The Phantom Heiress Rising From The Shadows

Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Don't Fall For His Lies The murmurs and skeptical glances in the hall did not escape Brenna's notice.

"Who would have thought? She is beautiful, but she lacks substance." "So what? She's the daughter of the Harper family. Maybe this whole competition was designed for her, and the rest of us are just here to make up the numbers." "She is beautiful and comes from a rich family. Who are we to judge how the Harper family treats their daughter?" "Does wealth really make someone better than the rest?" These disparaging comments reached Brenna's ears, but she remained unfazed. Accustomed to skepticism for over twenty years, she had learned to let her accomplishments speak for themselves.

While many harbored doubts about Brenna, their criticisms were whispered, never voiced openly. After all, they were all here to compete. Even if the Harper family had tailored the competition for their daughter, letting her win first prize. Winning second, third, or even the excellence awards was still a significant achievement.

Contrary to Isabella's expectations, no one openly stood up for justice.

Before long, a representative from the Night Stuwalked over to the scene. Tommy McCoy, the team leader usually in charge of stuaffairs, swept his eyes across the room with a steady gaze. He noticed right away that people had gotten the wrong idea about Brenna.

Looking at the crowd, he raised his voice and said, "Letclear something up before this goes any further. We're with the Night Studio. It sounds like sof you have the facts all wrong. I'm Tommy McCoy, and I know Miss Harper holds two degrees from a top university in Norview. Right after graduating seven years ago, she earned the Golden Wrench Award in a prestigious design competition. Then, six years ago, she took hthe top prize again in a global competition. There are plenty more awards under her belt, but I won't list every one of them." After a pause, he continued, "The point is, Miss Harper is not someone who didn't even finish elementary school." Isabella scoffed loudly, visibly irritated. She continued exposing Brenna's past. "Don't fall for his lies. I'm Isabella, the daughter of the Barrett family. Everyone's well aware that Brenna was only acknowledged by the Harper family not too long ago. The people who raised her are my parents, and they made it clear tothat she never even finished elementary school. There's no way she graduated from any top university. Don't let yourselves be deceived." Her confident manner lent her accusations a semblance of credibility.

17:17 Scanning the audience, she continued loudly, "And this Night Studio, who even knows them? They might just be here to cause a scene. I've never heard of them before. They could be paid off by Brenna for all we know. Don't let yourselves be easily fooled. We have to push back against the Harper Group ruining the fairness of the competition." Zeke, supporting Isabella, exclaimed, "Exactly, we should ctogether and protest. The competition rules say it must be fair. Why should the Harper family's daughter be presumed the winner?" What he said struck a nerve with a few designers who were aiming for the top prize, and soon enough, several voices rang out in agreement, saying, "Exactly!"

"I strongly oppose the Harper family's daughter participating in the competition!" Ethan surveyed the room calmly before saying slowly, "There's no need for concern. This leod fair.

competition is indeed fair. The m Harper Group has even brought in notaries to verify everything. Besides, there's one first prize, three second prizes, ten third prizes, and thirty excellence awards. The shortlist includes three times as many participants as there are winners. Winners are determined by the judges' scores and votes from the designers present here. Additionally, the works are identified only by numbers, not names. The judges and designers doing the scoring here can only evaluate the submissions without knowing who made them." After a pause, he continued to explain, "That makes the process completely fair. There's no room for backdoor deals or outcomes that were decided in advance." Still upset, Zeke asked, "And who might you be? How are you so familiar with the selection process? Are you part of the Harper family?" Ethan gave him a patient smile, assessing the man who seemed more bluster than substance.

He then said, "I'm here as one of the judges. I was invited to participate in the evaluation process."

Rosie, who had been quietly observing the commotion, was surprised to learn of Ethan's role as a judge. Isabella, visibly annoyed, o'm retorted, "That's easy for you to say. But how do we know you haven't been briefed on Brenna's number beforehand? All the judges are invited by the Harper Group. It would be easy for them to manipulate the results behind the scenes. The Harper Group has money to burn, so what's stopping them from slipping a bribe to the judges if they want to?" Brenna, acutely aware of Isabella's motives, knew that the Harper family's previous actions had nearly driven the Barrett Group to bankruptcy. It was only after Isabella allied with the Wagner family that her family's fortunes were restored. Clearly, the Barrett family would take any opportunity to retaliate against the Harper family.

"So what? My family's power is just another aspect of my strength. Are you bothered by that?" Brenna said coldly to Isabella. "If you believe the competition is rigged, feel free to withdraw. With numerous second, third, and excellence awards available, even if I win the first prize, there's plenty of opportunity for you to claim an award and collaborate with the Harper Group."