Chapter 9
The day before the Global Jewelry Design Competition awards ceremony, I was discharged from the hospital.
Over the past few days. Samuel hadn’t contacted me once, and I hadn’t reached out either.
My entire focus was on the upcoming ceremony.
If there was anything left in this world I still wished to accomplish, it was this.
I had to win first place.
That was my mother’s lifelong dream, and I was determined to fulfill it for her.
Early that morning, I asked the caregiver to help me into my gown, then had a stylist do my hair and makeup to perfection.
I placed a photo of my mother into a custom–made pendant and pinned it close to my heart. “Mom, we’re going to accept our award today.”
The awards were announced from tenth place up to first.
I sat quietly in the audience, clutching the photo, waiting patiently for the final name to be called. “And now, presenting the winner of this year’s Global Jewelry Design Competition–Celia Sinclair.”
A loud ringing filled my ears. It took several seconds for the sound around me to come back into focus.
“Wait? Wasn’t the champion supposed to be you, Vivian?”
“Even if you didn’t win, how come you didn’t place at all? That can’t be right.”
Those who knew me began to speak up in outrage.
But deep down, I already knew the truth.
As I scanned the crowd, I saw Charles and Grace–and further down the row, Matthew, who had just days ago claimed he was cutting ties with the Sinclair family.
Of course, he was back on the same team as Grace and Celia.
I wasn’t surprised, not really. But it still stung, especially knowing he was the child my mother had carried and given birth to after ten long, difficult months.
Then my gaze landed on Samuel
He was standing there, looking up at Celia on stage, eyes brimming with affection.
So it was him. He had done this. It felt like someone had taken a knife to my chest and carved it open.
The pain should have been unbearable, but I was already too numb to feel anything.
As if sensing my stare, Samuel turned his head and looked straight at me.
Our eyes met. He said nothing, but somehow, it was as if everything had already been said.
I turned away. I didn’t want anyone to see just how badly I had lost.
“Let’s go,” I said to the bodyguard and caregiver.
Just then, the giant screen behind the stage began displaying Celia’s so–called winning design.
It was a plain, uninspired piece–something that had already been eliminated during the preliminaries.
Yet now, it stood center stage as the crown jewel of the entire competition.
“Huh? This won the grand prize? Are they kidding?”
The crowd erupted, voices filled with disbelief and indignation.
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9:00 PM
Chapter 9
“This is rigged. Totally rigged.*
A line of people in black suits walked past me.
“The Hartley family extends their congratulations to Ms. Sinclair for winning the Global Jewelry Design Competition.”
“The Sullivan family extends their congratulations to Ms. Sinclair for winning the Global Jewelry Design Competition.”
“The Whitman family extends their congratulations to Ms. Sinclair for winning the Global Jewelry Design Competition.”
I turned to look. Almost every elite family in Rivergate City was present.
No one dared to protest anymore. No one dared to cry foul.
This was the power Samuel gave Celia, the confidence she stood on as the chosen heir of the Hartley family.
The very people who had demanded a full investigation earlier were now leading the applause, sending their congratulations to Celia with smiling faces.
Once again, Samuel’s gaze landed on me.
My vision blurred, I felt dizzy, almost nauseated.
Then came the voice from the stage–shrill, clear, cruel. “Ms. Sinclair, Mr. Hartley says he’ll remove every obstacle in your path. Tomorrow, he’ll come pick you up himself”
Across the ocean of people, I locked eyes with Samuel again.
He would clear the path for her? Did that mean removing me, too!
I let out a cold, bitter laugh.
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