A slap struck Lise’s face with force. Those nearby gasped in disbelief, wondering what had come over Ruby.

Ruby shot a look of contempt at Lise.

“You’re worthless. You don’t stand a chance against Katelyn. It’s no surprise you’re always the target.”

At that moment, Lise couldn’t hold back any longer, no matter how much she tried to endure. She raised her hands to her face, her eyes filled with hurt as she looked at Ruby.

“Miss Lopez, how could you hit me? I haven’t done anything to you.”

The crowd around them murmured in disapproval.

“That’s right. Lise didn’t say a word, and Ruby just started attacking her.”

“Who is she actually? Acting so high and mighty.”

People who knew Ruby whispered among themselves, “It’s better not to cross her. She’s not someone you want to mess with.”

The moment those words were spoken, the crowd fell silent. After all, some people had connections that couldn’t be ignored. Even if their actions seemed unreasonable, their power held a lot of influence. Lise overheard everything. Though she felt the urge to protest, she held her tongue, too afraid to speak out any further.

Ruby’s face twisted with even more pride, her arrogance growing.

On the other hand, Katelyn wasn’t bothered at all by Ruby’s antics.

With the official response already out, there was nothing more to do but wait for the final announcement. In less than ten minutes, the decision was revealed. The surveillance footage was shown, exactly as Katelyn had asked Alfy to investigate.

Zandra stood before the crowd, her face serious, and said, “I sincerely apologize for the mistake made under official supervision. Compensation will be provided to designer Iris.” The outcome came as no surprise to anyone.

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Zandra spoke again, her voice filled with regret.

“But I’m afraid you don’t meet the requirements to compete today.”

The crowd turned their gaze to Katelyn, pity written all over their faces. In a competition like this, losing the opportunity to compete without any reason was a blow that no one could easily accept. A wave of sympathy spread among the onlookers.

“Oh, I would be livid if that happened to me.”

The whispers around them grew louder, all voices echoing in support of Katelyn.

“Can’t she just submit another piece to compete?” A person nearby shook their head.

“No, not unless she had it ready beforehand. Without preparation, creating something better would be nearly impossible.”

Everyone present was a designer, and they all understood the caliber of work required for this competition. Once a high-quality piece was lost, no replacement could match it. It was better to withdraw than to present something inferior.

“Besides, the officials never said she could submit a new piece.” That was the heart of the issue. Anyone with a sense of fairness couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

Lise and Ruby, on the other hand, couldn’t hide their joy. With Katelyn out of the competition, they now faced one less strong opponent.

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