Unmasking Mrs. Newton's Secret Identities novel Chapter 1172

Snow's brow furrowed deeply. After a long pause, she hesitantly said, "I think I just saw Ms. Lina…"

"Lina?" Helen instinctively looked in the direction Snow was gazing but saw nothing.

She hadn't held out much hope anyway. After all, someone who had been missing for years couldn't just appear out of nowhere. Still, this sudden distraction left her feeling a bit disappointed.

In this kind of setting, Lina's appearance would have made sense. Though she was publicly known as a professor's wife and a gentle housewife, her real identity was that of a remarkably talented jewelry designer with an intense passion for the craft.

Snow looked dispirited. "I must have been mistaken. I just felt like she was nearby, but it's been so long since I had that feeling. Maybe it was just my imagination."

The spark of hope in her eyes dimmed abruptly. Helen placed a comforting hand on her shoulder to soothe her.

Meanwhile, the host was urging the contestants to set up their work as quickly as possible. While the competition's principle was to accommodate all works, the positioning of the exhibits varied in prominence.

Renowned designers' works were displayed in prime locations, while lesser-known ones had to settle for less visible spots, often choosing through a lottery system. The difference wasn't significant, as few people ventured into the corners.

"We drew this spot, so we just have to make the best of it," Sabrina said, looking at the distant exhibits from famous designers with a sense of awe and distance.

"Don't get discouraged yet. Let's see if there are any strong competitors around," Helen suggested.

Kendrick and Sabrina had no objections, but Snow wasn't interested. "I'll stay here. Someone needs to keep an eye on things."

"Ms. Spencer, wait!" Kendrick called after her. "That's Aurora's work. She's now signed with the Cunningham family, so we're up against her."

"So what if she's a competitor?" Helen said with a smile. "If she can draw inspiration from our designs, why can't we do the same?"

Kendrick was taken aback, unable to speak. This seemed like crossing the line.

The jewelry industry had a high entry threshold. Besides some showy opportunists, most people had principles and considered plagiarism and imitation disgraceful.

Despite the Cunningham Group's previous underhanded tactics pushing Hart Jewelry to the brink of bankruptcy, Kendrick hadn't considered using their methods against them. Deep down, he believed in maintaining integrity and not descending to their level.