Chapter 742

 742:
Something on the screen grabbed Dolores’s attention right away. As her eyes darted across the message, her face tightened, the seriousness creeping in with every line she read.
A beat later, she muttered under her breath, “Damn it.”
Linsey blinked in confusion, her stomach sinking as she feared the worst about the competition. “What happened? Did something go wrong? Do they need me back right now?” she asked quickly.
Dolores let out a tense sigh and answered, “No. The judges are still waiting on the rest of the contestants to finish explaining their designs. The final announcement’s still two hours away.”
Then her tone shifted. She turned to Linsey, her voice dropping low.
“Collin showed up at Booth 3 asking for you.”
The words hit Linsey hard, sending a jolt straight through her chest. Her expression turned distant as she mumbled, “What? Why would he even…”
Dolores didn’t hesitate. “He doesn’t know you’re Aurora Bright. He just stormed in and asked to meet her directly. Thank God Caylee was already there. She handled it and got the staff to keep it quiet.”
A storm of emotion stirred inside Linsey, her thoughts spinning out of control. She pressed her lips together and said slowly, “I never planned to reveal who I was when I started submitting under Aurora Bright. I always knew there was a risk Collin might catch on, but I didn’t think it would be this soon. What made him suspicious?”
Dolores shook her head, clearly just as baffled. Her gaze drifted down to Linsey’s bandaged right hand. “Back then, your right hand was completely fine. You never designed with your left. What gave him a reason to start putting the pieces together?”
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A sudden realization struck her. “Wait. Did you say something while explaining your design that tipped him off?”
Caught off guard, Linsey paused before replying, “No, that can’t be it. I specifically mentioned that Aurora is a mother. Why would he think that’s me? Just because I said I wanted a peaceful life with a happy family? That’s ridiculous. Plenty of people grew up without parents. It’s not like I’m the only one.”
Dolores went quiet for a beat before she let out a sharp scoff and waved her hand like she was swatting a fly. “Don’t waste another second thinking about him. He’s only doing this because he’s bored. Pretending he cared all this time? Please. That’s just pathetic.”
As she heard that, Linsey’s face faltered ever so slightly, a trace of sadness slipping through her calm exterior.
But she didn’t let it linger. With a small shrug, she said in a breezy tone, “It’s whatever. If he finds out, then so be it. I’ve already moved on. Started over. He can do what he wants—it has nothing to do with me anymore.”
A spark of approval flashed in Dolores’s eyes as she gave an emphatic nod. “Exactly the attitude you should have. He’s not worth our time.”
With a soft touch, she placed a hand on Linsey’s shoulder. “Get some more rest. I’ll drive you back once it’s closer to the announcement.”
“Okay,” Linsey replied, her voice calm.
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