After Divorce I Married a Tycoon-Chapter 178: Scarlett Jewel’s Leverage

The total scores for the first round of the competition were all in.

As expected, Claire Mercer and Stella Thorne took the highest score of the competition with 1498 points.

In fact, the other contestants had long expected her design to win the highest score in the first round.

It wasn’t just the audience who were stunned and captivated by the wedding dress.

Even several of the other contestants couldn’t help but gasp in admiration, truly impressed by Claire Mercer’s talent.

In fact, among all the designers present, perhaps with the exception of Scarlett Jewel and Joel Jennings...

...all the other contestants wholeheartedly acknowledged Claire Mercer’s design prowess.

By winning the highest score in the first round, Claire Mercer advanced directly to the next stage of the competition.

"Claire, this is amazing! We got the highest score!"

Stella Thorne couldn’t contain her excitement, her heart pounding in her chest.

Claire Mercer was thrilled as well.

"It’s only the highest score for the first round, but it’s a great start."

"The next rounds are still crucial. We can’t get complacent just because we got the top score."

"I know, don’t you worry," Stella Thorne said, patting her chest.

"After getting the top score, it’s hard not to be confident."

Sitting in the VIP section, Adrian Sutton and his friends smiled genuinely when they saw Claire Mercer take the top score.

He and Silas Rowan were more composed; they smiled but remained seated properly.

Roxanne Peyton and Mrs. Rowan, on the other hand, got so excited they started talking to each other across Silas Rowan.

Eventually, Mrs. Rowan patted Silas Rowan’s shoulder in annoyance.

"Scoot over."

Silas Rowan stared at Mrs. Rowan, utterly bewildered. "?"

Mrs. Rowan said, "You’re in the way. You’re blocking me from talking to Roxanne."

Hearing this, Adrian Sutton couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Silas Rowan, meanwhile, looked completely defeated.

He then switched seats with Roxanne Peyton and was banished to the far right end of the row.

All because he didn’t have a girlfriend, he was now facing his mother’s complete and utter disdain.

’Hah!’

「In the contestants’ lounge.」

Surprisingly, Scarlett Jewel’s design today was far more striking than any of her previous work. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

And with this dress, she had managed to take third place.

Scarlett Jewel was ecstatic, practically vibrating with excitement.

’Third place... Third place!’

’She had only been hoping to advance, but she never expected this...’

’...to get her best result ever in the competition.’

"Your performance just now wasn’t bad."

She glanced sideways, offering Lily Dalton a genuine smile for the first time.

It wasn’t that she particularly wanted to smile at Lily Dalton.

It was simply that her third-place finish made it impossible for her to contain her grin.

Lily Dalton was also thrilled about securing third place.

’Although she despised Scarlett Jewel’s condescending attitude and overbearing arrogance...’

’Scarlett had even scratched her face, leaving a faint scar that remained to this day.’

’She had not forgotten that score.’

’When the right opportunity came, she would definitely teach Scarlett Jewel a lesson.’

’But for now, with the competition still ongoing, she would let it slide.’

"It was all thanks to the dress designed by the Young Madam."

’The dress Scarlett Jewel designed this time truly was impressive.’

’It was better than any of her previous designs, a whole level up, you could say.’

’Based on what she knew of Scarlett Jewel, while her fundamental skills weren’t terrible...’

’...it was impossible for her to have improved to this level in such a short amount of time.’

’She suspected... Had Scarlett Jewel resorted to some unscrupulous methods?’

As she thought this, Lily Dalton’s mind began to race.

Scarlett Jewel had no idea that Lily Dalton was already plotting against her.

She still wore a look of arrogant pride.

"At least you know what to say."

However, when she met Claire Mercer’s probing gaze...

...Scarlett Jewel ultimately felt a pang of guilt and couldn’t hold her stare.

Seeing her guilty expression, Claire Mercer’s lips curved into a faint, knowing smirk.

Joel Jennings, with 1287 points, had just barely scraped into sixth place, precariously qualifying for the next round.

After all the scores were announced, the contestants who were moving on congratulated one another.

Those who didn’t make the cut weren’t discouraged either.

After all, they could still compete for the Most Popular Designer award.

No one was going to give up until the very end.

After the scores were announced, the top six finalists returned to their respective workrooms to prepare for the next round.

Before leaving the lounge, Joel Jennings’s and Scarlett Jewel’s eyes met.

They exchanged a brief, meaningful glance.

The two then broke eye contact in a mutual understanding, without exchanging any words.

Lily Dalton saw the entire exchange.

’Combined with the time she saw them whispering intimately in the hallway...’

’...she felt that if the two of them weren’t having an affair...’

’...then they had to be plotting something against Claire Mercer.’

’Lily Dalton had known for a long time that Scarlett Jewel hated Claire Mercer to her very core.’

’Ever since the competition started, Scarlett hadn’t had any friction or conflict with any contestant other than Claire Mercer.’

’If they were scheming, it was definitely aimed at Claire Mercer.’

’In truth, a large part of the reason she had initially antagonized Claire Mercer was to curry favor with Scarlett Jewel.’

’Now, she had used Scarlett Jewel to get into this competition and had even made it to the national finals.’

’Her initial goal in sucking up to Scarlett Jewel had essentially been accomplished.’

’Originally, she had wanted to leverage Scarlett Jewel’s status as Mrs. Sterling of the Sinclair Family to get access to the rich heirs of high society.’

’But would Scarlett Jewel ever give her that chance?’

’Scarlett had scratched her face just for exchanging a few extra words with Gavin Sinclair.’

’Since Scarlett dared to scar her face, then she would dare to give Scarlett a "surprise" at a critical moment.’

’Besides, if she pushed Scarlett Jewel into the center of a scandal, would the Sinclair Family continue to tolerate her?’

’Ruining Scarlett Jewel would actually be a good thing for her.’

’So, if Scarlett Jewel and Joel Jennings were truly cooking up some scheme...’

’...then she would be more than willing to step in and help Claire Mercer at the critical moment.’

’For her, it was a choice with nothing but benefits and no drawbacks.’

’After all, there was a high probability that Claire Mercer would win this year’s design competition.’

’When that happened, CZ Group would help the champion establish their own studio and brand.’

’With CZ Group’s backing...’

’...Claire Mercer’s fashion brand was bound to become internationally famous.’

’And when that time came, if she were to hold a fashion show for her own brand, she would obviously need models.’

’If Claire was willing to work with her, she might even become an internationally famous supermodel.’

’She might even get a chance to connect with the top executives at CZ Group.’

’Once she became a supermodel, wouldn’t she have her pick of all those rich heirs?’

Having made up her mind, Lily Dalton was now determined to find some dirt on Scarlett Jewel.

「In the hallway outside the individual workrooms.」

Scarlett Jewel was leading Lily Dalton toward her workroom.

They were getting ready for the second round of the competition.

In the hallway, they happened to come face-to-face with Claire Mercer.

Scarlett Jewel shot her a glance, not wanting to get into anything with her.

But Claire Mercer planted herself in front of her, watching her with that same faint, knowing smirk.

"What are you looking at me for?" Scarlett Jewel demanded, using a forceful tone and posture to mask her guilt.