The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress
Chapter 855 Stolen Design

Chapter 855: Chapter 855 Stolen Design

And she was right to worry. Unbeknownst to them, the meal originally designated for Hera had, in fact, been laced with an extremely high dose of laxatives. Had Hera eaten it, she would have ended up hospitalized, unable to participate in the competition. Her name would have appeared as "Forfeited" on the event list, quietly eliminating her from the stage before she ever got to present.

Alice silently watched as Hera ate the meal her people had brought for her, frustration simmering beneath the surface. She clenched her jaw, teeth grinding in irritation. The second half of the competition was about to begin—the segment where both she and Hera would present their designs. Alice had timed everything perfectly. The laxatives should’ve taken effect right as Hera stepped onto the stage.

But she hadn’t expected Hera to ask her best friend to bring her food.

Alice’s eyes narrowed, studying Hera carefully. ’Did she suspect something?’ If she did, knowing Hera’s personality, she wouldn’t have stayed silent. She would’ve confronted Alice outright. ’Or... am I just being paranoid?’

Lost in thought, Alice stabbed at a piece of sushi in her takeout box, popping the salmon into her mouth and leaving the rice untouched. Her gaze never left Hera, watching her every move while her mind raced, scrambling for a new plan to get Hera out of the competition before it was too late.

A sinking feeling twisted in her gut the longer she sat there. Her instincts screamed at her—she couldn’t let Hera step onto that stage. If she did... Alice knew she would lose.

Even after the break ended, Alice still hadn’t come up with a new plan to sabotage Hera. Her mind raced for options, but nothing concrete formed. To make things worse, the organizers had decided the presentation order through a random draw—and by sheer luck, Alice was scheduled to go right before Hera. Her turn was approaching fast, and the pressure only added to her mounting frustration.

As she anxiously fretted, her phone dinged. She opened it with a scowl, expecting nothing useful—but the moment her eyes scanned the message, she froze. A slow, wicked smile curled on her lips.

’Gotcha,’ she thought smugly.

Her demeanor shifted instantly. She rose to her feet with a new sense of confidence, even tossing a smug glance in Hera’s direction. Hera looked at her once, unbothered, then turned back to finish her meal. She calmly dismissed Athena and the others back to their seats.

The bodyguards gathered the picnic baskets and the small table, taking the leftover food to those who hadn’t eaten yet. After all, it wasn’t like the food had been touched with dirty hands—and Hera always made sure nothing went to waste.

After the break, all the contestants returned backstage to prepare for their presentations—or rather, to steady their nerves and get into the right mindset before facing the judges. No one wanted to be picked apart so easily.

When it was finally Alice’s turn, the atmosphere backstage grew tense. A large screen displayed the live broadcast of the stage, and all eyes turned to it.

The moment Alice stepped into the spotlight, she transformed. With a sweet, innocent smile and a graceful air, she captivated the audience instantly. Her posture was poised, her demeanor calm and confident as she greeted the judges with polished charm.

"Good day, everyone. My name is Alice Quinn, and I’m here to present—" Alice paused deliberately, letting the suspense linger as she turned to face the camera with a sweet, practiced smile. She then took a few graceful steps to the side, ensuring the full view of her design was captured on screen.

The display shifted to reveal a matching set of men’s and women’s jewelry: a phoenix and dragon motif, elegant and intricate—one Hera recognized instantly.

Her eyes snapped to the screen, narrowing sharply. That design was hers.

A chill swept through the backstage as Hera’s aura turned cold and dangerously suffocating. She didn’t move, but the shift in energy was too overwhelming, so intense that no one dared approach her.

Alice had done it. She had unveiled Hera’s original design before her, claiming it as her own. It was a classic setup, the kind pulled straight out of a clichéd romance novel: show the design first, frame the real creator as a plagiarist, and let the public judge.

But Hera never imagined Alice would stoop this low—and with such confidence. It meant she had help. Someone had worked with her behind the scenes to sneak the design past the staff and organizers... or worse, the organizers were in on it.

Why?

Was it the storyline again bending in Alice’s favor?

Hera’s eyes darkened further, her mind already racing through possibilities. But one thing was certain—this wasn’t going to end the way Alice hoped.

"I designed this phoenix jewelry set for women and the dragon set for men inspired by a saying: men are like dragons, soaring high into the sky, becoming the strongest, most powerful versions of themselves, able to cover the entire sky with their might. Women, on the other hand, are like phoenixes—rising from the ashes of hardship, shedding their old layers to become the beautiful, resilient creatures they are meant to be. The journey to becoming who we’re meant to be is often difficult and dangerous, but as long as we never give up, we will reach it."

Alice paused briefly, her voice steady and sincere as she continued.

"When I designed these sets, I thought of my own story. I was once a celebrity in my country, but there were many who didn’t want to see me succeed—they tried to pull me down at every turn. I wanted to prove to the world that I am more than what they assumed. If someone blocks my path, I’ll forge a new way to rise above them. The phoenix represents me, my strength to rise again from the ashes. The dragon is for my future partner—someone I hope will rise above all challenges and cover the sky, protecting me from harm while I stand by him, free and not a caged canary."

Alice’s eloquent explanation captivated the audience. Her confidence and passion filled the room, and even the judges nodded in approval, clearly impressed by both the design and the heartfelt story behind it.

Seeing the judges and audience so captivated, Alice’s sweet smile only grew wider as she smoothly transitioned to explaining the concept behind her design—the grueling process, the timeline, and every challenge she had to overcome. She was clearly well-prepared for any questions the judges might throw her way.

Everyone was amazed by the level of intricacy in her work, especially the stunning 3D representation of the design. The precision and detail were flawless—whoever created the 3D model clearly had an exceptional grasp of calculations.

Alice openly credited a talented programmer and mathematician who helped her with the complex calculations of light refraction, positioning, and ensuring the seamless transitions of the 3D design’s movements.

She smiled sheepishly at the camera as she admitted, "I’m just a designer—I’m not very good at math." Her honesty and humility charmed the crowd, making her appear both adorably genuine and refreshingly sincere. This openness only deepened the judges’ positive impression of her.

More than anything, Alice captivated the crowd with her design, flawlessly answering every question the judges threw at her. Watching this, Hera couldn’t help but clench her fists in frustration. Alice was clearly trying to throw her into the fire. If Hera went ahead and presented the same design, she wouldn’t even get a chance to explain before being branded a plagiarist.

And if Hera switched to another design—did she have one prepared? Yes, but it wasn’t as strong as this couple’s set. After all, she had designed it for Leo and herself, a symbol of hope that he might rise from his near-death experience and build a future with her.

Was Hera nervous? Absolutely not. She was burning with determination. She wanted to storm the stage immediately and expose the real plagiarist—someone who was shamelessly stealing credit and making a fool of everyone. Her blood boiled with anticipation.

What Alice didn’t realize was how foolish it was to try this stunt against Hera without truly knowing her. Hera was more than ready to confront her head-on. But what exactly was Hera planning?

Hera was determined to tear that hypocritical mask off Alice’s face on the world’s stage and make sure she’d never stand tall again. But it was easier said than done—one wrong move, and Hera would be the one condemned by everyone. And right now, she didn’t have her knights in shining armor by her side.

She had to face this battle alone, relying on solid, incriminating evidence to prove her innocence once and for all.

But judging by the way the judges were looking, it seemed the folder Hera had handed to the staff—meant for the judges—had already been switched. That meant the entire staff and organizers were involved, or at least most of them. Most likely, the evidence had been tampered with or erased by those backing Alice. What could Hera possibly use to prove the design was hers? There was no way she’d let Alice steal her work right before her eyes while wearing that smug smile.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.