Chapter 1951

Esther stood there, completely mortified, glaring daggers at Fiona as she walked away.

But honestly? Esther knew this was a win for her.

The more Fiona acted all high and mighty in front of everyone, the more people would end up hating her. And that just made Esther look like the good guy-the one everyone could root for.

She couldn't help but smirk as she turned and headed back to her seat.

This was the final round. Even if she didn't take first place, Fiona's reputation was already in the gutter. No one would see her the same way again.

At this point, winning didn't matter as much.

Soon enough, everyone on the International Glam team would have the same ugly rumors thrown at them. Just thinking about it made Esther feel a little giddy.

When the competition first started, everything was going exactly how she'd planned. The livestream chat was filled with hate directed at Fiona, every message nastier than the last.

"Why doesn't this woman just disappear? She's disgusting!"

"Esther tried to be nice, and Fiona treats her like this? Just because she's from the Stonnell family, she thinks she's better than us? If you're so special, stop taking our money!"

"Unbelievable. Is no one going to put her in her place? Must be nice having money-she gets away with everything. Country M better win this round! Someone needs to knock her down a peg."

"No way Country M can actually win. That Stonnell woman has the Woods and Stonnell families backing her up. Ugh, so gross."

Luckily, Fiona couldn't see any of those comments—and even if she did, she wouldn't let them get to her.

The host's voice echoed through the venue, and all four teams lined up, ready for the announcement.

Everyone held their breath as two words flashed on the big screen:

No Way Out.

A hush fell over the room. You could almost hear everyone gasp.

Except Fiona. She just narrowed her eyes, studying the prompt. It was perfect- exactly the kind of challenge she needed.

Not only did it capture the mess she was in right now, it was about finding hope even when things seemed impossible.

Ideas started swirling in her mind, the outline of a design already taking shape.

While the other contestants were still staring at their blank papers, Fiona was already sketching.

This round wasn't just about coming up with a design. They actually had to sew their own outfit, start to finish.

It was the ultimate test-not just of

their creativity, but of their nerves. From sketching to cutting to sewing, So many things could go wrong. Most people would crack under the pressure. s

Esther glanced over at Fiona and nearly did a double take. She hadn't even started, and Fiona was already well into her first draft.

What a scary opponent.

Esther pressed her lips together and picked up her pen. She'd pictured a thousand different versions of "No Way Out" in her head. Now she just had to pick one and run with it.

The clearer the image became in her mind, the faster her hand moved.

She'd always thought she was quick on her feet, proud of how fast she could come up with ideas-until today Watching Fiona werk made her realize some people really were on another level. s

Someone could actually outthink her.

But that didn't mean she'd lose. Not without a fight.

...

In the audience, Jane was fuming as she scrolled through the comments online. She immediately told the Kidd family's legal team to start taking care of things, but these trolls

f

were relentless, and some people

were clearly trying to

stir up r

trouble. Nothing the lawyers did

seemed to make a difference.

s

Jane was so mad she almost threw her phone. None of these people had a clue

what was really happening, but they acted like they knew everything. Who did they think they were?