Chapter 87

Backstage lounge.

Each contestant had their own private room-just enough space for changing, doing makeup, and catching their breath before hitting the runway.

Megan had crafted six dresses in total. When she submitted her entry, she picked her top three for the official lineup-the ones she had the most confidence in. She saved these stunners for the finals.

That meant for the semi-finals, Zoe, Jane, and Rebecca were each dressed in the remaining three.

Megan chose outfits based on each model's skin tone.

Rebecca had that sun-kissed, slightly tanned skin, so Megan went with a deep blue gown that shimmered like candlelight. It had a plunging V-neck that hugged the figure just right and a sleek cut that revealed her bare back-not too much, but just enough to make heads turn. Sexy but still classy.

That's the brilliance of Lila Moore's design flair-it pulls you in while still keeping you at arm's length.

Jane, on the other hand, had porcelain-like fair skin,which meant she could basically rock anything.Megan picked a soft lilac knee-length dress that fit her like a glove, accentuating every delicate curve.

The bodice was detailed with emerald and sapphire stones, and from the waist fell layers of gossamer fabric-so light and sheer they looked like mist. Gold and silver threads laced through the skirt, forming intricate patterns that looked practically magical.

In that dress, Jane didn't just look good-she looked otherworldly, like a fairy that lost her way to a forest runway.

As for Zoe, her skin was on the darker side, so Megan passed her a black gothic lace gown.Zoe slipped into it fast-the layered lace danced with every movement, drawing an elegant and mysterious silhouette.

Megan curled Zoe's already wavy black hair and added a bold red lip. Just like that, Zoe looked like a vampire queen-cool, poised, dangerous in the best way.

Zoe couldn't believe Lila Moore herself helped with her makeup. She was beaming, totally hyped.

Jane and Rebecca weren't about to be left out after that and instantly started begging Megan for their own glow-up.

Meanwhile, at the expo hall, it was standing room only.

Everyone in the hall was somebody-or at least thought they were. Especially those VIP seats,where three men were clearly the center of every debutante's fantasy.

But their whole vibe screamed "do not approach."Cold auras like that? Anyone with a sense of self- preservation steered clear.

The lights dimmed. The entire space fell into silence.

A spotlight hit the back of the stage, and a tall figure stepped into it.

He was suited up, looking polished, and his smile had just the right amount of charm. He walked to the front of the runway like it belonged to him.

That man? John Fairall, the country's top host. His voice, deep and rich, signaled the start of the competition.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Imperial Capital Fashion Expo. I'm just your humble little host," he joked, earning a wave of chuckles and applause. "Tonight, we're in for a visual feast.Fashion that speaks. Style that stuns. And if one of these designers catches your eye, remember to cast your vote. That one vote might just launch someone into greatness."

"Let me break down the rules real quick," he continued. "After a nationwide selection, fifteen designers made it to the semi-finals. From here,the judges will pick the top five to move on to the finals.And then, for the final round, it's all in the hands of both our panel and you lovely people seated here.Together, you'll choose who walks out of here as champion, runner-up, and third place. The champion? They'll be named the top designer of the year and even get a collab with none other than our megastar,Jason."

(A collective gasp echoed across the hall.)

"And now, let me introduce tonight's judging panel-three heavyweights in the fashion industry: Jeffery Grant, Elena Glancy, and Sean Greene!"

(The room burst into thunderous applause.)

"Alright, enough talk. Let's witness fashion history together. The show starts now!"A retro, mellow tune played, and from the backstage, models in dazzling dresses strutted down the runway with graceful steps. Megan watched the runway show on the lounge's LCD screen, a slight smirk pulling at the corner of her lips.

Tonight was hers to win.

Sure, she originally signed up for the competition because Natalie provoked her, and now that Natalie was in legal trouble waiting for sentencing, Megan still wasn't about to back out.

After all, loads of people didn't believe in her,claiming she was only where she was thanks to Tristan.

Well, tonight, she'd let her skills do the talking-blind them with brilliance.

Mia rubbed her chin, confident. "Lila Moore, there's no way tonight's ending in suspense."

And it didn't. In the semi-finals, where judges had to score each look without knowing the designer's identity, Megan's three dresses pretty much swept the floor-29.7 out of a possible 30. Amelia came in second with a total of 27 points,which honestly wasn't even close.

Tristan narrowed his eyes, obviously impressed. He hadn't expected his girl to be this talented.

But of course, the buzzing whispers soon kicked in like annoying mosquitoes:

"Don't you think Megan's designs look a lot like Lila Moore's work?"

"You heard? Lila's personal tailor and her go-to models are here tonight. Probably means Megan just bought the whole collection from her."

"I mean, with a husband that loaded, dropping billions is probably just a warm-up."

"Ugh, I'm so jealous I could cry."

"Real talent's what should be respected. If it's bought-or worse, copied-what's even the point?"

"Exactly. I like Amelia's stuff too. I'll vote for her later." "If this round's up to audience votes, Megan's not gonna make it."

"Who knows? Maybe the judges've been paid off too."

...

People weren't curious or admiring-they were just bitter and spiteful.

Tristan didn't even look back. He knew Megan would shut those rumors down hard.

Samuel nudged Jason with an elbow and whispered,"Bro, guess you're working with Megan soon. Didn't see that coming, huh? She's actually super legit."

Jason gave a small nod, then looked over at him side-eyed. "Weren't you stanning Amelia?"

Samuel pulled a face. "Nah, I was just trolling. My loyalty's with the little boss lady."

Completely unaware that she'd earned a new fan,Megan was in the dressing room, helping models change.

She picked out the perfect dresses to match each model's vibe, did their makeup, and styled their hair with care.

Nearby, Mia helped out and stuck numeric tags-1, 2,and 3-on the models' arms.

Since Megan placed first in semis, she got to use the top three numbers. Amelia's group used 4, 5, and 6.The rest followed.

Soon after, a staff member knocked, signaling the models to line up and get ready.

Megan flopped down on the couch next to Mia, both watching the live stream.

"Lila Moore, these three are from your original drafts,right?"

Megan nodded. "Don't they pop even more than the last set?"

Mia nodded so fast her head might've fallen off. "Totally! Absolute stunners. There's just something about your designs-been trying all year to copy your style, but I just can't capture that spark."

Megan let out a teasing chuckle. "You know what that's called?"

"Trying-too-hard chic?" Mia joked, just as Megan's playful smile gradually faded.

Following her line of sight, Mia looked at the screen-and froze.

She raised her hand, pointing. "Wait...is that-"