Chapter 281
281:
“Don’t fall for his lies. I’m Isabella, the daughter of the Barrett family. Everyone’s well aware that Brenna was only acknowledged by the Harper family not too long ago. The people who raised her are my parents, and they made it clear to me that she never even finished elementary school. There’s no way she graduated from any top university. Don’t let yourselves be deceived.”
Her confident manner lent her accusations a semblance of credibility.
Scanning the audience, she continued loudly, “And this Night Studio, who even knows them? They might just be here to cause a scene. I’ve never heard of them before. They could be paid off by Brenna for all we know. Don’t let yourselves be easily fooled. We have to push back against the Harper Group ruining the fairness of the competition.”
Zeke, supporting Isabella, exclaimed, “Exactly, we should come together and protest. The competition rules say it must be fair. Why should the Harper family’s daughter be presumed the winner?”
What he said struck a nerve with a few designers who were aiming for the top prize, and soon enough, several voices rang out in agreement, saying, “Exactly!”
“I strongly oppose the Harper family’s daughter participating in the competition!”
Ethan surveyed the room calmly before saying slowly, “There’s no need for concern. This competition is indeed fair. The Harper Group has even brought in notaries to verify everything. Besides, there’s one first prize, three second prizes, ten third prizes, and thirty excellence awards. The shortlist includes three times as many participants as there are winners. Winners are determined by the judges’ scores and votes from the designers present here. Additionally, the works are identified only by numbers, not names. The judges and designers doing the scoring here can only evaluate the submissions without knowing who made them.”
After a pause, he continued, “That makes the process completely fair. There’s no room for backdoor deals or outcomes that were decided in advance.”
Still upset, Zeke asked, “And who might you be? How are you so familiar with the selection process? Are you part of the Harper family?”
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Ethan gave him a patient smile, assessing the man who seemed more bluster than substance.
He then said, “I’m here as one of the judges. I was invited to participate in the evaluation process.”
Rosie, who had been quietly observing the commotion, was surprised to learn of Ethan’s role as a judge.
Isabella, visibly annoyed, retorted, “That’s easy for you to say. But how do we know you haven’t been briefed on Brenna’s number beforehand? All the judges are invited by the Harper Group. It would be easy for them to manipulate the results behind the scenes. The Harper Group has money to burn, so what’s stopping them from slipping a bribe to the judges if they want to?”
Brenna, acutely aware of Isabella’s motives, knew that the Harper family’s previous actions had nearly driven the Barrett Group to bankruptcy. It was only after Isabella…
Allied with the Wagner family, her family’s fortunes were restored. Clearly, the Barrett family would take any opportunity to retaliate against the Harper family.
“So what? My family’s power is just another aspect of my strength. Are you bothered by that?” Brenna said coldly to Isabella. “If you believe the competition is rigged, feel free to withdraw. With numerous second, third, and excellence awards available, even if I win the first prize, there’s plenty of opportunity for you to claim an award and collaborate with the Harper Group.”
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