Chapter 276: Making It Official
Maggie met Sierra's gaze as she entered the dressing room. Sierra observed Maggie's face, noticing a faint blush, smudged lipstick, and slightly messy hair. She gripped her phone tightly and looked away.
What makes Nathael like Maggie?
Yes, Maggie is pretty, but other women are prettier. Why her?
Maggie noticed Sierra's gaze but remained silent, suspecting Sierra was behind a recent report. She needed evidence before jumping to conclusions.
"Maggie, let me touch up your makeup," Sierra offered.
"Thanks," Maggie replied, averting her gaze and lowering her eyes to collect her thoughts.
Three finalists from the First Institute—Maggie, Sierra, and Grace—remained. Grace had already performed and was awaiting results; Maggie was next, with about ten minutes until her performance.
"Maggie! Do you know anyone from the Harris Group?" Grace asked, scrolling through competition-related topics on her phone. The Harris Group's official Twitter account was trending due to a recent post.
"See? The Harris Group's official Twitter account retweeted you!" Grace exclaimed, showing Maggie her phone.
Maggie was shocked. The tweet read: "Harris Group Official Twitter – The stars will shine for you!" Attached was a high-definition photo from Maggie's last competition. Maggie was speechless, even a little annoyed by the tweet. She didn't understand her unease. Wasn't she supposed to be happy? Instead, she felt anxious. Only then did she realize she might not end up with Nathael.
Upon seeing the post, her first thought was the aftermath of a potential breakup. Maggie scoffed at herself. No matter how much she ignored these feelings, they persisted, ingrained deep within.
Various companies under the Harris Group also retweeted the post, including Nathael's mother. Then, Maggie noticed Nathael—who rarely posted—had tweeted for the first time: "The wind and rain are gentle tonight. I'm in love with someone gentle too." He included a picture of Maggie sleeping at a table, her eyelashes casting a delicate shadow on her face in the sunlight. Maggie didn't know when he took it. The sunshine enveloped her face, making her skin glow.
Maggie stared, stunned. Is he making it official? Amidst all this chaos? She swooned, despite her worry. Nathael had kept his promise, publicly acknowledging their relationship to dispel rumors of favoritism.
"You're so lucky," Sierra said sarcastically, breaking a nail from clenching her fist in anger. "Adopted by a rich family and together with a wonderful man like Mr. Harris." Maggie chuckled. "I'm grateful to whoever reported us. Otherwise, we weren't ready to go public yet." Maggie silently cursed Sierra.
Danielle said gently, "Don't worry. Your talent will shine." Maggie nodded, as the makeup artist asked, "Would you like to wear jewelry?"
Ronald, having learned from previous criticism, had ensured Luster Corporation provided high-quality jewelry. Sierra and Maggie's jewelry was top-notch. The Camerons had prepared a pearl necklace for Maggie—simple and elegant—but neither Maggie nor Nathael wanted her to advertise for the Camerons or Luster Corporation.
A knock came. "Is Ms. Adam here?" Danielle opened the door to a well-dressed male butler. "Mrs. Harris asked me to deliver this jewelry. She likes you very much and wishes you success." The butler presented the jewelry. Maggie was shocked; it must be from Nathael. Clara was kind to Maggie in this life.
Grace and Danielle were intrigued. The jewelry—a necklace and earrings of conch pearls—was stunning: seven pearls on the necklace, feather-shaped earrings adorned with diamonds and pearls. Compared to the Camerons' necklace, it was far superior.
Maggie expressed her gratitude and called Ronald, explaining the situation. Ronald was upset but couldn't afford to offend Clara, an influential figure. "You have to respect her. I'll speak to Sierra later. She has a strong following, so there may be unexpected results." Unaware of the Harrises' announcement, Ronald considered promoting Sierra, whose popularity exceeded Maggie's, hoping to curry favor with the Harrises.
Shortly after Maggie hung up, Sierra's phone rang. "I understand, Dad, don't worry," she said, glaring at Maggie resentfully. Why doesn't Maggie have to wear these flashy, tacky pieces, while I'm forced to?
Maggie ignored Sierra and texted Nathael: "Aren't you afraid I'll get tired of you and break up with you at any moment?"