Married First, Loved Later : A Flash Marriage with My Ex's 'Uncle'-Chapter 325: The Mind of a Despicable Person

Selina had just finished her sketch when someone knocked on the door—yeah right, like that was a coincidence.

Clearly, those hidden cameras were watching her.

Without a hint of suspicion, she discreetly hid one of the pages and opened the door. "All done," she said casually.

The staff member’s eyes darted around. "Right, I’m here to take note of how many contestants have finished. Miss Clark, would you mind if I take a photo of your design?"

Selina gave a faint smile. "Sure."

The staffer thought smugly, What an idiot. Who just hands over their design in a competition like this?

Still, it made her job a whole lot easier.

After she left, Selina rested her chin on her hand and leaned over the desk.

She knew Angelica would pull the same stunt again—steal her sketch and submit it as her own.

But this time, Selina wasn’t playing dumb.

With a slow, deliberate motion, she added a few lines to the sketch.

She couldn’t wait to see the look on Angelica’s face when she realized what she stole... was an incomplete design.

Five minutes later, Angelica held Selina’s draft in her hands.

Her eyes burned with jealousy and hatred—but she had to admit, the little tramp had talent.

But so what? That talent was hers now.

She would bask in all the praise that should’ve gone to Selina, and Selina...

Well, fools never learn. She brought this on herself.

An hour later, in the judges’ office:

"It’s been a day. What’s the status of the contestants?"

"I’ve heard two have already finished their designs and are starting production."

"Oh? That fast? Who are they?"

Logan sat calmly on the couch nearby, listening to the chatter.

Rigel smirked. "I’ll bet one of them is Angelica."

A judge looked surprised. "You’re right. How did you know, Mr. Rigel?"

"Angelica may not have officially studied under Star, but she’s practically my junior. I know her skill level. One day is more than enough."

Logan let out a soft scoff.

Rigel, looking smug, asked, "And the other?"

"Selina."

"Selina?!" Rigel’s brow furrowed instantly. He scoffed.

"Hmph. Some people just don’t know their place. Trying to compete with Angelica on speed, without understanding that Angelica’s work is flawless—what a waste."

The room went quiet for a beat.

So Selina finished early because she was trying to race Angelica?

Well, Angelica was a genius. Fast and precise was expected. But Selina?

Rigel’s reputation as Star’s protégé made his opinion matter—so naturally, others followed.

"Yeah, she’s rushing it. Three days is the bare minimum to polish a design, unless you’re a genius like Angelica."

"No wonder Mr. Rigel isn’t impressed. I wouldn’t want a contestant like that either."

"This is a design competition, not her playground. If she wants to challenge Angelica, she shouldn’t turn this into a joke."

Every word chipped away at Selina’s name, and Rigel smiled in satisfaction.

He nodded solemnly, playing the mentor act. "I’m not trying to be harsh—she’s bringing this on herself..."

"How long have you been in this industry, Mr. Rigel?"

Suddenly, a low male voice cut in from across the room. Calm. Cold. Dangerous.

Rigel stiffened. Annoyed, at first—who dared speak to him that way?

But then he realized.

That voice belonged to Rowan—Star’s senior. His... master’s master.

Rigel forced a smile and swallowed his frustration. "Master Rowan, I’ve been in this industry for ten years."

"Ten years," Logan said slowly, sipping his tea. "Then you must remember the incident at the ML International Fashion Expo seven years ago."

Rigel froze.

Everyone else in the room suddenly recalled it too.

Seven years ago, at the ML International Fashion Expo, the attendees were mostly foreign designers. At the time, Star wasn’t yet a household name, and the only one from Country M who could hold his own was Rowan.

Rowan had shown up only to be mocked and ostracized by the foreign crowd. In response, he designed a breathtaking gown in just two hours—one that shut everyone up. That very design is still featured in fashion textbooks today.

Rowan proved, with results, that creating a stunning gown in two hours wasn’t just possible—it was mastery.

Logan’s voice remained calm. "If I could complete a design in two hours, then a full day is more than enough for Selina."

He knew the truth: for someone of Star’s caliber, even two hours was overkill for something this basic.

Logan’s gaze turned razor-sharp as he looked directly at Rigel, his words cutting clean:

"Mr. Rigel, don’t project your limited thinking onto others."

Silence fell across the room as everyone quietly looked down.

Rowan—Logan—was clearly implying that Rigel’s perspective was narrow, fueled by jealousy.

He couldn’t complete a design in a day, so he assumed no one else could. Especially not a newcomer like Selina.

Rigel’s expression twisted. He wanted to shout back—he was Star’s student, a respected designer. How could Selina possibly compare?

If he couldn’t do it, how could a rookie like her? freewёbnoνel.com

He couldn’t allow anyone new to outshine him.

But facing Rowan, Rigel had no choice but to bite his tongue.

Fine. He’d wait until the results were in. Then Rowan would see exactly what kind of failure Selina was.

Seven days later, all contestants completed their designs.

The judging would be live-streamed for full transparency.

Contestants trickled out of their workrooms, nervous chatter filling the air.

"How do you think yours turned out?"

"I don’t know... I finished, but it doesn’t feel right."

"I heard Rowan donated 50 million to this competition. The winner gets to sign with him directly."

"Ugh... I’m so jealous. But there’s no way it’ll be me. My guess? Angelica."

"I just saw her—she looked super confident. Her design must be amazing. I’d love to see it."

As Selina was heading to meet Logan at the restaurant, she bumped into Angelica.

"Selina dear, how did your design go? No trouble, I hope?" Angelica asked sweetly.

Selina lazily lifted her gaze. Just looking at Angelica’s fake concern annoyed her.

"Yeah, maybe thanks to you, everything went unexpectedly smooth," she replied, her tone dry and unimpressed.