*D-Day*
Today marks the final day of the competition.
The day when the winner would be revealed from among the twenty contestants who passed the last round.
*Huston Corp*
Adrian's dad furiously barged into his office.
"Why are you sending Fedrick to your fiancée's family banquet?" he demanded, his face brimming with anger.
Adrian, who was engrossed in his laptop, cleared his throat and looked up...
"Well, it's either I attend the banquet or the competition," he said, a confident smile tugging at the corner of his lips, as if he were completely in control...
Seeing the expression on Adrian's face, his father gave a small smirk of his own...
"The competition has been moved to 4 p.m., and the banquet starts at 1 p.m. So get dressed we're going."
*I really underestimated this sly old man. Well, then let's attend party,* Adrian thought. His smile deepened, the wheels of a devious plan already turning.
"We'll meet at the banquet. After all, I still need to pick out a proper gift for my future father-in-law," he said casually, returning his attention to the laptop...
Adrian's father, unable to decipher the true meaning behind Adrian's smile, warned, "I don't care what you're planning, but your fiancée's family ranks ninth among the strongest families in the world. Just because we're ranked first doesn't mean you can act however you want." Then, with a huff, he stormed out.
As soon as the door shut, Adrian grabbed his phone and dialed Fedrick.
"Were you able to get the files I requested?" he asked.
"Yes, everything's in place," Fedrick replied.
"Good. Meet me at Huston Stores, we need to prepare a proper gift for the old man," Adrian said...
*The Sebastian Family Banquet*
*(Adrian's fiancée's family)*
Everything screamed wealth. Today was Mr. Caleb Sebastian's birthday, the powerful patriarch and father of Adrian's fiancée.
The hall was filled with elites, all trying to curry favour with the Sebastian family. Elegant gowns, glittering jewelry, and polished shoes danced through the room as everyone flaunted their riches with pride.
Mr. Caleb Sebastian made his way to the podium to give his opening speech.
*Two hours later*, the party was nearing its end, yet there was no sign of Adrian.
Adrian's father was doing his best to calm Oreola, Adrian's fiancée.
"Dad, why does Adrian always treat me with so much disrespect?" Oreola asked, dabbing away the few teardrops forming in her eyes.
*Speak of the devil… and he appears.*
Adrian walked in, commanding the room's attention as all eyes locked onto him. He moved with quiet confidence, Fedrick trailing behind him.
"Good day, Dad. Happy birthday, Mr. Sebastian," Adrian said coolly, greeting both men, but *not once sparing Oreola a glance*.
Not wanting to be ignored, Oreola quickly hooked her arm through his. "I was really worried about you," she said with concern.
"*Hands off,*" Adrian muttered in a low, firm tone. She immediately let go, fear flashing across her face.
"I need to speak privately. I have something to say," he announced.
Caleb wanted to object, but everyone knew this was Adrian Huston*.
They moved to a smaller parlour in the Sebastian mansion.
Adrian cleared his throat as Fedrick handed him a box.
"Happy birthday once again," he said, offering the box to Mr. Caleb.
The older man's hands trembled slightly as he opened it and his expression froze the moment his eyes landed on what was inside.
"I think that's a valid reason to call off the engagement," Adrian said calmly and walked out, leaving stunned silence behind him...
*Stella's Home*
Hearing the impromptu change in the competition time shook Stella a bit. She had thoughts that the whole thing might be rigged, because anytime something like this happened, it was either a judge had been bribed, or something behind the scenes was about to shift.
Nevertheless, she didn't allow the change to shake her confidence. Instead, she used the extra time to put in more work with her mum.
Time passed like the flick of a finger...
And here it was, the finals. Today would decide who the hidden genius was. A lot was going to happen...
Most prominent families were present for this event. The Karen family, the second most powerful family after the Hustons, had sent their representative. Many other powerful families were in attendance too.
Since fashion was now taking over the world, securing a genius designer was a huge investment for these high-profile figures.
All 20 contestants were in the mini room as cameras flashed around them, capturing every moment.
Each contestant was briefly interviewed.
Despite feeling nervous, Stella answered beautifully...
A loud voice rang out through the speakers in the mini room:*All contestants should kindly make their way to the main stage."*
After a few introductory speeches by the hosts, the competition was about to begin.
*Today's theme:* *Blending Tradition with Trends.*
They had *two hours* to create as many outfits as they could.
This round would test their creativity, ability to work under pressure, how fast they could think, and their overall skill,with all eyes watching them.
Each contestant was assigned their own booth where they couldn't see what others were making. However, their progress was displayed live on a large screen.
Adrian couldn't take his eyes off Stella, from the moment she stepped onto the stage. An hour into the competition, beads of sweat formed on Adrian's forehead. The hall's air conditioning was working perfectly, but he still couldn't figure out why he was sweating.
Stella had already completed four outfits, along with five other contestants. With just 30 minutes left on the clock, the tension in the hall was rising… and so was the heat in Adrian's seat...
They'd come to the end of the competition...
All 20 contestants halted as soon as the bell rang out.
They were asked to stand in a straight line while the judges made their way to the booths, scoring each based on their designs.
To keep the competition fair, the judges responsible for scoring had been kept in a separate room throughout the event, they hadn't watched the live broadcast and had no idea which booth belonged to which contestant.
After about 30 minutes, the scoring was done.
The top ten contestants were asked to explain their designs. Creating a design is one thing, being able to articulate its uniqueness is another.
Stella had completed a total of five outfits.
The list was released:
Stella placed second, while Shawn took first, having created six outfits.
However, Stella's final dinner dress caught the eye of the Karen family's representative. He had seen a similar design before in the old mansion, and though unsure, he made up his mind to recruit her for the Karen family...
Just then, Fedrick received a call. After listening briefly, he leaned over and whispered something to Adrian, earning a low, amused smile from him.
It was time.
As host of the event, Adrian was to present the awards to the top three contestants.
He stepped onto the podium and addressed the crowd:
"Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and to all our honourable guests. We've come to the end of the competition. You all displayed impressive talent. I'm truly impressed, so the Huston Corp will be taking in the top three contestants," Adrian announced, wiping sweat from his forehead.
He was burning up hotter by the second.
His declaration stirred unease among the prominent families, especially those who had taken a particular interest in Stella. Being the only female in the top ten, she had attracted many eyes, including those who wanted to have an affair with Stella. The Karen family rep reconsidered his choice and turned his attention to Richard Will instead.
Third place was announced:
*"Feng Wang."*
He stepped forward and accepted his award. He was from the Wang family once bankrupt, but known for unmatched design skills.
Next, *Stella Anderson* was called.
She walked gracefully to the stage.
There was something about Adrian that felt oddly familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place it...
Adrian, however, the moment she approached, the sight of her, the scent of her, her glowing skin and elegant posture, he felt the heat in his body triple. His heart raced. His hands trembled slightly. It took all his control to keep his composure.
That's when he realized *he had been drugged*.
After quickly handing the award to Shawn, Adrian stepped off the podium and left in a rush.
Stella, noticing his strange behavior and how pale he looked, felt concerned.
She quietly slipped backstage, searching for him.
Something was wrong. It looked like the man she had just met… *was burning up with a fever.*
*Only if she knew…*