Chapter 1165:
Christina stood on the stage, unaware of the flood of bullet comments streaming across the live broadcast. The camera zoomed in on her face, catching the subtle curve of her lips as she offered a composed, almost serene smile.
She spoke with deliberate calm. “There’s no evidence that I plagiarized, is there?”
The audience, seeing that smile and hearing her words, found her unbearably arrogant, and the bullet screen exploded into chaos.
“Is she really so sure we can’t dig up proof against her that she dares flaunt herself like this? Absolutely disgusting! I just want to wipe that smug grin off her face.”
“She’s clearly the one who copied, yet she’s bold enough to act so brazenly? Why won’t the organizers just disqualify her already?”
“The organizers must be dragging this out to stir up hype for ratings, but she’s revolting. It’d be better to throw her out right now.”
The host faltered for a moment, then said, “Miss Jones, please cooperate. Otherwise, you’ll be disqualified from the competition.”
Christina tilted her head slightly, her voice steady. “Since everyone insists I plagiarized Yolanda, why not invite her here so we can both sketch our designs on the spot? That would be true fairness, wouldn’t it?”
The host hesitated, glancing toward the organizers’ section. This was beyond her authority. She needed their approval. When one of the organizers gave a nod, she announced, “Miss Jones raises a fair point. The organizers agree.”
Backstage, Yolanda’s expression soured the instant she heard those words. Her entries had been based on a dozen sketches she’d stumbled upon, each one reworked and polished into her own submissions. The thought of improvising live filled her with unease.
As she debated coming up with an excuse, the stage crew appeared at her side.
“Mrs. Dawson, please come on stage,” a staff member said politely.
“I’m—” Yolanda almost pretended to feel unwell, but pulling that stunt would only spark rumors and hand Christina vindication.
In the end, she clenched her teeth and followed the staff toward the stage. Maybe the theme the organizers provided would overlap with one of those dozen sketches, giving her an easy way out. With that slim hope in mind, she stepped onto the stage, gambling on luck to carry her through.
Lατєѕτ ϲнαρτєrs ιn g𝒶l𝑛ovєl𝑆.𝗰om
After all, she had studied design formally. How could Christina ever measure up? She had never even heard of Christina having any training in design, and even if her own work wasn’t perfect, surely it would outshine Christina’s.
Meanwhile, the bullet comments raged on, fans of both sides tearing into each other.
“Christina is too talented to stoop to plagiarism. I bet Yolanda’s the one who copied—classic case of the thief crying ‘Stop thief!’”
“What is Christina, really? Nothing but a shameless fraud, stealing the hard work of others without an ounce of guilt!”
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