Not long after, everyone was ushered into the hall where the jewelry designs would be showcased. For the time being, the ushers prioritized letting the designerse forward to submit their entries before the judging began.


    A table was set up at the front, and Liz stepped up to help Hera present her designs. Meanwhile, Zen and Athena went ahead into the hall to save seats for them. Although the seats were assigned, their group was seated together, so they only needed to locate their designated spots.


    As Hera approached the table to hand in her designs, she couldn’t avoid crossing paths with Alice. The moment Alice spotted her, she arched a brow and let out a scoff."I didn’t know Miss Hera also had talent in jewelry design," she said with a sneer. "What’s next? Building the image of a multi-talented woman?"


    "Well, do I even need to set one up? Haven’t I already one?" Hera shot back with a mocking smile, her tone dripping with confidence. After all, she wasn’t wrong—given her wide range of skills, she was already known as a multi-talented woman.


    The inte had acknowledged that much. Unlike Alice, she didn’t need to carefully craft a persona—hers came naturally.


    Alice’s expression twisted with fury at the remark, but Hera had no time to entertain her. She knew that every encounter with Alice came with unnecessary drama and face-pping moments, and today wasn’t the day for it. This was an important event, and she didn’t want petty conflicts affecting thepetition.


    Turning her attention back to what mattered, Hera approached the usher to submit her design and register her entry. Liz had already helped with the initial registration earlier, but now it was time to officially log the design itself.


    Just as Hera was about to hand over her design to the usher, her phone rang. Her brows furrowed, and a sudden tightness gripped her chest. She clutched her bag with a tense grip, hurriedly fishing out her phone.


    Alice, watching nearby, took note of the elegant bag Hera carried. A sh of jealousy passed through her eyes as she tried to get a clearer read on who Hera truly was. She didn’t move to submit her own design, instead choosing to observe Hera’s every move.


    When Hera answered the call, her face instantly lost all color. Without a word, she turned and bolted out of the hall. Liz, rmed, immediately chased after her.


    Alice’s lips curled into a smug smile as she watched Hera flee. Only after Hera disappeared through the main doors did Alice finally turn and submit her design to the usher. Her smile was bright and wide—beaming with self-satisfaction, like she had just imed an early victory.


    Outside, Hera was already several steps ahead, visibly shaken and disheveled. Liz finally caught up, gasping for air. She grabbed Hera’s wrist and didn’t let go, panting like she’d just sprinted a hundred meters without taking a single breath. Her lungs felt scorched as she coughed and tried to steady herself, all while worry etched deep into her face.


    "Wait! Wait—where are you going? What about thepetition?!" Liz finally managed to say, breathless as she caught up to Hera.


    Hera, clearly out of sorts, tried to shrug Liz off and make a run for it again, but Liz grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to stop and look at her. "What’s going on?" she demanded, her voice rising with concern.


    That snapped something back into Hera. Her dazed, unfocused eyes slowly found Liz’s, and the haze in her expression lifted just enough to show a flicker of recognition.


    "What’s going on?" Liz repeated, this time softer, more desperate. "Talk to me—I don’t know what I can do if you don’t tell me."


    It was the first time Liz had ever seen Hera like this—eyes rimmed red, lips trembling, her whole body tense and pale like she was about to fall apart.


    With a trembling voice, Hera finally whispered, "T-There’s an emergency. I have to... I have to go..."


    But she didn’t finish. Her mouth mped shut as if even one more word would make her cry in front of everyone.


    Liz looked at her helplessly. "But... what about thepetition?"


    "I don’t care..." Hera mumbled, turning her face away, unable to meet Liz’s eyes.


    "What about all your hard work?!" Liz almost shouted, her voice sharp with frustration and disbelief. She had witnessed every step—every sketch, every sleepless night, every back-and-forth with the drafts. She knew exactly how much time and heart Hera had poured into thispetition. For her to just walk away now felt like throwing everything away.


    Then Hera broke down.


    Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed, "I don’t care... I have to go... I have to go..."


    She looked utterly devastated—her voice cracked, her body shaking. It wasn’t just about panic anymore; it was desperation.


    Liz’s anger melted into concern. She grabbed Hera gently by the arms and looked her straight in the eye.


    "Do you really have to leave?" she asked, her voice quieter now, searching Hera’s expression for the truth—how urgent, how important this emergency really was.