Chapter 743

 743:
Not long after, Dustin tracked Collin down at a hotel suite on the top floor, just a short walk from the competition venue.
As soon as he stepped inside, the heavy stench of liquor clung to the air, making him wince.
The deeper he walked into the room, the more the mess came into focus—until he finally spotted Collin slouched on the sofa, half-lost in the cushions.
“Again with the drinking?” Dustin muttered as he strode over and reached out to grab the half-empty bottle from his friend’s grip.
But despite the dazed look in his eyes, Collin jerked away fast, pulling the bottle out of reach like it was the only thing keeping him grounded.
“Don’t start,” he said. “Just leave me be.”
Trying to tamp down the uneasiness crawling through him, Dustin eased himself onto the edge of the couch. His voice dropped a notch as he said, “Alright. If that’s what you want, I won’t stop you.”
Collin didn’t bother to give Dustin a look and took a long drink from the bottle in his hand.
Watching him, Dustin let out a quiet sigh. “Collin, the competition results are about to be announced. Don’t you want to see how it turns out?”
Collin placed the empty bottle down with a steady hand and casually opened another. His tone was flat. “Contestant No. 3 is Aurora Bright.”
Dustin raised a brow. “You saw her just now?”
gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s․com makes every story special
Collin didn’t answer. He continued, “She’s going to win first place.”
Dustin knew just how brilliant Aurora’s work was, but even so, he was surprised by how little faith Collin seemed to have in their own designer—Arthur.
“Come on, Collin. Arthur’s the one representing us. He’s a seasoned pro in the industry,” Dustin argued.
Collin gave a faint, almost cynical smile. “That’s the problem. He’s been in the game too long—set in his ways, blinded by years of praise. His skills have slipped, and now he’s trying to win by cheating. He’s teamed up with one of the judges, hoping to grab the prize and the huge bonus we promised.”
Dustin stared at him, stunned. “You’re saying Arthur’s cheating?”
Collin gave a small nod. “Next year, remove Andy Lambert from the judging panel.”
That caught Dustin off guard.
He had thought Collin was only paying attention to Aurora. He hadn’t realized Collin had already seen through all the shady dealings behind the scenes.
“Alright, I’ll handle it,” Dustin said after a pause.
He pulled out his phone and began typing out the necessary instructions.
Collin gave a short nod. “You can go now.”
Taking the hint, Dustin didn’t push it. He knew better than to linger when Collin was like this.
This wasn’t the first time he had seen Collin in a mood like this—withdrawn and heavy-hearted.
.
.
.