CHAPTER 152: CHAPTER 152 PRELIMINARY ROUND2

Ryan’s POV

I stood in the hallway, waiting patiently as Serena headed off to judge the second half of the competition. I couldn’t help but notice that Quinn guy watching her every move.

Something about him bothered me—the way he looked at her seemed too familiar, too interested.

"Mr. Blackwood, would you like to watch from the audience? The view is much better down there," Mr. Brook, the event organizer, approached with an eager smile.

I turned to him, keeping my expression neutral. "That won’t be necessary. I have other matters to attend to. Serena is here under your care—I trust you’ll ensure everything goes smoothly."

"Of course, Mr. Blackwood! Ms. Quinn is our specially invited judge. Nothing inappropriate will happen, I assure you."

He pulled out a business card from his pocket and handed it to me with both hands.

"I hope we might have the opportunity to collaborate in the future."

I glanced at the card briefly before accepting it. "Fine."

As I walked away, I instructed Simon to order coffee for everyone at the event—judges, staff, and contestants alike. "And get Serena something different. Something without caffeine. A fruit smoothie, perhaps."

"Right away, sir."

I had a meeting scheduled with Stellar Tech across town—a potential partnership that could expand Blackwood’s tech division significantly. When I arrived at their headquarters, the CEO’s eyes widened at the sight of me.

"Mr. Blackwood, we... we weren’t expecting you personally," he stammered, clearly surprised I hadn’t sent a representative.

"I happened to be in San Francisco. Seemed efficient to handle this myself."

The meeting went smoothly—better than expected, actually. When business concluded, the CEO attempted to extend our interaction.

"Would you join us for dinner? There’s an excellent restaurant nearby."

I checked my watch and shook my head. "Another time, perhaps. I need to pick someone up."

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Serena’s POV

I barely paid attention during the first half of the competition, too distracted by Ryan’s sudden appearance. When we took our intermission break, a staff member approached with drinks.

"Compliments of Mr. Blackwood," she said, handing me a strawberry smoothie while distributing coffees to everyone else.

My heart did a little flip. That thoughtful bastard. He remembered I couldn’t have caffeine because of the pregnancy. And the fact that he’d bought different drinks for everyone else—that was definitely his way of marking territory. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face as I sipped my smoothie.

The second half of the competition proved more exciting than the first, with several renowned designers scheduled to close out the preliminary round. I maintained my straightforward approach, not pulling punches even with the more established names.

"Our next designer is Georgina, recently returned from overseas where she won several prestigious awards. She currently works with Quinn Jewelry," the announcer introduced.

A confident young woman took the stage, presenting her piece with flair.

"Hello everyone, I’m Georgina. Today I present ’Dream Lake Fish.’ The dream lake represents utopia, while the fish symbolizes freedom. Only by transcending worldly concerns can one find true happiness."

I examined her piece carefully, my brows furrowing as I studied it. I glanced again at her profile information, then couldn’t help shooting a sideways look at Ethan. After all, she was his employee.

Ethan’s expression had darkened slightly. He clearly wasn’t impressed with Georgina’s work either. Despite her poetic explanation and seemingly profound concept, the piece itself was nothing but flashy—all show and no substance. It felt like she was just showing off technical skills without any real heart.

Our eyes met briefly, and Ethan raised an eyebrow. We’d obviously reached the same conclusion.

"Mr. Quinn, what’s your assessment?" I asked.

Ethan gave a dry laugh, looking somewhat resigned. "I’ll refrain from commenting."

I nodded, understanding his need to avoid any appearance of bias.

"Then I’ll—" I began.

"Feel free to speak honestly," he interrupted, clearly not intending to shield his employee from criticism.

When my turn came to speak, I started with the customary pleasantries before shifting tone.

"This piece lacks a distinctive style or charm. Overall, I find it somewhat disappointing," I said directly.

Georgina’s smile froze on her face. She clearly hadn’t expected such blunt criticism, especially as one of the featured designers.

"I’ve seen your previous work, which was quite impressive," I added, softening my approach slightly. "Perhaps this competition caught you somewhat unprepared. I look forward to seeing more of your genuine talent in the future."

"I’ll continue to work harder," she replied with a tight smile before leaving the stage.

With the preliminaries officially concluded, scores would be tallied and advancement announcements would follow shortly. I checked the time, planning to contact Ryan once I left the stage.

To my surprise, he was already waiting by the backstage door when I arrived.

"Ryan, have you been waiting long?" I asked, feeling an unexpected flutter of happiness.

"Not at all," he replied, a small smile playing on his lips as he reached out to place his hand on my shoulder.

"Let’s go."

"Wait a moment. I need to change clothes first," I told him, gesturing to the event outfit that wasn’t particularly comfortable.

He nodded, watching as I followed a staff member to the changing room. Even though I tried to maintain my composure, I couldn’t deny how nice it felt having him here, waiting for me.

Maybe these pregnancy hormones were making me soft, or maybe I was just tired of fighting against what my heart wanted.