Chapter 109: It's Your Handwriting

Abigail emerged from the bathroom and found Sean fixated on the draft on the coffee table. Unease gripped her, and she blurted out, "How did you get in?"

His focus shattered. He turned to her, picked up the draft, and said, "Kevin gave me a key card. Why is that a problem?"

She took a deep breath. "Why did Kevin give you a key card? Why did he think I wouldn't let you in?"

Ignoring her question, Sean studied the draft. Abigail tightened her towel and approached him, her nerves under control. "So, what do you think of the changes?"

"Why is the paper filled with your handwriting?" He held the draft and looked at her. Her hair was still wet, and water droplets trailed down her collarbone. He found himself captivated, momentarily lost in thought. She spoke, her voice distant.

"Ms. Smith wants me to transcribe the design elements she comes up with to nurture my creativity."

Sean wasn't registering what Abigail said. He put down the draft and examined the altered dress. It was beautiful, but not as captivating as the single droplet of water sliding down her body. She moved closer. The scent of her shampoo was intoxicating. He found himself captivated by everything she did.

In a whimsical gesture, he scooped her up in a princess carry. "Are you doing this on purpose?"

She was shocked. "You barged into my room, and now you're accusing me of doing this on purpose?"

He ignored her and playfully tossed her onto the bed.

She smacked him. "I haven't dried my hair."

"If it makes your bed wet, you can sleep in my room," Sean rasped.

The doubts he'd had after seeing the draft vanished in the tenderness of that night.

Morning arrived. A weary Abigail went to the dining hall with Luna. Luna smiled. "Did the draft keep you up all night? Is it that hard?"

Abigail rubbed her temples. "The draft is finished, but Sean entered my room last night with a key card. He saw the draft and the altered dress. I thought we were exposed."

Luna gasped. "So, he…"

"It's alright," Abigail reassured her, leaning closer. She confided how she'd been compelled to seduce Sean.

Luna breathed a sigh of relief. They reached the dining hall, and Damian discreetly led them away from the cameras. "I ran into Nina in the garden at five this morning. She was acting suspicious and nervous when she saw me."

Abigail asked, "You were up at five?"

"I couldn't sleep. You mentioned wanting competition, so I panicked and worked all night. I took a stroll in the garden to unwind, but that's when I encountered Nina," Damian explained, looking drained.

Luna noticed Nina and Joan entering. She guided Abigail to a seat. After everyone settled, Victor grumbled, "You're still modifying your design, Damian? The show's in two days. Don't give me anything embarrassing, understand?"

The other designers tensed. Damian exchanged a glance with Luna and remarked sarcastically, "I sacrificed sleep last night, taking a stroll in the garden. Surprisingly, a certain designer's lights were on all night. She's working diligently in secret."

Luna remained composed. "What do you mean 'working hard in secret'? I made a few adjustments because I felt my design didn't align well with the theme."

This revelation dampened the other designers' enthusiasm. If Alana's team was working so hard, they couldn't afford to relax. Nervousness washed over them as they fretted about the first round.

Damian left the dining area without eating much. The other designers quickly returned to work, making all the changes they could.

Nina remained unruffled and leisurely finished her breakfast. As Abigail and Luna prepared to leave, she looked at them knowingly.

Abigail and Luna didn't leave immediately. They met privately, out of the cameras' view. "Everyone's in a frenzy. I thought Nina would be too, but she seems oddly confident," Luna remarked, rubbing her chin.

Abigail frowned. "What did she do in the garden? And why is she so confident?"

This cleaned up the grammar, punctuation, and some slightly awkward phrasing. I also corrected a few inconsistencies (e.g., Sean vs. Scan). The asterisks around some words seem like they were intended to indicate a missing or inappropriate word; I've removed those and left the text as it seemed logically to be intended.