Chapter 11: The Show's Arranged

Abigail felt unsettled. She suspected that something Nina had done earlier that morning could affect the competition's outcome.

Returning to their room, Luna paced and fretted. "I'm panicking! What should I do?" The uncertainty weighed heavily on her.

Abigail said calmly, "It's only two more days until the competition. We don't have time to figure out what Nina did. We'll deal with it as it comes. There's nothing to be afraid of. So far, everything's going according to plan, right?"

Luna looked at her with concern. "Except for whatever Nina did this morning."

"We can't know what she did. Speculating won't help. We need to focus on making enough changes in case something affects the results," Abigail replied, worried about potential interference with her design process. Failure to complete her designs would mean no results to show.

A knock interrupted them. Luna glanced at the door, and Abigail quickly cleared the coffee table before answering.

Joan stood there, smiling. "Luna mentioned the shirt's been altered, so I've come to take a look."

Luna gave her a frosty look. "There's nothing to see. It's not even finished yet!"

Abigail blinked at Luna.

Joan had arrived with the livestreaming team. Luna took a deep breath and smiled. "Come in, then."

The production team would avoid capturing anything inappropriate and skip over crucial design details. They entered, and Joan asked Luna about her design changes.

Joan exclaimed, looking at the dress on the workstation and affecting a delighted expression for the camera, "It's beautiful! I can't wait to wear it on the runway!" She added suspense to the show, as needed.

The audience was curious, but the camera focused on Luna, showing only a corner of the dress. The livestream should have ended, but Joan sat down and smiled. "I'm curious about your interpretation of 'Sweet Whispers,' Luna. This change is marvelous. I may not know much about fashion design, but this altered dress impresses me."

The livestreaming team, deeming it a good question, continued the stream.

Luna turned to the camera and calmly explained, "Sweet Whispers may sound like a romance theme, but I see it as a whisper between flowers. That's why I made these changes."

Joan nodded and addressed the camera. "I'm sure you're eager to see the changes, but they'll only be revealed during the runway show. Please stay tuned, everyone."

She was professional, and no one could criticize her performance. After the livestreaming team and Joan left, Abigail looked at Luna, hesitated, then reassured her, "It's probably the production team's arrangement. Don't overthink it."

"I'm a bit too nervous," Luna admitted.

Abigail smiled and returned to work. The sewing machine hummed, punctuated only by Luna's occasional comments.

At ten o'clock, Abigail held up the dress. "There are still many unfinished details. I'll take this back to my room and work on it. You get some rest."

Luna empathized, knowing Abigail had been working all day. "It's late. We have two days to finish this. What's the hurry?"

"I can't afford to waste time. We don't know what Nina did. Can you take over if something stops me from finishing?" Abigail stood, holding the half-finished dress.

Luna was a little miffed. "I should have paid more attention in class. Now I can't help, and you have to do this alone. You have to finish the design and modifications."

Abigail held the dress in one hand and gently patted Luna's face with the other. "Don't worry. Get some sleep. We'll be fine once we finish this and win the prize."

Luna felt reassured and relaxed.

Abigail left Luna's room, carrying the dress. She ensured no one was around before hurrying to her own room.

Unbeknownst to Abigail, Nina had slightly cracked open her door and witnessed her secretive return. Intrigue gleamed in Nina's eyes. This risk had uncovered a hidden secret.

She closed the door and texted Joan: "The drama will happen during the runway show. It's going to be spectacular!"