Free Web NovelChapter 187: Chapter 187 Tablet Troubles
Christina’s POV
Hudson squeezed my fingers. "Relax. You’re ready for this. I might come by later to watch."
I walked in alone.
The registration staff scanned my ID and confiscated everything electronic—phone, smartwatch, even the fitness tracker I never used.
Eight hours with zero outside contact.
My assigned room was basically a box—about twelve square meters with dull gray-white walls and no windows. Just a metal chair, a worktable, and a touchpad bolted to the surface. A sliding door in the corner concealed a tiny bathroom.
At precisely nine o’clock, the screen lit up.
Three words appeared on the display:
[Evening. Gemstones. Composure.]
We needed to design a complete set—ring, necklace, earrings, and bracelet.
I stared at the words for a few seconds, then smiled.
"We’ve got both skill and luck on our side," Akira whispered in my mind.
I’d actually been toying with something similar already. Not exactly the same combination, but close enough.
Pure luck. Or maybe my instincts weren’t completely off.
Either way, I already had two concepts ready to go.
I chose the first one. The necklace came together quickly.
I designed a structured Y-shaped piece with a hidden clasp, set with graduated rectangular-cut aquamarines that converged toward a central pendant. Platinum base, tension setting, with negative space at the collarbone for balance.
No curves. Everything angular and symmetrical.
When I glanced at the timestamp in the corner of the screen, it showed 10:00 AM.
I leaned back, stretching my arms above my head.
I felt smug for about half a second—until something started bothering me.
Given my usual workflow, this necklace should have taken two hours.
It was always the slowest part of my process.
I had never finished first. Never that quickly.
I scanned the room again.
No clock. No way to verify anything.
The tablet wasn’t connected to the internet. I couldn’t even open a browser.
If something was wrong with the tablet—if the time was incorrect—I’d have no way to pace the rest of my designs.
For the next several hours, I’d be flying blind.
"Chrissy, I think someone’s messing with us," Akira said in my head.
I agreed with her. For a prestigious design competition like this, every element should follow strict protocols without technical glitches. This kind of basic error made me suspicious.
I got up to try the door. It didn’t budge.
The lock clicked from outside, standard procedure for these competitions.
No entry or exit once the competition started.
I knocked. Then raised my voice.
No response.
In the ceiling corner above the doorframe, a tiny camera blinked red at regular intervals.
I looked directly into the lens. "Hey, I need someone in here. The clock’s malfunctioning."
Nothing.
I sat back down, closed my eyes, and took three deep breaths, trying to stop my hands from shaking.
The competition continued regardless, and I couldn’t let this hiccup derail the rest of my designs.
I grabbed the stylus and pushed forward, sketching rapidly.
I couldn’t stop.
When the tablet showed 12:00 PM, I had completed rough drafts of all four pieces.
The line weights varied and details weren’t refined, but the basic structure was solid enough to build upon.
I didn’t believe it was only noon. It had to be closer to 1:00 PM, maybe even 2:00 PM.
Then I heard footsteps outside.
The lock turned.
Octavia Grey walked in with a smile.
"Hey, darling. The organizers sent me for a judge meet-and-greet. How are the sketches coming along?"
I jumped up so fast my chair scraped harshly against the floor. "Octavia. Thank Goddess. What time is it?"
She checked her watch. "Quarter to two. Why?"
I stared at her. "The screen says it’s noon."
She blinked, then strode over, squinting at the tablet’s corner. "Shit. You’re right. Didn’t anyone bring you lunch? They were supposed to deliver around 12:30."
I shook my head. Nobody had come.
Our eyes met. freewebnσvel.cѳm
Her gaze narrowed.
If the clock was wrong and lunch never arrived, someone was deliberately disrupting my timing—slowing me down, throwing off my rhythm, making me miscalculate my remaining work time.
Most designers get so absorbed in their sketches that they lose track of time.
Someone had been counting on that.
"This is sabotage," Octavia said.
I nodded.
She stormed out, slamming the door. "I’m going to find out which scheming little bitch came up with this brilliant idea."
Ten minutes later, she returned with a small group.
The leader, tall, blonde, and blue-eyed, was clearly in charge.
Gray power suit, stilettos, piercing gaze.
She towered over Octavia, introducing herself with a slightly rigid accent.
"I am Dr. Arieno DuBois, one of the competition directors. Let me see."
She picked up my tablet, glanced at the screen, and clicked through several settings.
Her eyebrows rose.
"The time sync is definitely malfunctioning."
A guy in his mid-twenties with short hair and a laminated badge stepped forward.
"Our team handled the equipment orders. Everything was working when we brought it in. I don’t know how this could happen."
I stared at him. "Are you suggesting I tampered with it myself? Why would I do that?"
He stammered, "Um, no, that’s not what I meant. Maybe it’s a batch issue, or a manufacturer defect—"
I kept staring until he shut up.
The room fell silent.
Dr. DuBois cleared her throat. "It appears to be an oversight. We’ll get Ms. Vance a new tablet immediately."
Octavia cut in, "This isn’t some oversight. I’ve never seen a tablet where only the clock function fails while everything else works perfectly. And if they’re all from the same batch, why is hers the only one with issues?"
Dr. DuBois looked her directly in the eyes. "What exactly are you implying?"
"Someone tampered with it. Deliberately. If Christina hadn’t discovered it, she would have missed the deadline. Who’s taking responsibility?" She didn’t wait for an answer. "And where’s the lunch that should have been delivered at 12:30? Nobody came to this room."
A girl from the back stepped forward.
Skinny, nervous, barely old enough to rent a car.
"That’s my fault, I’m sorry. I was supposed to deliver it. This room is tucked in the corner and I... forgot."
Her eyes were already red.
"Absolutely unacceptable. That is not even remotely a valid explanation," Octavia snapped.
