Chapter 283
283:
Rosie’s heart skipped a beat. A flicker of unease crept in. Could Brenna know that she had bought her work? No, that was impossible. She had been meticulous, using someone else’s bank card to make the transactions. No one would know she had done that. Brenna had to be bluffing. She refused to take the bait.
Rosie replied, “That’s not true. I am naturally gifted and have always been top of my class. Picking up a bit of engineering design is a walk in the park for me.”
The industry talents present looked unimpressed after hearing that, shooting skeptical glances in Rosie’s direction.
Among the crowd, a few smart individuals began to piece things together. Despite their outward show of unity, it was clear that Brenna and Rosie didn’t get along very well.
Tommy smiled and said, “Miss Harper, no matter how talented you claim to be, you can’t master what we have spent seven years learning in just a month. You certainly can’t create a legitimate design by skimming a few textbooks. If someone from outside the field makes the shortlist, there’s only one logical explanation—the design was never theirs to begin with.”
His blunt words made Rosie’s face flush with anger.
Rosie snapped at Tommy, her tone sharp and defensive, “Do you have any proof for that accusation? Watch your words, or I’ll sue you for defamation. I am the Harper family’s daughter, and I have the power to hire the best lawyer!”
Her threat was crystal clear.
After a pause, she continued, “An unknown studio dares to come here? Since when did the Harper Group start letting such an insignificant studio in?”
Zeke stepped forward and kindly informed Rosie, “Miss Harper, the Night Studio is far from unknown. It’s a highly respected international design team with a solid reputation in the industry. They are just very low-profile, which is why not many people are familiar with them.”
Rosie shot Zeke a fierce glare, clearly irritated by his interference. Just moments ago, he had been vocally against the Harper Group’s rigging of the first prize, and now he was contradicting her. Whose side was he really on?
𝖂𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖎𝖙 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖉: 𝖌𝖆𝖑𝖓𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑𝖘ꞏ𝖈𝖔𝖒
Tommy smiled as he shook Zeke’s hand, convinced that Zeke had just misjudged Brenna earlier. Once he got to know her better, he would no longer question her abilities.
Ethan gave Brenna an approving nod. Over the past few days, he had discovered that she owned two studios—one specializing in finance, the other in mechanical design. Both were filled with top-tier talent.
He noticed Tommy along with two other male engineers, all in their thirties and carrying themselves with quiet confidence. He acknowledged them with a nod.
Since the jury had a separate entrance, Ethan leaned in and whispered to Brenna, “I’ll head over first.”
Brenna just nodded, her expression indifferent.
Now that Ethan was gone, Rosie felt pleased. She no longer needed to play nice in front of Brenna and could speak without holding back.
Rosie and Brenna moved with the crowd into the venue, keeping in step without speaking. Rosie had let go of Brenna’s arm. They now walked side by side, both wearing unreadable expressions. To anyone watching, they looked perfectly civil.
Brenna sensed Rosie’s thoughts. She turned to Rosie casually and sneered, “Not pretending to be close to me anymore? You were pretending earlier, too.”
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