As soon as the mention of Ivan's name reached his ears, Steven understood the topic of their hushed conversation. With a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, he chuckled and said, "To be honest, I wasn't keen on coming here. My creations are usually reserved for high-fashion runways, not reality TV shows. But Ariana sweet-talked me into it by promising that my designs would be displayed at the triumphant awards ceremony."

Sarah felt a tinge of nervousness and turned to Ariana, asking quietly, "What if I don't win the competition?"

"I have faith in you, Sarah. Just give it your all and try not to let the stress get to you." Ariana smiled comfortingly and then retrieved a stunning set of jewelry from her bag. The earrings were pearls surrounded by fragments of diamonds, and the necklace was particularly special, in the form of a revered symbol—a mother holding a baby.

Sarah was taken aback and asked, "How did you figure out what my song for today was about?"

Sarah hadn't shared the details of her performance with Ariana.

She simply informed the production team of the song she would be singing.

Ariana smiled and replied, "Just a lucky guess. It seems like we have a special connection."

At the same moment, Steven's assistant unveiled a stunning off-shoulder half-hollow dress, which perfectly complemented the necklace.

Betsy was in awe and exclaimed, “Oh my! What a gorgeous dress

It'll look amazing on you."

Sarah gazed at the dress with determination in her eyes.

Ariana said to Steven, "I'll leave it to you. I'll be heading to the auditorium to eagerly await the surprise."

With that, she bid farewell to Steven and made her way out of the dressing room.

As Ariana settled into her seat in the audience, she was greeted by the sour expression of Jasper sitting beside her.

Without delay, he spoke out in a sarcastic tone.

“You never cease to amaze me, inviting Steven to this event. I can only imagine the amount of time and effort you must have put into securing his presence."

Ariana was well aware of Jasper's subtext, and she retorted with a chilly tone, “You seem to be unaware that Steven is a close acquaintance of Ivan, the very designer you and Brielle disregarded. Yet, Ivan has achieved great success, recently winning a prestigious international jewelry award."

Jasper's expression grew tense as he asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Ariana replied coolly, “Just a simple observation. It seems that many prominent brands are eager to join forces with Ivan now. It might not be as easy for you to work with Ivan again, wouldn't you agree?" Her words dripped with sarcasm, mirroring Jasper's earlier tone, which made him grind his teeth in frustration.

Jasper tried to hide his anger and put on a nonchalant expression.