Chapter 63: Was He Looking for Her?
With a sound of something tearing up, Isabel cut an opening on the shirt, and with a slight and sharp
tug, the whole thing came off like a rag.
She hurled it on Florence’s face with utter pride and arrogance.
“There’s only twenty minute left until the opening sequence. Take your shabby shirt and get lost now.”
As she hugged her spoilt shirt, Florence felt a chill running over her skin, as if she had been confined in
an ice cave.
She had the most potential this time to seize the championship, and her dream ever since she was little
was almost realized. It was just right in front of her eyes, and she just needed to take a step and her
dreams woulde true. She would be able to stand on the most magnificent stage and be celebrated
as the most famous designer.
Yet…
Everything was ruined at the moment. She had forever lost her chance.
Florence didn’t remember how she had gotten out of the venue of the designpetition. The night
breeze was howling all around her, and all she could feel was a chill that attacked her bones.
She trod forward with her rigid body aimlessly, and she didn’t even dare to steal a nce behind her
back.
In the venue of thepetition.
Thepetition finally started, and every model made their appearance with each of them wearing
designer clothes.
Among the audience, there were quite many who were Florence’s supporters, and some of them were
even raising up a shing and blinking disy board which had Florence’s name on it.
In thepetition this time, Florence had the highest degree of support among the candidates. Almost
everyone were looking forward to what kind of outstanding attire she would create this time.
However, when it was finally Florence’s model’s turn to walk the runway, she was nowhere to be seen.
“What’s wrong? Why isn’t Florence’s model appearing now?”
“Is there an issue?”
The crowd burst into a bout of discussion, and amotion slowly took over the scene.
On the judges’ seats, the three judges turned to look at Ernest at the same time.
One of them who were seated the nearest to him whispered, “Mr. Hawkins, it has been some time, but
Florence is not making her appearance yet. Shall we send someone to look for her, or shall we just
proceed with thepetition?”
They were being polite although they held the opinion that participant who was not punctual should get
her qualification revoked and the show should go on with the other contestants.
However, due to the ambiguous rtionship between Ernest and Florence, nobody dared to push their
luck and voiced their concern.
Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
Ever since the start of the event, Ernest didn’t look very happy. His depthless gaze was trained in the
direction of the stage where contestants would make their entrance.
He was seated elegantly on his seat, yet he was exuding a dangerous aura.
Timothy came over and bent over by Ernest’s ears as he whispered, “Sir, I don’t know what is going on,
but someone told me he witnessed Ms. Fraser leaving the backstage half an hour ago. It looks like…
she has forfeited her participation in thispetition.”
The expression on Ernest’s face became darker and darker.
The next moment, he stood up abruptly and marched in the direction to the outside of the venue.
All three of the judges were confused by his actions, “Mr. Hawkins, where are you going?”
Thepetition was still ongoing, so how could a judge leave the venue so suddenly?
However, their question remained to be unanswered as Ernest’s huge frame disappeared in their field
of vision very quickly.
The three judges exchanged nces without knowing what to do next. Since Mr. Hawkins had left, they
had one less judge. How could they continue with thepetition?
Florence were dragging along her luggage from the hotel, and she boarded a bus which was headed to
City N.
She was sitting next to a window, and her forehead was perched up against it. Her gazecked any
emotion and substance, as though she had turned into a lifeless doll without any vitality.
The bus almost reached the next stop, and two girls stood up in preparation to get off the bus.
When they passed by Florence, they sneaked another nce at her. It seemed like they could
somehow recognize her.
One of the girls inched closer and asked, “Miss, are you Florence?”
Florence looked up at them with confusion in her eyes.
These two girls were total strangers to her. She had never seen them before.
The girl hastily shoved her phone which was ying a live streaming video in Florence’s direction.
“I am a loyal fan of the Ovi Fashion Design Contest, and I have be Florence’s fan since thest
round ofpetition. You look like her so much. Are you Florence by any chance?”
Florence’s eyes gradually reddened as she gazed at the familiar venue ofpletion and the runway
for models.
She bit her lips hard to force her feelings of indignation down back to her stomach, “You guys have
mistaken me for her. I am not Florence.”
The girl stared at Florence with doubt in her eyes. It was apparent she found Florence’s words hard to
believe.
The other girl spoke, “Florence will be at thepetition venue right now. It’s almost her turn.”
“You’re right.”
The girl nodded while shing a smile at Florence, “I’m really sorry because you guys really resemble
each other a lot. I have misrecognized you.”
Florence pursed her lips without saying anything but there was a suffocating sense of bitterness in her
heart.
It turned out that ever since thest round ofpetition, she had gained numerous fans. However,
after what had happened tonight, all of her hard work and her previous efforts had gone up in smoke.
Those two girls alighted the bus, and the interior of the bus assumed its usual silence.
Florence felt very upset as she leaned against the window powerlessly. Soon, sleep came to her the
moment she shut her eyes.
She was still in a half-sleep state when she heard a middle-aged man spoke, “Miss, you have reached
the final stop. It’s time to get off.”
The final stop?
Florence opened her eyes albeit her confusion. She wasn’t nning to get off the final stop.
Had she overshot her original destination?
This was really a continuous bout of unluckiness for her.
Florence dragged her luggage down the bus, and immediately she was greeted by a cold wind which
made her shudder.
She scanned her surroundings and took in what appeared to be a secluded countryside area. There
wasn’t a proper bus stop here, and she didn’t see any other mode of transportation nearby.
Florence immediately raised her concern, “I’m sorry but I’ve overshot my stop. May I know where can I
board a returning bus?”
“This is thest bus today. There will be no returning bus anymore. If you want to go back home, you
better call a friend toe pick you up. This is a secluded ce, and there is a crematorium right
there. Very rarely will a taxi pass by here.”
Upon hearing that, Florence was slightly stunned. She felt an uneasiness creeping up on her too all of
a sudden.
She checked out the area in front, and sure enough, there was a huge building a few hundred meters
away, and a huge signboard stood at the entrance: XXX Crematorium.
The bus left the scene, and her surrounding was instantly plunged into a deep silence. There was no
sign of any other human being around her.
The silence was so oppressive that it made her scalp tingle.
The presence of that crematorium seemed to loom over her in a menacing way.
Florence felt utterly creepy, so she immediately pulled her luggage and walked in the opposite
direction. As she trod on, she pulled out her phone to make a call.
Just as she was about to call Phoebe, Ernest’s name appeared on the disy of her phone.
Florence hesitated for a while before answering.
A man’s low and hoarse voice came from the other end of the phone, “Where are you?”
Florence checked the time and learnt that thepetition must have been over. Ernest must have
known by now that she had left.
She answered timidly, “I am on my way back to City N.”
“Why did you forfeit?”
Ernest asked straightforwardly.
A surging sense of dissent welled up within her, and Florence was only able to answer in a barely
audible voice, “Personal reasons.”
By saying that, she meant that she was not ready to share the actual reason.
There was a brief moment of silence at the other end. Just as Florence thought that Ernest had hung
up, his voice broke the silence again, “Send me your location now.”
Florence looked around her surrounding and she was thrown into a dilemma. She was afraid that it
would take him too far to reach her at this hour.
“I am on my way back but I don’t really know where I am. If you want to look for me, can we meet at the
company tomorrow?”
“I have searched through all the vehicles on the way back to City N. You are not in any of them.”
Ernest’s voice sounded a little distant and cold.
He had searched through all the vehicles? Florence was stuck in a stupor before sensing something
was off. She checked her missed calls and discovered that Ernest had been calling her for some time.
The intervals of those missed calls were ten minutes apart.
Could it be that the moment she had left thepetition, he had started looking for her?