At that mont Abigail’s heart sank slightly, masked under her triumphant expression. It wasn’t satisfying. It wasn’t enough. She wanted Cora to try. She wanted to beat her in front of everyone. That was the whole point of the show. But Cora... Cora had done nothing. She didn’t compete, she didn’t react, and that unsettled Abigail deeply.
However Cora, on the other hand, had just raised her eyes. It was as if the subtle heat of Abigail’s gaze had finally touched her skin. Then her eyes t Abigail’s, and the tension beca thick. She had noticed it earlier, both Victoria and Abigail whispering and looking at her ever since she walked into the room. It wasn’t paranoia. It was real. The stares, the forced smiles, the mocking gestures they had been tracking her every move from the beginning.
She blinked slowly, then turned away, not out of fear or shyness, but out of disinterest.
"They must have wanted to say sothing," Cora muttered softly to herself, as if brushing it all off like dust from her sleeve. "Even though I like that dress... it seeks too much attention. Not my thing."
She exhaled gently, resting her back against her chair with a relaxed look that almost seed bored. "It’s not that I can’t afford it," she thought silently. "I just don’t need to prove anything to anyone. Especially not here."
Just as the announcer opened his mouth to say another word, the sudden sound of her phone buzzing sliced through the air. The vibration startled a few people sitting nearby.
At that mont, upon seeing that her phone was ringing, the announcer froze slightly. She hesitated. The room was still buzzing with murmurs about Abigail’s $15 million bid, yet her eyes were on her phone direction. She didn’t want to answer it. This was a high-profile event. A very big occasion. In fact, one of the grandest nights the brand had ever hosted. Every single move was under scrutiny, and she knew no one in their right senses would dare to call her at such a critical ti unless it was soone with even more authority.
At that mont she swallowed hard and picked up the phone, only to see it was Lisa.
The na glared at her, and instantly her hand trembled. Lisa the director and founder of Everything Luxury. Her boss. Her ntor. And the one person who did not tolerate mistakes.
Without wasting anymore ti she slowly stepped aside from the microphone and brought the phone closer to her ear. With a low, cautious voice, she whispered, "Miss Lisa, what is.."
She couldn’t even finish the sentence.
Lisa’s voice hit like a thunderstorm from the other side of the phone, crackling with fury, "What the hell do you think you’re doing!!"
The announcer nearly dropped the phone.
"I..I don’t understand," she stamred, already breaking into a cold sweat.
"You don’t understand?!" Lisa’s voice was sharp, fast, and boiling with anger. "Did I tell you to auction off the diamond dress?! Did I say anything about putting it up for bidding?! Why the hell is my television showing you shouting ’$15 million bid accepted’? Did you lose your damn mind?!"
At that mont her voice was almost non-existent. "I... I didn’t know... I’m so sorry, Miss Lisa...."
Lisa didn’t let her finish.
"You should be sorry for yourself!" Lisa snapped. "I clearly stated in the executive note, and you were in that briefing, were you not?! that fifteen of the luxury collection dresses can be auctioned for $10 million. But the diamond dress? That dress is a GIFT. A GIFT. A one-of-a-kind personal gesture from Everything Luxury to the Diamond Card invitation holder. And you turned it into a circus show!"
Hearing what Lisa just said, the announcer knees buckled slightly. The guests, sensing sothing was wrong, were watching her more closely now. Whispers fluttered across the room. But announcer couldn’t hear any of it. All she could hear was Lisa’s furious voice blaring in her ear.
Lisa continued, "You do know the only reason I sent out that Diamond Card was to align the gift with our top-tier brand image, right? To build global prestige and influence? That dress was not to be touched! Did you even read the final event manual?"
At that mont announcer whispered, barely able to breathe, "I... I thought it was part of the auction lineup."
"No," Lisa barked. "You didn’t think. You assud. And now, congratulations, you’ve just insulted a Diamond Card mber because instead of receiving an exclusive gift with quiet respect and honor, now you have turned it into sothing else!"
At that mont, Lisa’s voice sliced through the phone like a dagger.
"I don’t want to repeat myself, and I don’t ever want to call you again about this sort of stupidity," she said coldly. "Do whatever it takes to fix the ss you just created. If the boss at Everything Luxury are displeased with this disaster of yours, I will personally crush every single connection, opportunity, and reputation tied to your na into dust. That’s not a threat it’s a promise. Fix it. Now."
And with that, the line went dead.
The announcer stood frozen for a second, her hand still gripping the phone. The air around her suddenly felt heavier, tighter, as if all oxygen had been sucked out of the room. Her throat burned as she swallowed, trying to keep her posture from shaking. Her eyes blinked slowly, fighting the sting of sudden panic. That wasn’t just a boss yelling at her that was a direct warning from soone who had the power to erase her from the industry with one email.
Then she slowly lowered the phone and stood perfectly still for a second, lost in a fog of humiliation and dread. Her heart thumped hard against her ribs. She had completely overlooked the fine print in the event’s manual the one clearly stating that the fifteen luxury dresses were to be auctioned, while the diamond dress was strictly a symbolic gift to the holder of the diamond invitation card. A gift from Everything Luxury itself.
She had not only auctioned the dress, but declared a winner in front of dozens of elite guests. And worse, she’d allowed the winner to gloat.
She squeezed her eyes shut. ’Idiot. Absolute idiot.’
But she didn’t have the luxury of breaking down or panicking. Not now. If there was one thing Lisa made clear it was that she had one chance to correct the mistake.
Taking a long breath, she forced her spine straight and fixed her posture. She slowly walked back to the center of the stage, her heels suddenly feeling much heavier than they did earlier. She positioned the microphone with shaky hands, but before she spoke, she forced herself to calm down.
She cleared her throat twice, and then put on her brightest, most professional smile.
"Ladies and gentlen," she began, her voice steady but not too loud, "may I please have your attention?"
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