CHAPTER 85: CHAPTER 85: BURN ALL THE FABRIC COVERING SERENA JENNINGS’S LEGS

With the bet made with Caleb Lockwood, Serena Jennings was more motivated.

The preliminary topic of the Nova Jewelry Design Competition was "The Ocean".

The first impression of the ocean is blue, so Sharon Sanders and Nancy Young both suggested that Serena design a piece with sapphires or blue diamonds.

Serena could tell that they still had a romanticized image of the Heart of the Ocean from Titanic.

Though Heart of the Ocean is a classic, because it already exists, Serena felt that it was difficult to exceed it in design. At worst, new designs could be accused of plagiarism and imitation.

Serena thought for an entire day before starting to draw.

When she got tired of drawing, she would sleep on her desk. Surprisingly, the drawing process went smoother than she had imagined.

Over at CL, when Claire Shaw learned that Serena was also participating in the Nova Jewelry Design Competition, she tasked Quentin Xavier to obtain Serena’s designs for the preliminary round at any cost.

Quentin, originally her employee and utterly devoted to her, was secretly placed in Serena’s studio. This way, Claire could keep tabs on Serena’s activities.

In the general manager’s office, Claire Shaw was drawing.

The jewelry she was drawing looked very much like the Heart of the Ocean at first glance but even more luxurious.

Around the heart-shaped main stone, Claire drew three full circles of small diamonds, believing they not only fit the "Ocean" theme but also showcased her design as a reinvention and enhancement of the past Heart of the Ocean.

Just as the sketch was complete, her phone rang.

When she saw that it was a picture from Quentin, Claire’s eyes instantly lit up.

She opened the image eagerly, but the smile on her lips gradually froze.

The Nova Jewelry Design Competition only allotted a week for each participant to prepare their preliminary designs.

A week later, participants had to submit their designs and photos of their finished pieces on the competition’s official website, and two weeks later, the list of designers advancing to the semi-final and their scores would be published online.

Serena was confident she would advance to the semi-final.

As she expected, two weeks later, she saw her name on the list announced online.

Of course, she also saw Claire Shaw’s name there.

Even till now, Serena did not think her design skills were inferior to Claire’s.

However, in the previous two direct confrontations, it had always been Claire who won decisively, which made Serena reluctant to underestimate Claire’s capabilities.

In this preliminary, out of twenty designers who passed, only Serena and Claire did not use sapphires to represent the "Ocean" theme.

They used pearls.

When Serena saw Claire’s design displayed on the official website, she was astonished.

"Claire has such a telepathic connection with me?"

Serena furrowed her brows.

She chose top-quality Australian white pearls as the main stone and used sapphires and small diamonds as side stones to create a wave-patterned brooch.

Similarly, Claire also used Australian white pearls, but instead of a brooch, she designed a pendant.

Upon careful comparison, Serena found that Claire’s pearl pendant, also primarily an Australian white pearl with sapphires and small diamonds as side stones, initially looked like an olive branch. But upon close inspection, was cleverly designed and could also be interpreted as waves.

The concept was exactly like Serena’s brooch.

However, Serena’s brooch scored lower than Claire’s pendant.

Coincidence?

Serena drew a question mark in her mind.

What if it wasn’t a coincidence?

Serena remembered, back when she was Caleb Lockwood’s secretary at The Lockwood Group, she was also an FY designer.

And her designs... had once been plagiarized by Claire Shaw.

Serena wasn’t someone who cared deeply about design.

Because design was never her passion.

But now that she had decided to rely on design for a living, she couldn’t afford not to care.

In the office, Quentin brought a steaming cup of coffee to Serena’s hand.

His job here was rather complex, frequently bringing tea and water for Serena, so even though he had been more attentive recently, it hadn’t aroused suspicion.

Quentin believed Serena was unfit to be a designer.

Serena’s drawings were always scattered around the office; even someone with ulterior motives like him couldn’t miss them. Even a bank employee sneaking in to persuade them to open accounts could see them.

If someone as disrespectful to design as Serena could be a designer, Quentin thought then he could also be one.

Claire promised him that as long as he did well as an undercover agent at Serena’s, she would promote him to lead designer and provide him with resources.

In other words, the day Serena lost the semi-final would be the day he made a name for himself.

"Serena, I haven’t seen you preparing for the semi-final lately. The deadline is approaching!"

For several days, Quentin noticed that Serena either reviewed documents or was on her way to review documents, not moving a pen. He couldn’t help but ask.

"Don’t worry, I’ve already submitted my final work."

After Serena spoke, instead of seeing surprise or congratulations on Quentin’s face, she noticed a hint of panic.

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing..." Quentin shook his head, and forced a smile at Serena, "If you’re all set, that’s good to hear."

Making an excuse, he left the studio and urgently contacted Claire.

Three days later, the Nova Jewelry Design Competition website updated the list, showing ten designers had passed the semi-final and entered the finals.

Both Serena and Claire advanced.

This semi-final’s topic was "Cabbage".

Ninety percent of designers chose to design a jade cabbage ornament, including Claire.

Only Serena designed a diamond ring.

This time, Serena finally didn’t see her design concept reflected in Claire’s work.

Whereas her only difference this time compared to last was—

Not drawing in the office.

Serena closed the webpage and sighed.

The Lockwood Group.

Caleb Lockwood was sitting in his office, viewing the Nova Jewelry Design Competition website.

He knew that Claire Shaw had advanced to the finals.

Knock knock!

With two knocks on the door, Mr. Miller walked in.

"President Lockwood, tonight’s agenda is to have dinner with Mr. Li. The location is at The Londer Hotel."

After Mr. Miller spoke, he didn’t receive a response from Caleb Lockwood.

Rarely did he see Caleb so intently focused on staring at his phone.

His left fingertip remained on the phone screen.

"President Lockwood?"

Mr. Miller called again.

This time, Caleb responded, finally scrolling past the diamond and emerald-framed cabbage-shaped ring image on the screen.

At night, at The Londer Hotel.

Serena got out after parking her car, her black professional attire exuding a sense of elite white-collar professionalism.

As she walked into the hotel, she saw Felix Shepherd waiting for her from a distance.

"Didn’t I tell you to dress a bit nicer?"

Felix looked Serena up and down, his gaze almost hooking onto her.

"Aren’t I dressed nicely now?"

Serena asked coldly.

"You are nice, just a bit too buttoned-up." Felix squinted, his gaze lingered fervently on Serena’s long legs, as if wanting to burn away the fabric covering them.