After Divorce I Married a Tycoon-Chapter 179: Falling into the Abyss

Claire Mercer said nothing.

A faint smile played in her clear eyes as she stared intently at Scarlett Jewel.

Scarlett Jewel felt her skin crawl under that gaze, a shiver of unease running through her.

She continued to use anger to mask her guilt, hissing at Claire Mercer.

"Are you crazy, Claire Mercer? If you have something to say, say it. If not, get out of my way."

"Don’t waste my time. I still have to prepare for the next round of the competition."

With that, Scarlett Jewel, flush with shame and anger, tried to push Claire Mercer aside.

Claire Mercer didn’t dare have any physical contact with Scarlett Jewel right now.

After all, Scarlett was pregnant. If anything were to happen to the precious heir in her belly...

Scarlett would undoubtedly pin all the blame on her.

She dodged Scarlett’s shove, and just as Scarlett moved past her, she spoke slowly.

"Scarlett Jewel, your design today... was quite a surprise."

As soon as she said this, the color drained from Scarlett’s face, and her heart leaped into her throat.

She knew it. She knew Claire Mercer would realize she had copied a design from her sketchbook.

But that sketchbook was in her possession now.

’Even if she knows I copied her, what proof does she have that the sketchbook is hers?’

With that thought, Scarlett Jewel actually relaxed a little.

She stopped, a smirk playing on her lips as she scoffed, "What are you trying to say?"

Claire Mercer turned back to look at her, a slow, mocking smile spreading across her face.

"Scarlett Jewel, as a plagiarist, you couldn’t even copy the essence of the design. You’ve truly wasted my hard work."

Hearing this, Scarlett’s heart began to pound wildly, but she forced herself to remain calm on the surface.

"Don’t you dare slander me, Claire Mercer."

"Slander you?" Claire Mercer let out a derisive laugh.

"Don’t you know perfectly well whether you plagiarized or not?"

Scarlett Jewel was certain that Claire Mercer had no evidence to prove she had plagiarized.

She snorted. "On what grounds do you accuse me of plagiarism?"

"You’d better show me some proof that I copied you."

"If you can’t, then you’re just defaming me, and I can sue you for libel."

’Sue her for libel?’

’A plagiarist threatening to sue the person she plagiarized for libel, right to her face?’

The sheer shamelessness of it all made Claire Mercer laugh in exasperation.

"You’re right. People like you never learn their lesson until it’s too late."

"I said, if you don’t have proof, then shut your damn mouth." After saying her piece, Scarlett Jewel stormed off.

She appeared furious, as if she had been wrongly accused.

But in reality, she was a nervous wreck inside.

She had worked so hard to make it to the finals.

Now, remembering the look in Claire Mercer’s eyes and that smile...

She felt a genuine sense of dread.

She couldn’t be sure whether or not Claire actually had proof of her plagiarism.

Now, she was truly afraid that Claire Mercer would produce that evidence.

If Claire went to the organizers and reported her, she would be disqualified from the competition immediately.

She didn’t really care about being disqualified.

The crucial thing was that the Sinclair Family would never let her hear the end of it.

Her life with the Sinclair Family had gotten a little better recently.

It was all because she had made it to the national finals.

If she were kicked out of the competition for plagiarism, it would be a colossal embarrassment.

Plagiarism itself was shameful enough, but to be disqualified on top of that...

The thought of the consequences if her plagiarism was proven conclusively...

Scarlett Jewel became absent-minded.

Seeing her like this, Lily Dalton knew that Scarlett had almost certainly plagiarized.

But she pretended not to know anything and asked:

"Young Madam, what’s wrong?"

Scarlett Jewel snapped back to reality. "What did you just say?"

"Didn’t we need to change your outfit and hairstyle? The second round is about to start."

"I know that. Do I need you to remind me?"

Scarlett Jewel shot Lily Dalton an annoyed glance.

Then she started doing Lily’s makeup and styling.

Lily Dalton ignored her scornful and impatient look.

Seemingly sticking up for her, she said:

"Speaking of which, that Claire Mercer is just too much, accusing you of plagiarism without any proof."

"If I were you, I’d sue her for libel straight away."

After saying this, Lily Dalton carefully observed Scarlett Jewel’s expression in the vanity mirror. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

In truth, she had already noticed Scarlett’s guilt during her conversation with Claire Mercer.

Although Scarlett had tried to appear composed, Lily had clearly caught the flicker of panic in her eyes.

Now, she just wanted to confirm her suspicions.

Sure enough, when the topic came up, she saw Scarlett’s eyes flicker again.

’That confirms it. She definitely plagiarized.’

Scarlett Jewel had no idea what Lily Dalton was really thinking.

After a cold snort, she said through gritted teeth, "How dare she slander me with baseless accusations. Sooner or later, I’ll make her pay."

Thinking of her plan with Joel Jennings, her anxious heart finally began to calm down.

「The second round of the competition began soon after.」

For this round, Claire Mercer chose to present an evening gown.

The design was once again ingenious. Simple and graceful, it exuded elegance and luxury.

Stella Thorne’s performance was as solid as ever.

While this evening gown wasn’t as lavish and grand as the first-round wedding dress,

its color, tailoring, and overall design were exquisitely beautiful and refined.

After all six contestants had showcased their outfits, it was time to announce the scores.

Compared to the previous round, which narrowed the field from ten to six, this round’s cut from six to three made everyone in the room even more nervous.

After all, making it into the top three meant securing a spot as a champion, runner-up, or third-place winner.

Even if they couldn’t win first place, getting second or third would still be a great achievement.

The score announcement was once again full of suspense, keeping everyone on the edge of their seats.

Though it took less than ten minutes, for every contestant, it felt as long as a century.

Finally, the top three were announced.

Claire Mercer, without a doubt, once again secured the highest score.

She advanced smoothly to the final round.

Scarlett Jewel, relying on her plagiarism of Claire Mercer’s designs, actually managed to get into the top three as well.

Her heart pounded with excitement, and her face was a mask of disbelief.

Joel Jennings placed fifth, failing to advance to the final competition for the top three spots.

Being as arrogant as he was, he naturally found this result hard to accept.

He no longer had a chance to compete for the top prizes, and his audience vote count had never surpassed Claire Mercer’s.

Even though he was the only male contestant to make it to the finals,

he still couldn’t accept that he had lost to a few women.

Joel Jennings sat in his seat, his expression dark and gloomy.

He was just waiting for the third round to end and for the winners to be announced, so he could deliver a heavy blow to Claire Mercer.

’Based on the current situation, Claire Mercer is the contestant most favored to win the championship.’

’Whether you look at her design skills or her audience support.’

’Claire Mercer, I’ll wait for you to win the championship, and then I’ll viciously knock you off your pedestal.’

’Only after enjoying the joy of the highest honor can one truly appreciate the pain of falling into the abyss.’