Chapter 51: Win Some, Lose Some

Upon hearing this, Mia raised her eyebrows and looked at Vanessa with a half-smile.

Vanessa's smile froze. She instinctively turned to the old lady beside her, feeling uneasy yet hopeful.

Madam Adam, however, remained calm. She looked at Vanessa and said softly, "Ms. Gatlin has a point. We must accept the loss. Since we can't win, we must admit defeat." Vanessa was stunned. Tears welled in her eyes. She stared coldly at Maggie and asked, "What have you done?"

Maggie replied coldly, with a smile, "No comment."

Vanessa's nails dug into her palm. She hadn't expected Maggie's success. How had she tarnished Madam Adam's reputation?

"Tsk, it seems someone's destined to lose," Mia said softly, her posture seductive and alluring. For a moment, the necklace around Vanessa's neck felt like a burden.

With tears in her eyes, she yanked it off and threw it onto the velvet tray. "Don't get ahead of yourself," she warned.

Mia picked up the necklace. The exquisite piece looked like a work of art, but her expression showed no appreciation. She casually twirled it, as if it were worthless.

"Relax, Ms. Brown. I'll only enjoy this trinket for three days at most. It's not worth my time."

"You!" Vanessa's lips trembled with fury.

Madam Adam stood up. "There's no point in arguing. Vanessa, don't regret what you've lost."

Vanessa pretended obedience, but bitterness filled her heart. But if I never owned something, how could I lose it?

Mia looked at Madam Adam. "Thank you for your understanding."

Madam Adam nodded, her expression flat.

After Vanessa and Madam Adam left, Mia wrapped her arms around Maggie's neck and kissed her cheek.

"Maggie, you're amazing!"

Maggie, dizzy from the kiss, glanced at Mia, laughed lightly, and asked, "Can I take that as a compliment?"

"Of course! Tell me how you did it," Mia said, her earlier indifference gone. She was eager to know.

"I'm friends with the brand's main designer. She's always wanted to recruit me, but I never agreed. When designing this collection, she lacked inspiration. During a casual conversation, she came up with a new idea and thought my name should be credited for the work," Maggie explained. While she used the name 'Madagic' to maintain a low profile, it wasn't a secret. She rarely appeared in public, but had connections with many designers.

Maggie felt Blaire's insistence on adding her name was excessive. Inspiration was personal and spontaneous. Even if she provided direction, it might not align with her style. Design ultimately depended on the individual.

"Maggie, you're truly amazing!" Mia said with pride, like a doting mother celebrating her daughter's achievement.

Maggie was speechless.

"Hey, I know you were going to smash the necklace if you didn't get it," Maggie teased, chuckling.

Mia touched her nose. "How did you know?"

God knows I was about to explode! If not for fear of dragging you down, I would have smashed it on the spot. Generosity? Sorry, I don't possess that quality. I want it, don't I? If I can't have it, I'll destroy it! Anyone who tries to take something from me can forget about it!

The next day, Maggie returned home with her belongings, including a stack of design drafts.

Madam Cameron and Sierra were home. Seeing Maggie's burden, Madam Cameron called for servants. "What are you all staring at? Help Maggie!"

"It's alright, Grandma. These are design drafts. I don't trust others to handle them," Maggie explained softly.

Sierra, playing games, paused and glanced at a light purple folder in Maggie's hand.

"In that case, take the drafts and the computer yourself. We can't afford any mistakes," Madam Cameron corrected herself.

"Don't worry, Grandma. Can you have Mrs. Brooks take care of me for a few days? I haven't been eating well lately. I might need her to prepare meals and late-night snacks," Maggie asked. Before Madam Cameron could respond, Sierra leaped up, shouting angrily,

"Why? Mrs. Brooks has always taken care of me! She's my maid!"

Maggie was stunned. "Isn't Mrs. Brooks working for our family? I'm still an outsider. I shouldn't have considered this." Her tone became dejected.

"Why are you acting like that? There are so many maids! You're doing this on purpose! You want to take everything from me, but it won't happen!" Sierra shouted.

Madam Cameron scolded Sierra. "Your sister is busy! All you do is play games! Let Mrs. Brooks take care of your sister for a while." Sierra, however, whined and acted cute, clinging to Madam Cameron's arm. "Grandma! I disagree! I love Mrs. Brooks's food!" Madam Cameron, swayed by her tantrum, agreed.

Maggie looked down and said softly, "I also enjoy Mrs. Brooks's cooking, but… I rarely had the opportunity to taste it."

Madam Cameron's demeanor changed. "Haven't you had plenty since you were a child? Mr. Alfred can cook. Mrs. Brooks hasn't cooked in a long time, so her skills may have deteriorated. Besides, she will naturally bring a small portion of whatever she cooks to you."

Sierra, furious, released Madam Cameron's arm and glared at Maggie. Maggie, from a hidden vantage point, flashed a triumphant smile. Sierra noticed it, her anger intensifying. Urghh! My god! That btch! Maggie is despicable.*

Maggie ascended the stairs, silently plotting. The fish was about to take the bait. The Herschire Cultural Park project would be her first gift to the Camerons after her rebirth.

This cleaned-up version corrects grammatical errors, improves sentence structure, and removes inconsistencies in punctuation and capitalization. It also removes the unnecessary repetition of the chapter title. The italicized sections are kept as they convey the internal thoughts of the character.