Jennie blinked, studying the young woman across the room. The girl''s head was slightly bowed, but the warm lighting illuminated the stunning features beneath the brim of her cap, casting her in an ethereal glow. She exuded a powerful, almost intimidating aura. But she couldn''t be more than twenty. How could someone so young possess such profound design expertise? Enough to guide her to an international award?


    The idea seemed preposterous. Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe her mentor hadn''t arrived yet, and the cap was just a coincidence.


    Jennie frowned, consumed by doubt.


    Just as she was lost in thought, the manager stepped forward. "Jennie," he said respectfully, "we''ve already called security. They''ll be here shortly to remove these troublemakers."


    "Troublemakers?” Jennie asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.


    "Yes," the manager reported, sweat beading on his forehead. "This youngdy has been deliberately causing problems for our sales staff. She tried on numerous outfits, imed she couldn''t afford any of them, and then had the audacity to say..."


    He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "...that your designs for this season are subpar and not to her liking."


    Her designs were subpar? That was the exact phrase her mentor had used in her critiques. Jennie''s gaze snapped back to Juniper, her heart pounding. This had to be more than a coincidence. She needed to approach her, to find out for sure, before she made a terrible mistake.


    "Yes, and for a shameless freeloader like her, security is the only answer," Ynda interjected, stepping in front of Jennie and blocking her path. She made sure her phone''s camera was angled just right.


    "Jennie, I happen to love your designs," she said with a sharine smile. “But having certain people who are just here to cause trouble really ruins the customer experience."


    She was practically begging Jennie to personally throw Juniper out.


    Jennie gave Ynda a fleeting nce, noticing she was wearing the million-dor bespoke trench coat. A wave of irritation washed over her. That coat, a piece she had perfected with her mentors guidance and which had received rave reviews, looked utterly cheapened on this woman. It was almost impossible to distinguish it from a thirty-dor knockoff.


    Could she refuse to sell it to her?


    "Of course, of course," Jennie replied dismissively, forcing a polite smile. "You can continue trying on your things, and she can try on hers. There''s no conflict As for the


    disturbance, I''ll handle it myself.


    Please, don''t worry about it."


    With that, she sidestepped Ynda and made her way toward the sofa where


    Juniper was sitting.


    Ynda, basking in what she


    perceived as special treatment, was certain Jennie was about to publicly humiliate Juniper. She quickly adjusted her phone making sure the livestream camera had a perfect view of the impending confrontation.


    Instantly, the chat exploded.


    [What? Juniper is at a luxury store and can''t pay?]


    [No way. She must make good money from her choreography, right?]


    [Not necessarily. Master Lunar has never mized her dances. She releases all her choreography for free.]


    [The manager just said she tried on a ton of clothes and refused to buy or leave. So entitled.]


    [Let''s wait and see. This doesn''t sound like her. She once gifted a dress worth a fortune without batting an eye. How could she not afford a few thousand dors?]


    [If she could afford thousands, she''d be at an elite private school, not a ce like Aurora High.]