One Night

Chapter 208

Audrey

“Mr. Black.”

The sight of the man almost made my heart stop in my chest. I hadn’t seen him in person since that awful interview last summer when he had implied that I should sleep with him if I wanted his mentorship for this very project.

His lip curled slightly as I approached, his eyes raking over me with undisguised disdain; no doubt he actually blamed me and not his own despicable behavior for the fact that he had lost his business with Brooks Designs.

“Audrey Thatcher,” he said, his voice dripping with contempt.

Despite the urge to curl into myself, I managed to square my shoulders, determined not to let him see how much his presence rattled me. “It’s actually Klein now,” I corrected firmly. Audrey Klein.”

The female judge, an older woman with kind eyes and salt-and-pepper hair, chuckled-there was a placard in front of her seat with the name ‘Rebecca Daniels’ written on it. “I would have expected it to be Brooks by this point,” she said.

I felt my face flush, heat creeping up my neck and settling in my cheeks. Mr. Black’s smirk widened, his eyes glinting with malice. “Ah. Yes, I hear congratulations are in order. To find one’s fated mate at such a young age, particularly a mate as wealthy and successful as Alpha Brooks, is quite impressive. Almost… unbelievable.”

His insinuation made my blood boil, and I could feel my wolf stirring for the first time in weeks, a low growl echoing in the back of my mind. “Is it so hard to believe that he’s my mate?” I asked, unable to keep the edge out of my voice.

Mr. Black merely shrugged, then gestured to my silver streak and the silver accents on my outfit. “I also hear you are purported to be the Silver Star.”

Before I could answer, the third judge, a middle-aged man with a placard reading ‘Edward Fuller’, rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, how very fortuitous. Have you shifted yet? Supposedly the Silver Star, once shifted, possesses many amazing abilities.”

Judge Daniels chuckled again. “I’ve heard the same thing. Audrey, I broke my wrist a few years back and it still aches-I don’t suppose you could heal it for me?”

Mr. Black practically leered. “A very useful skill indeed.”

I swallowed hard, fighting to keep my composure. The taste of copper filled my mouth as I bit the inside of my cheek. “I haven’t shifted yet,” I admitted, annoyance flaring hot and wild in my chest.

Here I was, about to present my thesis, and all they cared about was my mate and my supposed abilities. But I forced a smile, determined not to let my irritation show. “But once I do shift, Ms. Daniels, I’ll be happy to help you with your pain.” The female judge beamed.

“Well then,” Mr. Black said, leaning back in his chair, “why don’t you begin your presentation, Miss… Klein?”

Taking a deep breath, I launched into my prepared speech. The room seemed to shrink around me as I spoke, my voice echoing slightly in the small space. I detailed my design process, explaining how each element of the gown represented a different aspect of my journey.

“The silver threading,” I said, gesturing to the slides on the screen, “represents the threads of fate that have woven through my life, bringing me to where I am today.”

As I spoke, I could feel Mr. Black’s eyes boring red-hot holes into my head. His gaze was like coal, black and bitter. I knew he hated me; I was the reason Edwin had pulled out of his partnership with Black’s company, causing them to lose a significant amount of money.

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Chapter 208

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But I refused to let his animosity derail me.

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Next, I moved on to discuss the symbolism of the luna moth I had incorporated into the design. “The moth represents transformation… Just as the moth undergoes a metamorphosis, so too have I transformed throughout my journey.”

Judge Daniels nodded encouragingly, while Judge Fuller scribbled notes. Mr. Black, however, remained impassive, his eyes cold as they swept over my slides.

Finally, as I neared the end of my presentation, I moved toward the covered mannequin. “And now, I would like to reveal the final piece,” I said, my hand on the sheet. With a flourish, I pulled it away, unveiling the gown I had poured my heart and soul into creating.

The judges gasped as they took in the design. I held my breath, watching their reactions carefully. The female judge leaned. forward, her eyes wide. Even the serious-faced male judge looked impressed, his eyebrows raised as he examined the intricate details.

But Mr. Black remained thoroughly unimpressed.

“Thank you, Miss Klein,” Judge Daniels said after a moment. “If you could wait outside, we will call you back in once we have finished our deliberations.”

I nodded, my heart pounding in my ears as I left the room. As I closed the door behind me, I caught one last glimpse of Mr. Black, his eyes still fixed on me, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

That couldn’t be good. What was he up to?

Outside, I immediately began pacing back and forth. I chewed on my nails, not caring if I wrecked my nail polish. Tina, who had been waiting for me, jumped up from her seat, her red curls bouncing with the sudden movement.

“Well? How did it go?” she asked eagerly, her eyes searching my face.

I shook my head, unable to form words for a moment. The fluorescent lights of the hallway seemed too bright, the walls too close around me. I swore, even with the door closed, that I could still feel Mr. Black’s eyes on me.

“I… I don’t know,” I finally managed. “Mr. Black was one of the judges.”

Tina’s eyes widened. “Mr. Black? As in, the creep who hit on you last summer?”

I nodded as I continued to

pace,

feeling

sick

to

my stomach. “He hates me, Tina. What if he convinces the others to fail me?”

Tina grabbed my wrist. “Hey, look at me.” I froze, turning slowly to face my friend. “It’ll be fine. Mr. Black is just one judge. out of three. Your work is amazing, Audrey. They would be idiots not to see that.”

I wanted to believe her, but it wasn’t easy. What if Mr. Black’s influence was enough to sway the others? What if my design. wasn’t as good as I thought it was?

The minutes ticked by agonizingly slowly. I continued to pace, unable to sit still. Tina tried to distract me with small talk, but I could barely focus on her words. All I could think about was whatever he was saying behind that door…

And how badly I wished my mate was here.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the door opened with a soft creak. Judge Fuller appeared in the doorway, gesturing for me to come back in. “We’re ready for you, Miss Klein.”

I took a deep breath, smoothing down my shirt one last time. With shaking legs, I followed him back into the room. The atmosphere felt tense as I took my place in front of the judges’ table once more.

Mr. Black still wore that infuriating smirk on his face.

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Judge Daniels cleared her throat. “Miss Klein, we have come to our decision regarding your thesis project. As you know, your performance on this project will dictate whether you graduate or have to stay at Grayspring for another semester.”

I nodded stiffly, my mouth too dry to speak. My heart was pounding so hard I was sure they could hear it, the rush of blood in my ears almost deafening.

“We have each voted,” Judge Fuller continued, tapping the face-down scorecard sitting in front of himself-they each had one. “And the result will be revealed now.”

I watched, stone-still, as the judges reached for the cards in front of them. Time seemed to slow as they turned them over one by one.

Judge Daniels: Yes.

A glimmer of hope sparked in my chest.

Mr. Black: No.

That hope began to dim, although I had expected this from him. But as Tina had said, he was just one out of three-and I already had one ‘yes. Just one more to go…

Mr. Black’s smirk grew in size as Judge Fuller slowly flipped his card.

“I’m sorry, Miss Klein.”

No.

No, no, no…

My stomach dropped as I stared at the cards. Two nos. A majority vote.

I had failed my thesis.