Meanwhile, Annie’s hatred grew as she observed their interaction. The nerve of Katelyn, to appear so confident here! She hoped to witness the destruction of Katelyn’s confidence.
Annie turned to Ryanna and whispered, “Isn’t that Miss Bailey over there? Should we approach her?”
Ryanna glanced towards Katelyn. The two acknowledged each other with a slight nod.
Then, to Annie’s surprise, Ryanna advised against approaching, whispering, “No, approaching her now might lead others to accuse Miss Bailey of unfair practices.”
Confusion and frustration surged through Annie. Weren’t they supposed to be romantic rivals? Why was Ryanna showing such consideration for Katelyn?
An intense sense of injustice welled up inside her. Curse the thought of fairness! She wished Katelyn would just disappear. Ryanna briefly glanced at Katelyn before leading Annie and a group of journalists toward the area designated for the judges.
By then, the live broadcast had begun. Given that it involved the royal family, public interest was immense. Viewership surged the moment the transmission started.
Katelyn sat beside Ashlyn, taking out her phone to message Vincent. Not everyone had gathered yet, and the official start time hadn’t arrived.
While Katelyn typed, Ashlyn gently elbowed her.
Confused, Katelyn asked, “What’s the matter?”
Quietly, Ashlyn said, “She’s here.”
Following Ashlyn’s subtle cue, Katelyn looked up from her phone and noticed Annie advancing toward them, a smile plastered on her face.
With a slight scowl, Ashlyn murmured, “Why is she coming over?” Ashlyn could still feel the lingering hatred from before, but now Annie was approaching with a smile. No matter how Ashlyn looked at it, something about Annie’s approach felt off.
Katelyn remained silent as Annie reached them and spoke softly.
“Miss Bailey, it’s been some time. And who is this?”
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Her eyes shifted to Ashlyn, expecting Katelyn to introduce her.
Katelyn chose not to and instead responded, “Given your role as a judge, it would be inappropriate for us to interact privately too much.” Annie’s expression darkened briefly. This was her intended reason for approaching Katelyn, but Katelyn had anticipated it. She had even ensured that the camera was focused on her the moment she approached, broadcasting their interaction to all the viewers. Katelyn’s statement now resonated across the live broadcast.
Yet, Annie maintained a composed smile, replying, “That’s fine. As long as our actions are transparent, especially with so many witnesses to this broadcast.”
Realizing her tactic had failed, Annie knew she would need to create another strategy. She was determined that Katelyn would not be chosen as the royal exclusive jewelry designer today.
She might have let Katelyn win in Granville since it was Katelyn’s territory, but this was Yata!
Katelyn simply watched the live broadcast, a subtle smile playing on her lips, without responding.
Annie caught the eye of the cameraman, one of her allies, and he nodded in understanding.
The cameraman quickly redirected the focus of the camera. Only then did Annie whisper to Katelyn, “Miss Bailey, we’ll catch up later.”
Annie found an excuse to leave.
At that moment, Ashlyn approached Katelyn, murmuring, “It’s clear she’s putting on a show. If you hadn’t declined her conversation, she might have continued her charade.”
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