Chapter 34

Her intentions were evident in her eyes, causing Lawrence's gaze to narrow. Swiftly rising to his feet, he tossed the Collection of Jewelry Design to the side.

"Why did you throw my book that is precious to me?" Winnie immediately held the book to her chest. "If it's given to me, it's mine. This book contains works by L.C., a world-renowned master jeweler. I want to sleep with it."

Lawrence hesitated for a moment before smiling meaningfully. "L.C. is your idol?"

"Yes, he's the man I admire the most."

Winnie didn't understand why the smirk on his lips seemed to deepen with interest.

She muttered, "L.C. has the most insightful views on jewelry. It's a shame that many jewelry companies have strayed from their initial ideals, much like Imperial's CEO, who engages in corrupt business practices. I hope Ava's painting remains unblemished by bribery. If he accepts it, I'll curse his manhood, causing it to shrink by 10cm!" The lazy smile beside her abruptly transformed into a cold expression.

Soon, October 1st arrived, and the jewelry competition began. Designers from various jewelry companies gathered at the Imperial Building for the registration ceremony. Olivia accompanied Winnie early in the morning.

When she saw Ava's car parked outside, she sneered. "Ava arrived early. Her reputation was tarnished at the charity banquet, and the Anderson family was likely occupied with damage control. Matthew must find this mother and daughter duo quite vexing."

Winnie pressed her lips together with a cold resolve. "Both Sophia and her have suffered damage to their reputations. The upper class is now keeping a close eye on them. Matthew, highly concerned about his reputation, and with Mrs. Davis not endorsing the engagement, led Ava to marry into a wealthy family to appease him. She genuinely hopes to excel and triumph in this competition. Moreover, it's a bet between her and me, so naturally, she places great value on it."

Olivia smirked. "Ava's reputation has been ruined, and this time, you'll use her career to bring her down. Let her face defeat. I believe Matthew will become even more annoyed with them without Ava to rely on. When the Anderson family goes bankrupt, you will be able to reclaim the company and seek revenge."

Winnie narrowed her eyes because that was exactly what she had in mind. As they entered the Imperial Building's lobby, Ava and Daniel came from the upper floor elevator together. Both had smiles on their faces.

Upon spotting Winnie, Ava's demeanor became noticeably alert. She masked it in Daniel's presence, drawing Winnie aside and whispered with a mocking tone, "Winnie, you're here to register as well? Little designers like you, lacking renown, won't capture the attention of Imperial Jewelry's CEO. Let me enlighten you. I'm not lying when I say the CEO of Imperial doesn't take notice of anyone without connections."

Winnie was taken aback by Ava's words, and Olivia's face froze.

"Daniel, thank you for spending 26 million on the painting for me." Ava, sweetly walked back to Daniel's side, showing off their affection.

However, Daniel's gaze secretly swept over Winnie. Winnie clenched her fist, she maintained a calm facade, sneering coldly. "The man who spent 26 million on you, is actually planning to keep a mistress, Ava. If I were you, I'd be careful." Ava stiffened.

Daniel's face darkened. "What nonsense are you talking about, Winnie?" She didn't even look at him as she walked away with disgust.

The registration ceremony took place in the conference room on the third floor. When the handsome figure of Imperial's CEO appeared, the gaze of all the designers, regardless of gender, became fixed. The man had an exceptionally handsome face, that could be considered a gift from God, and his proportions were long and slender. Wherever he went, he left a trail of admirers. The aura, of the successful CEO, was deep and unfathomable, deterring anyone from probing.

"Wow, Imperial Jewelry's CEO is actually here," a female designer whispered in excitement.

Olivia desperately grabbed Winnie's sleeve. "This damn man keeps killing me. His name is Lawrence Rodriguez. Even his name sounds good."

Ava stared at the man, her face blushing. He was a big shot in the jewelry industry, controlling the life and death of businesses. He was even more handsome than Daniel, and his abilities were incomparable. Marrying him would seem more favorable than marrying Daniel. However, only Winnie found his name unpleasant to hear.

The man, sitting in the chairman's seat, had an inexplicably dark expression on his face. The registration ceremony was nothing more than the designers introducing themselves, and verifying their qualifications. This man was low-key and mysterious. Winnie had fought against him in many battles before, but she had never seen him in person. Now, he was even presiding over a small registration ceremony.

As Winnie silently criticized him in her mind, the man in the chairman's seat asked in a low and chilly tone, "Who is Winnie?"

Winnie's body stiffened, she bit her lip, and slowly stood up. "I am."

The man raised an eyebrow, looking indifferent. "You are very rude."

Winnie cursed him inwardly. "Hello, Imperial Jewelry's CEO, I am Winnie."

"Do you have a problem with me?" This man was exceptionally handsome, sitting there with an air of poise and depth that made women blush. It was evident to everyone that the CEO of Imperial Jewelry harbored some hostility toward Winnie. She clenched her small fist in response.

The man glanced over her resume and furrowed his brow, being critical. "You look decent, but I haven't heard of you before. Are your works not good enough?"

He was questioning her qualifications for the competition. Winnie felt a surge of anger rising within her. She gritted her teeth, her voice filled with sarcasm. "Who knows, maybe it's even better than yours."

"Wow, such arrogance. Daring to challenge the CEO of Imperial Jewelry. Doesn't she want to participate anymore?" someone scoffed from below. Ava couldn't help but smile.

The man stood up, glanced at the pompous woman, and narrowed his eyes. "Meeting adjourned. Winnie, stay behind. There are some things I need to discuss with you."

The assistant standing behind observed as his boss turned, his thin lips curling up. He truly had a knack for teasing his wife.

Winnie never expected to be called out by her archenemy. It felt like she was being punished after school. She was angry and nervous at the same time. Olivia tightened her grip on her hand. "Could it be that they want to disqualify you directly from the competition?" Olivia responded.

Outside the company building, Daniel waited in his Lamborghini. When Ava came out, he glanced back and asked, "Where's Winnie?"

"Why are you suddenly so concerned about Winnie, Daniel?" Ava's face showed a hint of grievance, but her eyes darkened. She couldn't shake off the feeling that Daniel's thoughts were becoming increasingly strange toward that despicable person after the charity banquet.

Daniel's expression immediately froze, and he reached out to embrace Ava. "I was just casually asking."

Ava, pretended to be worried, and said, "Winnie was just criticized publicly by the CEO of Imperial Jewelry because she had responded poorly to him." She sighed and continued. "She was called in by the Imperial Jewelry CEO for questioning. I'm afraid she won't even make it to the preliminary rounds."

Every time she said something like this, Daniel would angrily scold Winnie. But not this time.

Ava's mood darkened, feeling that Daniel's attitude had changed. She promised herself that she would win the championship, and at the same time, not let Daniel's heart drift away.

Olivia and Winnie were invited into the CEO's office, looking at the grandeur of the 270-degree floor-to-ceiling windows as if they were two timid little birds.

Olivia said, "I have to admit, Imperial Jewelry's CEO's office is ten times bigger than Triton's. It's so extravagant." At that moment, Winnie kicked the trash can with a loud bang.

"Winnie!" Olivia was scared out of her wits, as she quickly grabbed her little hands, which were about to make a move on the desk. "Do you want to end up in prison courtesy of Imperial Jewelry's CEO?"

Winnie hesitated for a moment, her face tensed as she sat down right on the big boss's chair with eyes full of resentment and disdain. "What's so extravagant about this hard chair? It just looks cool. I bet this chair doesn't even cost ten thousand dollars. It's hurting my butt."

"Is your butt made of gold? Sometimes, acknowledging someone else's success generously is also a form of progress, Winnie."

"Are you already married to Imperial Jewelry's CEO? Don't you want your bestie anymore?"

Olivia fell silent, took a seat, and opened her computer to conduct some research. "He is quite formidable! He holds the power of life and death in the jewelry industry, truly a king of the jewelry world!"