her head subtly.
At that moment, the event planner took the stage. "Apologies for the earlier mistake in the awards. We are now correcting the results. The first-place winner is Susanna."
