Chapter 46

Evelyn exhaled sharply as she adjusted her emerald green evening gown. The sequins caught the chandelier light beautifully.

Victoria Sinclair's laughter tinkled like wind chimes. "I must admit, I'm envious you have such a devoted brother." Her manicured fingers toyed with her champagne flute.

The corners of Evelyn's lips curved upward. "Sebastian does spoil me terribly. He's constantly fussing over my workload and worrying someone might take advantage of me."

Penelope Whitmore's eyes narrowed as she turned abruptly. "Why are you still lurking here, Evelyn? Surely you don't actually believe you stand a chance?" Her voice dripped with condescension. "Any sensible person would have slunk away by now."

Evelyn remained silent, though she noticed Nathaniel Whitmore studying her with unexpected intensity. "The awards haven't been presented yet," she finally responded, keeping her tone even.

Penelope's scoff echoed through the grand ballroom. "I suppose this is your only opportunity to attend galas of this caliber. Better take plenty of photos for your social media - who knows when you'll get another invitation?"

She turned to Nathaniel with a smirk. "After all, without the Whitmore name, you're practically invisible. Isn't that right, cousin?"

Nathaniel's jaw tightened. "Your commentary isn't required, Penelope. Or appreciated."

Penelope flushed crimson, but Victoria discreetly squeezed her wrist in warning. The blonde socialite needed constant supervision - such a liability.

The master of ceremonies suddenly appeared on stage, clearing his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, we must apologize for a scoring discrepancy. After review, the first place winner is actually Ms. Evelyn Carter."

A stunned silence fell over the crowd. Evelyn's breath caught in her throat. First place? How?

Murmurs rippled through the audience. Victoria's champagne flute slipped from her fingers, shattering on the marble floor. This wasn't the humiliating "special recognition" she'd arranged for Evelyn.

Cassandra Blake shot to her feet, nearly toppling her chair. "This is outrageous! I demand an explanation!"

Penelope whirled toward Victoria. "What kind of game are you playing? There's no way she could win!"

Victoria's smile had frozen into something brittle. "I have no idea what's happening." Her phone buzzed uselessly in her clutch - the event coordinator wasn't answering.

The emcee continued calmly, "There was an error in the final tabulation. Ms. Carter's designs were incorrectly scored during preliminary judging."

Cassandra's voice turned shrill. "We want to see the original score sheets! This is completely unacceptable!"

Victoria stood abruptly, her chair scraping loudly. "The judging process was perfectly fair. There must be some other mistake." Her pulse hammered in her throat. If the actual designs were revealed...

As if on cue, the massive screen behind the emcee illuminated, displaying all entries with their corresponding scores. "You'll find each design has been properly attributed," the emcee announced. "Finalists, please verify your work."

Cassandra's face paled. "Those...those aren't my designs in first place. Mine are the ones currently listed second."

The emcee nodded gravely. "Precisely. The anonymous judging process allowed this error to occur. Our deepest apologies."

When the corrections were made, Evelyn's name shone at the top of the list. She barely registered the applause, her gaze locking with Victoria's across the room. This was no accident.

Victoria's nails dug into her palms. How dare that insignificant coordinator defy her instructions? She'd make sure they never worked in this industry again.

"Please join me in congratulating our true first place winner, Ms. Evelyn Carter," the emcee announced, gesturing toward the stage.

The spotlight found Evelyn, illuminating her stunned expression. The game had just changed dramatically.