Chapter 102: Vanessa Bennett Was Clearly Upset

Vanessa Bennett was clearly upset, but they were in a public place. Throwing a tantrum would ruin her image. She forced a sweet smile. "What's going on, Bianca? Take your time and explain." Bianca Reyes felt all eyes on them. She understood why Vanessa was being so polite. For a moment, she was speechless. One of the socialites seemed to guess the news. "It can't be," the woman probed. "Did Vanessa lose the competition?"

"That's impossible," another heiress exclaimed. "She practically had it in the bag. How could she lose?" The crowd gathered closer. They began pulling out their phones to check the news.

The complexions of the socialites instantly paled. Vanessa sensed the shift. She snatched the phone from Bianca's hand. Her eyes scanned the headlines. The entire internet was obsessed with Sienna Bennett's new tagline and platform. Furthermore, Sienna's endorsed fashion line, 'Midnight Iris,' had completely sold out. In stark contrast, the sales of Vanessa's 'Crimson Blush' collection were minuscule. Only a hundred sets were purchased by her most loyal fans. It was a total defeat. Her expression said it all. The onlookers immediately began making excuses.

"Vanessa, we just remembered something urgent. We have to go. We'll catch up later." They scurried away like frightened mice.

From a distance, a low voice carried over. "Hmph. She was trying on gowns way too early. Did she really think she'd win this year's prize? Someone finally put her in her place!" Rage consumed Vanessa. Her palms curled into tight fists. Her jaw clenched so hard it ached. Those disloyal social climbers always flocked to the next big thing. She would make them pay one day. A boutique assistant approached timidly. "Miss Bennett, are you purchasing the gown? Store policy states that even VIPs cannot try on a gown for more than five minutes..."

Vanessa's face darkened like a storm cloud. Even this lowly shop girl dared to disrespect her! In the past, she would try on gowns for over ten minutes without a word. The audacity! Bianca saw Vanessa's fury and feared she might collapse.

"We'll take it!" Bianca declared to the assistant. "Of course she's buying it! Here's my card. Please give us some privacy." She handed over her card and quickly guided Vanessa into a private fitting room.

Once inside, Vanessa's composure shattered. She grabbed the nearest object and hurled it across the room. "That witch, Sienna! How dare she! How could she be so vile! How could she defeat me!" she screamed.

'The winner should have been me,' Vanessa seethed internally. 'Everyone's admiration should be mine!' If her plan had succeeded, the Valenne launch would have been a triumph. The 'Most Valuable Commercial Model Award' would have been hers. Now, everything was ruined.

Bianca watched the meltdown with deep distress. "Vanessa, I never expected Sienna to pull such a stunt. I know you're furious. Let it all out. Once you're done, we need to find a solution."

"A solution?" Vanessa spat with bitter defeat. "What solution? Have you seen what the netizens are saying? They're all laughing at me! Can't you see how Sienna is overshadowing me completely?" She roughly tossed Bianca's phone back to her.

Bianca didn't have time to react. The phone struck the back of her hand with a sharp thud. Pain shot through her, but she felt no anger. Only profound sorrow filled her heart. The more she saw Vanessa suffer, the worse she felt.

She picked up her phone and stepped forward. She wrapped her arms around a trembling Vanessa. "Tori, if you need to cry, then cry. You don't have to hold back with me. If you need to hit me or scream at me, do it. This is my fault as your manager. I failed you."