Eliza Sutton took her design sketch out of the file folder.
When the others saw it, they couldn’t help but scoff. "Just a tailor who’s only ever worked a sewing machine. Does she really think a design sketch is just a few random lines on paper? A real design has to be drawn out in ticulous detail."
"She probably saw Manager Preston was competing and knew she was bound to lose, so she decided to just phone it in. Anyway, no one expects soone who got in through connections to actually bring glory to the Lockwood Group."
"Maybe she thinks she can win with so kind of surprise move."
"More like a surprisingly stupid move."
A mocking smile touched the corners of Brenda Preston’s lips.
She was waiting to see Eliza Sutton make a complete fool of herself.
Then, the design sketch in Eliza Sutton’s hands unfolded.
All sounds of ridicule vanished in an instant. Everyone stared at the screen, their mouths agape.
It was as if the giant screen had suddenly blossod into a flower.
No.
Even a flower blossoming on the screen wouldn’t be this beautiful.
Finally, soone spoke.
"What a beautiful design sketch."
An executive who had once worked in the design departnt shot to his feet, darting to the front of the big screen. He carefully touched the lines of the sketch with his fingertips.
He was extraordinarily gentle, as if he feared the slightest bit of force would damage the design.
The executive stared for a long ti before coming back to his senses, his eyes filled with a fervent passion.
"Incredible. Absolutely incredible! A design like this is what it will take to beat Innis’s work!"
"Yes! With this design, Innis will be crushed under our feet this year."
Eliza was speechless.
’Having crush myself, in front of my own face? Could they be any more cruel?’
"Right! Ever since that Innis erged at the Golden Summit Awards four years ago, our design departnt has been constantly overshadowed by her. If it weren’t for our strong foundation, we would have been completely crushed long ago!"
Eliza was at a loss for words.
’Was it really that bad?’
’Innis only stole a *tiny* few of their clients. But that wasn’t my fault. Saul Reynolds is just too competent.’
"This is the future of our design departnt! With such an outstanding designer, our departnt will definitely be able to reclaim its forr glory."
Eliza didn’t know what to say.
’That’s really not going to work.’
’I just refused to let Saul Reynolds preside over Innis’s fifth-anniversary celebration, and the old geezer cried in front of as if his parents had died.’
’If I really lead the Lockwood Design Departnt, Saul Reynolds will lose his mind.’
The other executives chid in one after another, agreeing enthusiastically.
Shane Lockwood raised his eyes to the big screen.
The design displayed there astounded him.
He couldn’t help but look at Eliza Sutton, his dark eyes full of inquiry.
He had thought Eliza was just an incompetent who got in through connections, yet she had produced such a perfect design.
The person who could create such an exquisite design was undoubtedly a treasure of the fashion world, with a limitless future.
Suddenly, Shane Lockwood saw hope for the design departnt.
Ever since Innis’s rise, the Lockwood Design Departnt had been going downhill.
Perhaps others couldn’t see it because of the Lockwood Group’s strong foundation, but if nothing changed, this decline would one day beco apparent, and by then, it would be truly irreversible.
For the past two years, Shane Lockwood had been searching for soone who could lead the design departnt back to its peak, soone to whom he could entrust the position of lead designer for the Lockwood Group.
Unfortunately, after two years of searching, he hadn’t found a suitable candidate. Until just now, when Eliza Sutton unveiled her design.
Crystal Harrison quietly gave Eliza Sutton a thumbs-up and said sincerely, "Girl, you freaking killed it."
The mont Dulcie Vaughn saw Eliza Sutton’s work, she slumped into her chair like a boneless heap.
She had lost.
Lost completely and utterly.
There was absolutely no possibility of winning.
Dulcie Vaughn had always been resentful of Eliza Sutton’s appointnt as a lead designer.
Even though she knew Brenda Preston had deliberately stirred up that animosity toward Eliza.
At the end of the day, she had endured too much hardship and suffering to get to her current position.
So, watching soone else so easily beco her equal? It would be a miracle if she felt at peace with it.
But when she saw this design, Dulcie Vaughn understood that even if Brenda Preston had done nothing, Eliza Sutton would have reached this position eventually.
No.
She would have reached an even higher position, so high that Dulcie would have to crane her neck to look up at her.
Dulcie Vaughn wasn’t exaggerating.
As a veteran designer in the departnt, she knew better than anyone the sheer level of genius displayed in this one sketch.
To put it one way, she herself was considered talented. But Eliza... Eliza was the kind of person the gods of design themselves would chase down to bestow their gifts upon, and she wouldn’t even be allowed to refuse.
When Pearl Lockwood’s birthday arrived, this gown would surely make Eliza Sutton skyrocket to fa, making her a world-renowned master on par with Innis.
She had lost.
She had truly lost.
She had lost to raw talent.
And she was utterly and completely convinced by her defeat.
"Designer Sutton, please take a mont to explain your design philosophy."
All the executives settled into their seats, ready to listen.
Typically, explaining a design philosophy took at least twenty to thirty minutes.
Eliza Sutton spoke. "My design philosophy is beauty."
They waited and waited, but Eliza Sutton said nothing more.
One of the executives couldn’t hold back any longer. "Is there nothing else besides beauty?"
Eliza looked a little puzzled, as if she didn’t understand why the executive was asking. "What else would there be?"
"Uh?"
Erik Irvine interjected, "What everyone ans is, for you to have created such a world-class design, surely there must be so other design philosophy behind it?"
"No," Eliza said. "I’ve only ever had one philosophy for my designs: to make the person wearing them beautiful. A dazzling, breathtaking beauty, the kind that becos the center of attention the mont they enter a room.
I believe that for a fashion designer, that single philosophy is all you ever need."
"Well said." Shane Lockwood began to applaud, deeply impressed. "An excellent design philosophy."
"Thank you, President Lockwood."
Shane Lockwood said, "Now that all the design departnt’s sketches are here, let’s vote."
"Is there even a need to vote? While there were many designs today, there’s only one that’s truly dazzling."
Suddenly, what Eliza Sutton had said started to make a lot of sense.
For a fashion designer, the most important thing is beauty.
"I also feel the winner can only be Designer Sutton."
"I’m suddenly feeling that this competition was a bit unfair. For a master-level designer like Designer Sutton, her battlefield should be the entire fashion industry, and her rival should be a master like Innis."
"People used to complain that our Lockwood Design Departnt was getting worse year after year. I’d like to see what they have to complain about this year."
"Since we’re all in agreent, let’s get on with the vote."
The executives wasted no more ti and imdiately began to vote.
Brenda Preston pinched Dulcie Vaughn hard and cursed, "You useless thing! Didn’t you say Eliza Sutton’s work was terrible? How is she winning now!"
Dulcie Vaughn didn’t make a sound. ’As soone who snooped, what right do I have to say anything?’
’Besides, as a fairly decent designer myself, I could tell that this current design was the very sa draft I had seen before; my own skills had simply been too poor to recognize it.’
Shane Lockwood added, "I’ll add one more thing. The winner of this competition will beco the lead designer for the Lockwood Group."
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