Chapter 427 Grace's Humiliation
Leaning against the wall with a lazy smirk, Patricia said, "I told you something was off about the smell! Sure enough, it contains antidote for a sedative."
Martin, silent, looked at the report with a dark expression.
Patricia folded her arms and squinted, "If I'm not mistaken, Grace must have drugged Hunter ahead of time, causing him to lose his senses. When she lured us there, she seized an opportunity to smash the perfume bottle, administering the antidote to Hunter. That's why, when we walked in, Hunter showed no signs of being drugged and appeared fully alert."
"Hmm!" Martin nodded, indicating he agreed with her analysis.
Snatching the report from Martin, Patricia said eagerly, "I'm going to show this to Riley right away and expose Grace in front of everyone."
Martin grasped her wrist, his expression a mix of skepticism and amusement, "And what if you expose her? Last time, you almost drowned because of her and there was undeniable proof, but what came of it?"
Patricia's steps halted, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head, and she calmed down.
Indeed!
Last time, she had nearly died because of Grace and all she got was a hollow apology.
So what if she told Riley this time?
Grace was unmistakably a Koch.
No matter the scale of her blunders, as long as she shed a few tears and played coy, the Kochs were quick to absolve her.
Shane had spent over two decades hoping for an opportunity to compensate for his shortcomings as a father and now, he indulges her every whim.
With such a connection, he could never bring himself to truly rebuke Grace.
To take her down, the strike had to be decisive and leave no room for forgiveness from anyone.
...
As the jewelry design grand finale drew nearer, Grace, brimming with confidence, presented her latest ring creation to Professor Benitez.
"Professor, what do you think of my design? Do you reckon it could win at the grand finale?" she asked.
Benitez frowned at the sight of it.
Grace had designed a pair of couple's rings.
The gentleman's band was a simple one with a heart etched onto it.
The lady's ring bore the same heart motif.
But that solitary heart, standing stark and alone, added nothing else to the design—it was plain and jarring.
Known for his strictness, Benitez didn't hesitate to rip the sketch in two right before Patricia and Jeremy, saying bluntly, "Miss Koch, forgive my candor, but if you enter with this piece, you're not winning a prize—you're inviting ridicule."
Grace's smile vanished completely.
Her face flushed crimson with embarrassment.
Unmoved by her discomfort, Benitez pressed on, "Don't you see? All your designs revolve around romance. As a designer, you can't confine yourself to just one emotion."
Clutching her dress tight, Grace wished she could just vanish into thin air.
"You should remember what Miss Watson mentioned," Benitez continued. "'Love' isn't just romantic. There's also familial love, and friendship. The heart is timeless, and that's exactly why it's cliché. You won't win anything with such generic designs. I've taught you for long enough to see that you've missed the essence of being a designer. Reflect on my words!"
He had chosen his words carefully, softer than usual.
Otherwise, he would have bluntly accused her of being lovesick.
In her twenties and still fixated on nothing but romance.
Didn't she have anything else in her mind?
With that, he approached Patricia, whose talent once again left him momentarily dazzled.
"Miss Watson, is that also an entry for the competition?"
Patricia shook her head, casting a poised glance at Grace, and feigned nonchalance, "Nope! My competition piece is locked away in my drawer! This is just a rough work."
Benitez nodded her approval repeatedly, "Excellent, just excellent! I have faith in you; you'll surely take home a prize."
"Thanks."
"Is your competition piece ready to go?" asked Benitez.
"Yep, all set," Patricia replied with a nod.
"Knock 'em dead!"
With a pat on her shoulder, Benitez moved on to check in with Jeremy.
Grace dug her nails into her thigh, clawing at the flesh as if trying to distract herself from the pain within.
Later that night...
A shadowy figure stealthily slipped into Patricia's room and retrieved the drawings hidden away in her dresser...
Time ticked by in hushed beats.
The jewelry design competition came around quickly.
To ensure impartiality and openness, the event was aired live. Among the nine judges, Riley from the vice-presidential seat at the Koch Group took the center spot.
The remaining eight - four top brass from The Koch Group and four renowned authorities from the jewelry industry - were seated prominently in the front row.
It was an annual gala in the world of jewelry design, drawing notable designers and students poised to enter the field all seated in the audience.
Shane and the Koch family contingent chose a low profile in the crowd, silently rooting for both Patricia and Grace.
Contestants would draw numbers on the spot, then present their designs in the order of their draw, followed by critique and scoring from the judges. The final ranking would be determined by the total score.
The top three scorers would earn the chance to sign with The Koch Group.
The champion's design would be immortalized as The Koch Group's centennial piece, elevating it to the gem of the century and securing its place in the company's history.
A once-in-a-century opportunity, for any jewelry designer, it was the pinnacle of honor, spiking this year's entries to a record high.
But only twenty made it to the finals.
Grace drew the fifth spot.
And Patricia? She drew the very last.
Although the first four entries in the contest boasted their own unique styles, they paled in comparison to the brilliance expected for the special occasion of the "Diamond of the Century" festival. In essence, they were mediocre: not particularly impressive but not dismal either.
That is until Grace took the stage.
The instant her designs appeared on the screens, the audience was awestruck.
Riley and Shane's expressions darkened - a subtle shift in their gazes.
Grace had created two necklaces, each featuring a chain of clover shapes with a pendant shaped like a crescent moon, on which a tiny figure lay reclined.
But the true marvel was that when removed, the necklace pendants could double as rings.
Combined, the pendants revealed a heart, within which two tiny figures held hands in a close embrace.
The overall design was uncomplicated.
Yet it stood uniquely apart from the rest, catching everyone's eye.
Sitting next to Riley, an executive from The Koch Group leaned in and whispered, "Miss Koch truly is her mother’s daughter. Mrs. Koch had a knack for jewelry design, and it seems Miss Koch has inherited her talent. The Koch legacy is secure."
“Grace's entry in the preliminaries was, frankly, an eyesore.”
“At that time, we judges shook our heads in disapproval.”
“But considering she was Jeremy’s sister and that both Koch entrants failing could displease Jeremy, we begrudgingly chose Grace over Jeremy since her work was marginally better.”
“We even quietly joked back then about how Mrs. Koch's daughter seemed to have missed inheriting her mother's design gift.”
“Little did we expect her to advance leaps and bounds in just a few days, truly making us reassess.”
“Though the Kochs were numerous, only Miss Elise had shown any talent for design.”
“Jeremy’s generation, it seemed, had none.”
“Now, with the rise of Miss Koch, it can be said that the family’s legacy remains unblemished.”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
