The professor’s words left Hailey utterly speechless.
Her mouth moved for a moment, but no sound came out.
Finally, under Dr. Kerrick's intense gaze, she lowered her head.
Dr. Kerrick looked away. His voice was steady. “Let’s move on to the next designer’s presentation.”
Hailey’s fingers tightened on the handle of the presentation cart. She bit her lip, unwilling to concede.
But after the verbal onslaught from the professors, her confidence was clearly shaken. She didn't dare say another word and could only retreat to her station, pushing her cart in disgrace.
The pride and triumph she had felt during the first round were now replaced by shame and humiliation.
She could feel the eyes of the audience on her… full of curiosity, contempt, and mockery.
Just a round ago, they had looked at her with admiration and envy.
Hailey was furious. If she had known the rules for the Rising Star competition were going to change, she never would have participated!
That Daphne… she must have done this on purpose!
After Hailey retreated, the other designers presented their work in numerical order.
For each piece, the judges offered constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement.
Once all ten designers had shown their finished pieces, the contrast was stark.
It only served to highlight Hailey’s complete lack of professionalism.
Not every designer knew the entire fabrication process, but they all possessed the fundamental skills of a professional jeweler.
With the assistance of the craftsmen, they had all produced fairly impressive pieces.
At the very least, everyone demonstrated a strong grasp of the basics.
This made Hailey’s expression grow even darker.

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