Love’s Change of Heart novel Chapter 375

After hearing what Alice said, Aidan furrowed his brows as he finally understood why Leanna was so insistent on asking about the child.

She had already assumed Naomi was in Highside, so she naturally began to suspect other things.

Alice worriedly asked, "Master, will anything bad happen?"

At that, Aidan snapped out of his reverie and responded nonchalantly, "It won't be a problem."

After finishing his breakfast, he got onto the Rolls-Royce parked outside.

As soon as he got into the car, Jonathan said, "President Pearson, we still haven't found Jethro. President Woodley's men said that there was a pool of blood left at the scene. Perhaps Jethro…"

Aidan simply leaned against his backseat and said, "Keep a close eye on Lloyd and notify me immediately if he makes any moves."

"Noted."

After a while, Aidan asked again, "Was there anything about Ron at the scene?"

This took Jonathan aback, as he had not expected Aidan to bring up Ron. "What do you mean, President Pearson?"

"Leanna said he chased after Jethro."

Aidan's eyes narrowed as he said this. If Jethro was indeed taken away by Lloyd's men, the odds were most likely stacked against him now.

After a while, Aidan continued, "When looking for Jethro, keep an eye out for Ron as well. If he's still alive, bring him back."

"Okay." Jonathan nodded.

…

The day for The Designer Competition had arrived. Aside from the organizers and panel judges, a large number of media representatives were present, eagerly anticipating the competition's live broadcast later.

Leanna arrived on the scene almost the same time as Queenie. When they met, Queenie gave Leanna a dismissive look before walking away.

Leanna, on the other hand, simply gave a faint smile before walking to her seat and sat down.

In no time, all ten contestants arrived. They were all waiting for the organizer to announce the list of finalists.

The reporters were also discussing heatedly as to who would win the first place.

Leanna, Queenie, and a few other designers were all popular contenders for the championship.

Though Leanna was considered a newcomer in the designer field, her design won first place in the competition three years ago. Her potential remained even though she missed the opportunity to study abroad due to some circumstances of hers.

Furthermore, when she made her comeback last year, she immediately signed a contract with Lux Magazine, the leading publication in the jewelry industry. She was the only designer for Lux Magazine at the time.

Then, at the end of the year, she left Lux Magazine to launch her own brand. Despite not being a luxury brand, it became the most popular niche brand, gaining the support of many celebrities. Even today's most popular actress, Daphne, wore Leanna's brand whenever she appeared in public.

Leanna was a dark horse in the design industry—no one knew how far she could go or how much potential she possessed.

Queenie, on the other hand, was the apprentice of Robert, a prominent figure in the design world. During her three years in Aeras, she had made a name for herself on a global scale. Her design skills and capability were now comparable to Leanna's, whereas all of the other popular contestants had their own unique strengths

Nobody could predict who would come out on top.

The public was still in a heated discussion when the organizer's staff finally took the stage. "Sorry to keep you all waiting. We now have the top three finalists. I'll start with the third and work my way down. They are..."

He purposefully dragged his final word, leaving everyone hanging onto his words.

When everyone was so nervous that they almost stopped breathing, he continued, "In third place, Sofia Evans."

Warm applause rang out from beneath the stage. Everyone around Sofia immediately congratulated her, their faces envious yet bitter.

Some of the contestants already knew they wouldn't make it to the finals after handing in their designs.

Sofia responded with smiles and nods, thanking everyone who had congratulated her.

Then, the staff continued, "The second place, McK."

In fact, Leanna obtaining the second place was well within everyone's expectations.

But, since she came in second, the first place would be…

Everyone then turned their attention to Queenie, who had her chin slightly raised.

It was also under their gaze that the staff on the stage slowly announced, "First place, Queenie Wojzicki."

Hearing that, Queenie curved her lips slightly, as if she wasn't surprised at all by the mention of her name at all. To her, the first place was supposed to be hers from the start.

One of the panel's judges began praising Robert, saying that he had done well in training his apprentice and that he now had a successor.

Robert, too, had a contented grin on his face.

The voice of the staff rang out once more at this point. "Please take a short break. Half an hour later, the three finalists will be required to enter the room over there. You will be given three hours to come up with your design, and when the time is up, all of the judges will rate the designs and decide the winner of this competition.

There were three rooms in the direction where the staff pointed. All of the rooms were surrounded by transparent glass, indicating that the competition was open and impartial.

After the staff left the stage, Leanna took a deep breath and stood up, preparing to go to the washroom.

Two steps later, she noticed Robert speaking to Queenie, his face filled with delight and compliment. He looked at Leanna occasionally as he spoke with a disdainful look.

Leanna smirked in response when she noticed this. It was only now that she knew where Queenie's arrogant personality came from. Queenie's father was a simple and quiet man, and she most probably got such an attitude from her haughty master.

Leanna then averted her gaze and walked away.

Robert, too, retracted his smile and asked coldly, "Are you ready for the competition later?"

"Yes." Queenie nodded.

"You just have to maintain your usual level of performance. Since you defeated her in the semi-finals and took the first place, you can definitely win the final as well. As long as you don't make any mistakes, I guarantee you'll win."

Queenie moved her lips, as if she wanted to say something, but nothing came out of her mouth.

Robert then left after telling her to stay focused on the competition.

Just seconds after he left, Elliot appeared in front of Queenie before she could breathe a sigh of relief.

Her expression immediately changed to one of horror. "I've already said I'll give you the money once the competition is over! Why are you here?" she asked quietly.

"Of course I'm here to congratulate you." Elliot smiled in response.

As he spoke, he patted her on the shoulders and moved his hand down her shoulders deliberately. "You're too tense. Relax."

Queenie did not want to be in the company of someone like him at all, and she brushed his hand away harshly. "I don't need you to congratulate me. This is something I have earned."

Elliot laughed at that. "Fine, fine. You're right. You clearly deserve the first place."

Though he was laughing, the sarcasm in his words was revealing.

Queenie took a deep breath and did not want to waste any more time with him. Just as she turned around to leave, Elliot stuffed a key card into her bag. "I'll be waiting for you after the competition is over. See you later."