One Night With My Alpha Professor by Eve Above Story

Chapter 209

Audrey & Third Person

Audrey

“I… I don’t understand…”

A failure. The judges had voted majority ‘no’ on my project.

I had worked so hard on it-countless hours spent sitting up at night, perfecting every little detail. My mother, my mentor, had personally helped me up until her coma. Even she had insisted that it would be great.

And I’d thought that the judges loved it, based on their reactions when I had revealed the final piece.

“Can… Can I ask why I failed?” I asked, ignoring Mr. Black’s coal-like eyes on me.

Judge Daniels gave me a sympathetic look. “Personally, I did love your work, Audrey. I found your presentation to be an 8 out of 10. The craftsmanship is exquisite, and your passion shines through. But…”

“But your project lacks originality,” Judge Fuller cut in, gesturing to Mr. Black beside him “As Mr. Black pointed out, you have recycled your old designs. We expect more from a student of your caliber.”

“Yes,” Mr. Black added with a self-satisfied grin. “Judge Fuller and I agreed that your work is quite… repetitive.”

…I knew it. I knew he was going to do something like this.

“But I only used small scraps of fabric from my old pieces as a symbolic gesture,” I insisted. “The gown looks nothing like anything I have made before! Each element was carefully chosen to represent my journey, my transformation, and that’s it.”

Mr. Black’s smirk widened, and I felt a chill run down my spine. His eyes gleamed with malice as he spoke. “Is that so?” he asked, gesturing to the luna moth on the bodice of my dress. “Because from what I understand, you presented a very similar gown during your Brooks Designs internship last summer. I believe it was the same gown that got you into Paris Fashion Week, correct? Hardly original, wouldn’t you say, Mr. Fuller?”

Judge Fuller nodded. “Indeed. Audrey, I was intrigued by your project at first, I will admit.” He tapped on his phone for a few moments, then turned the screen toward me. “But Mr. Black revealed photos of your dress from last summer.”

I felt the blood drain from my face as I leaned forward and studied the picture.

The picture of the dress I had made last summer. The one with the luna moth on the bodice, only this one…

This one looked almost identical to the one on the mannequin now. As if the original image had been… doctored. The room seemed to spin around me as I struggled to find the right words to respond.

“This… This isn’t…”

flashed through my mind-Mr. Black

somehow gotten photos of my gown from last year and had Photoshopped them to look similar to the one I had made for my thesis. The color was different, and the skirt

Chapter 209

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sure where he had gotten the original photos of how he had figured out what my grown for my thesis would look like, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was that he had made

“You hate me. Mr. Black, because I got you in trouble last year. And now you’re trying to sabotage me again, just like you did

The other judges gasped.

his chest, feigning hurt. His performance was so exaggerated it would have been comical if the situation weren’t so dire. “Why, I would never!” he gasped. “To think that a respectable man such as myself would stoop to such levels… I’m wounded.

sides. I could feel my nails digging into my palms, but I didn’t care about the pain. “But you can’t just go and manipulate the other judges. This

standing from his

kind eyes now filled with disappointment. “I’m sorry. Audrey, but the

“But those pictures-”

you cannot accuse judges of foul

semester will give you time to develop truly original

situation sank in. I

Eyes widening, I stepped forward, reaching for Judge Fuller’s wrist. If only I could show him my memories,

if

touch me!” Judge Fuller gasped, jumping back before

“No, I wasn’t-”

Klein,” Judge Daniels said cautiously, rising from her own chair now. “One extra semester won’t be the end of the world. Use this time to refine

“But…”

if I’d burned him even though I hadn’t touched him. “I don’t

Gathering my portfolio with trembling hands, I turned on my heel and stumbled out of the room, feeling as though the floor was tilting

for me, a bouquet of vibrant flowers in his hands. His face lit up

down the bond.

flowers slipped from his grasp, scattering

“Audrey-”

him. Not now. Not

ran past him and Tina, ignoring