Chapter 75

Moved, Eleanor wanted to thank Nolan.

Just as the Stewart Group staff were packing up to leave, the question slipped out before she could stop herself."Is Nolan around?"

Her voice had barely faded when a few of the suited employees froze, trading knowing looks with half-suppressed smirks.

Heat crept up Eleanor's neck.

Why had she blurted that out?

Now they would definitely be making assumptions.

Trying to brush it off, she quickly added in acasual tone, "I just thought, since he has done so much for the orphanage, I should thank him in person, maybe invite him to dinner."

The staff nodded as if they bought what she said, but their smiles told a different story.

By now, gossip had already taken root both inside the Stewart Group and all over Elepdon.

People were whispering that Nolan, the famously cold and untouchable man, was chasing after Eleanor,the divorcée.

Apparently, he was spending money left and right to get her attention, yet she seemed immune to all of it.

But with her slip just now, the rumor mill had been handed fresh fuel.

The team leader leaned in with a sly grin. "Miss Warren, if you want to see Mr. Stewart, you should probably reach out to him yourself. Someone like him isn't exactly within our reach."

The others chimed in with quick agreement, then bowed out politely, leaving Eleanor standing there,feeling rather awkward. Forget it.

She'd just thank Nolan the next time she bumped into him.

Reaching out first would only make him read too much into it.

Maybe he was really tied up with work, because after those little updates on Facebook, he hadn't shown up around her again.

Eleanor actually found some comfort in that.

Two days later, the big day arrived-the finals of the fashion design competition.

The event was held in the grand banquet hall on the first floor of Enigma's store.

At the main entrance, a red carpet stretched out, and the lively crowd filled the place with noise and energy.

Meanwhile, at the quiet back entrance, a sleek black van pulled in and came to a stop.

Besty, already waiting there, stepped forward as the door opened. She bowed slightly and said with crisp respect, "Boss, everything's ready."

Eleanor checked her watch and gave a simple nod."Let's move."

Together they avoided the main building, slipping into the private passage reserved for insiders.

Right when they rounded the corner near the entrance, Eleanor's steps faltered. Her eyes landed on Lainey,who had arrived for the competition.

She was dressed in a flowing pink pleated gown, the soft color making her stand out as she moved through the crowd like a butterfly with a trail of admirers behind her.

Eleanor froze. That dress... it rang a bell.

Before she could dwell on it, Besty spoke up again, gently pulling her back to the moment. "Boss, your lounge is upstairs on the second floor, If you need anything, I'll be right here."

"Okay," Eleanor replied, tearing her gaze away before heading upstairs. The lounge turned out to be exactly her taste-spacious, quiet, with a perfect view overlooking the lively hall below.

She leaned against the railing, her eyes scanning the sea of people, and then it clicked. That dress Lainey was wearing-it was one of Eleanor's own discarded designs.

She had once sketched it, decided it wasn't good enough, and shoved it between the pages of a notebook.

So that was where Lainey had fished it out.

A faint smile curled at Eleanor's lips. Things were about to get interesting.

Down below, Lainey stood in the middle of her admirers, soaking up the praise as if the spotlight belonged only to her.

With the way everyone's eyes followed her, she felt certain today's trophy had her name on it.

After so many unlucky breaks, luck was finally turning in her favor.

Then, a voice from the crowd cut through the chatter. "Miss Gilbert, your design looks so much like Enigma's style!"

The words spread like wildfire. Faces turned, and eyes narrowed in suspicion.

And now that people were really looking, it did carry Enigma's unmistakable touch.

Had Lainey copied Enigma's work?

Or was she actually Enigma?

The crowd seemed far more excited about the second possibility.

"That's right!" a woman added. "Miss Gilbert studied fashion overseas."

The woman turned to Lainey. "Miss Gilbert, why don't you just be honest with us? Are you Enigma?"