The True Heiress's Return

Chapter 17

Today's designer audition live stream was supposed to be a niche event with only a handful of viewers. But Sean really went all out. From the moment the stream started, advertisements were everywhere-not just in Crescentville, but tionwide on billboards, public transport screens, and major streaming platforms.

Many people tuned i in out of curiosity, and the view count shot up. As soon as they logged on, they were blown away-a young amateur designer had just outperformed tons of professional competitors and moved on to the next round. The audience was in awe, and the chat was buzzing with comments. [Wow! If she hasn't even studied design professionally and already has this kind of talent, just think about what she could do with some experience. She could really shake up the design world!]

t that the girl from the Nelson family who made headlines after her birthday party a couple of days ago? Looks like being a rich kid has some serious benefits.]

Must be nice to be wealthy. She threw a birthday bash that had got the whole town talking, and there were luxury cars lined up outside the hotel. All the elites must've shown up.]

[Sounds like a PR stunt to me. I looked her up; she's still just a college student with no formal training. If she really was this good, wouldn't we have heard about her before?]

!!

I hear you on that-it seems kinda suspect. Everyone knows Yonder Digital dropped its deal with Nelson Group overnight. Looks like the Nelson family is desperate to make things right with Yonder Digital and probably paid for her slot in the auditions.] LOL, she's a rich girl from a fancy family. She might claim she hasn't learned anything, but you know she's had the best mentors behind the scenes.ĺ

[She can't fake a live stream seen by millions. If it were a scam, it would fall apart in the next round-how embarrassing would that be?]

With all her brothers doing so well in their fields, how bad can she be? The genes don't lie. Quit hating.]

*****

The event was so grand that even caught the attention of Walter at the top floor of Lopez Group.

"Ms. Nelson is over there in the corner," Brian said, handing Walter a tablet.

Walter sipped his coffee and glanced at the screen, his expression unreadable.

Levi added softly, "The Nelson family is swarmed by fans, and Yvette is the star of the show. Poor Shakira is off to the side just watching."

"She wants to join the competition-she deserves it." Walter scoffed and glanced back at the live stream. With Yvette in the spotlight, Shakira looked a bit pitiful, half her body obscured from view.

Walter tapped his fingers on the table, asking, "Did she say why she's heading to Yonder Digital?"

Levi quickly replied, "Ms. Nelson mentioned she's going to watch a show..."

"Watch a show? Sounds like she just has time to kill," Walter sneered. He grabbed the documents aside, skimmed the pages, and signed them with flair.

Seeing Walter so focused on work, Levi held his tongue. He knew that talking too much could backfire.

Just as Levi felt a bit sorry for Shakira, Walter's deep voice commanded, "Get the car ready. Go pick up my servant."

15:37 Thu, Oct 17

Chapter 17

Levi grinned, "Okay."

463%

The second round of interviews was about to start, and the doors to the venue slowly closed. The lights dimmed and everyone turned their attention to the stage. The host stepped forward to say a few opening words before calling out the names of the designers who would be competing. "Lucas, Shakira, Yvette..."

The atmosphere in the Nelson family shifted when they heard Shakira's name. Yvette's heart sank, her hands clenching tightly at her sides.

Mitchell lowered his voice, irritation clear, "I knew it! Shakira showing up here is bad news. Just last night, she said she had nothing to do with us, and now she's competing with Yvette? So jealous!"

Finn turned to Yvette, asking, "Did you know she was entering this competition?"

Yvette looked at him, a hint of grievance in her eyes, "I had no idea. Shakira never shares this stuff with me.

Cody paused before chiming

in, "Let's just see how it goes. If Shakira gets a spot too, it wouldn't be that bad. We can think of it as another opportunity."

To him, Yvette and Shakira were both just stepping stones for Nelson Group. As long as they got to meet Sean after this round, it would benefit the company.

Yvette picked up on Cody's implication, and her expression flickered with unacknowledged frustration.

The host's voice continued. "And those are all the contestants who signed in today. Anyone not present will be disqualified.

"Now, for today's challenge! Each contestant will create something based on the theme of 'Hope. You will have five hours to draft your initial designs and create samples in our provided clothing studio. You'll each be assigned two professional assistants to help with the production. The winner will be chosen by our judges and the live audience based on who stands out the most."

Gasps filled the air at the announcement. Yonder Digital really knew how to put on a show. Even setting up a simple clothing studio was a grand affair. Money definitely made a difference.

Once the

the host explained the rules, the competition officially began. Contestants moved to their backstage work areas, each getting their own private space to work without interruptions, while the live stream rolled on.

As Walter's car pulled up outside, he spotted Shakira entering her workroom on the stream. He paused and shot Levi a glance. "Are you sure she only took a half-day off?"

Levi forced a smile, "Uh, maybe when Shakira said 'half-day,' she meant she'd be taking the whole daytime?"

Walter just scoffed. from the driver's seat. "Should we head back?" turned

Brian

around

"No." Walter furrowed his brow, frustration boiling over.

"Huh?" Brian was confused.

"I have to drag her back today!" Walter gritted his teeth, his gaze intense. Last night, he had missed his chance to teach her a lesson, but today, he wouldn't let any opportunity slip away-how dare she serve him pork intestine! In her workshop on the 18th floor, Shakira couldn't shake off a chill. She glanced around suspiciously and scratched her nose. 'Why do I feel like someone is cursing me all of a sudden?" Shaking it off, Shakira turned her attention to the workspace across from hers-Yvette was in there. She knew exactly what

ter 17

63

Yvette was planning to design. This was all part of her carefully set plan; Shakira was confident Yvette wouldn't let her down. Focused, she lowered her head and began sketching her own design. Five hours later, the host announced that time was up, and the twelve contestants stepped from backstage to face the audience. They lined up in alphabetical order,