Chapter 43

Evelyn lowered her gaze, masking her emotions at Penelope's words. The divorce papers were already signed. Who Nathaniel chose to support or be with was no longer her concern.

No matter what else Penelope said, Evelyn tuned her out. Soon, Victoria took the stage to announce the ceremony's commencement.

"As you all know, this year's competition rules have changed," Victoria declared.

"There will only be ten winners, meaning one of the eleven finalists will leave empty-handed. To ensure fairness, the judges will evaluate the designs anonymously. The winners will be announced in reverse order—starting from tenth place."

Evelyn's eyes flickered to the judging panel. Nathaniel sat among them, his presence unmistakable.

Her stomach twisted with nerves. Just then, her phone buzzed—a message from Daniel. "Don’t worry. You’ve got this."

Half an hour later, the judging concluded. Victoria began announcing the results.

"Tenth place goes to… Ninth place…"

The countdown continued until only four finalists remained. Evelyn bit her lip. The unranked one would be eliminated.

Penelope smirked at her. "Don’t tell me you actually thought you’d make top three, Evelyn. This year’s competition is brutal, and that Zoe girl is still in the running."

Evelyn almost laughed. She was Zoe. Should she thank Penelope for the backhanded compliment?

Victoria announced third and second place. Evelyn wasn’t among them. She caught Nathaniel glancing her way, but when she turned to look, he had already averted his gaze.

Her fists clenched as she waited for the final announcement. Victoria’s smile faltered slightly when she noticed the tension between them.

"And in first place… Cassandra Blake!"

Two seats away, a young woman leapt up and rushed to the stage, beaming. Evelyn remained seated, her nails digging into her palms. For one fleeting moment, she had dared to hope.

But reality crashed down. She hadn’t even placed.

Penelope scoffed. "See, Evelyn? I told you to give up. People like you don’t belong in first place. Go crawl back to whatever gutter you came from."

Evelyn stood abruptly and headed for the restroom. She splashed cold water on her face, trying to steady her breathing. Her phone rang—Daniel again.

She ignored it. She didn’t want comfort. She just needed to be alone.

When she stepped out, someone was leaning against the wall—tall, devastatingly handsome.

Nathaniel.

Evelyn lowered her head and tried to walk past, but he caught her wrist. "Is this what you wanted?"

She met his gaze. "I don’t know what you mean."

His grip tightened. "Your new benefactor isn’t very impressive. Couldn’t even get you a win."

"Let go." She yanked her arm back. "I don’t want to talk to you."

Nathaniel didn’t release her. "Already throwing a tantrum? It’s not too late to come to your senses. If you’re looking for a wealthy patron, I could introduce you to a few."

Evelyn’s jaw tightened. "I don’t need your help."

His smirk was infuriating. "We’ll see."