Chapter 43

“Who are you trying to fool? Ms. Russo said that scarf was embroidered by Ms. Vera Stitch. How can you say it’s yours?” Maris scoffed, clearly not buying it.

Words failed Brynn. She was pretty sure the Everetts were stupid. Brynn kept her cool. “What if I am Ms. Vera Stitch?”

Kylie laughed without hesitation. “Brynn, you really need to work on your lies. Ms. Vera Stitch is a master embroiderer. You don’t even know how to hold a needle. Are you seriously trying to pull this off? You’ll get caught red-handed!”

“How shameful!” Randy frowned, chiming in.

Maris also looked upset. “Brynn, stop making up stories! We’ve raised you for over twenty years, and we’ve never seen you embroider. How can you be Ms. Vera Stitch?”

Faking it in front of these big shots was super humiliating for the Everetts.

Declan, however, had a different reaction. He smiled, “What a coincidence. I just so happen to have invited a Lesage Embroidery master here. Since everyone doubts you, why don’t you have a contest with this master embroiderer, Ms. Everett?”

“Sounds great!” Kylie immediately agreed. “That’s perfect!”

She thought Declan had finally seen through Brynn’s act and was about to make Brynn look like a fool in public. Randy and Maris felt the same way.

But Declan was smirking on the inside, ‘These idiots can’t see the forest for the trees. Today, I’ll show them just how amazing Brynn is!’

The Lesage Embroidery master, Marcel Lefevre, had been puzzled when Declan invited him. When he found out he was supposed to compete with some young upstart, he looked at Brynn with pure disdain.

“The youngster these days is way too cocky!” Marcel shook his head arrogantly. “Lesage Embroidery is the best embroidery. Nothing else can compare!”

Hearing this condescending tone, Brynn frowned just a bit. She hadn’t planned to steal the spotlight, but Marcel’s attitude was seriously grating on her nerves. “If you’re that confident, I will compete with you with Byzantine Goldwork.”

At the mention of Byzantine Goldwork, Marcel’s expression changed instantly. He thought, “That’s an ancient embroidery technique that most outsiders don’t even know about. Maybe this girl isn’t just some poser after all.”

Although he still doubted Brynn’s skills, Marcel’s attitude improved a bit. At least he was willing to give her a chance. “Alright, let’s embroider the word ‘Suncrest.’ It’ll be a gift for the Suncrest Group.”

Though willing to compete, Marcel still found a good reason to keep his dignity. He had brought his tools, and Declan set up chairs and materials for them. The two started embroidering.

It was rare to see Marcel at work, so everyone gathered around to watch.

Ten minutes later, Marcel finished first. When he held up his work, everyone gasped in admiration.

“The deals are incredible!”

“The color transitions are just beautiful!”

Kylie, seeing Marcel finish while Brynn was still working, couldn’t help but mock her, “Brynn, are you almost done? If you can’t do it, just admit it. Don’t pretend to be something you’re not!”

Just as she finished speaking, Marcel let out an amazed shout, “This… this is Byzantine Goldwork!”