Chapter 508: There’s Evidence, But You Won’t Look?

Chapter 508: Chapter 508: There’s Evidence, But You Won’t Look?

The judge who had just spoken flushed with guilt, but quickly put on a self-righteous front.

"Miss Lockwood! This is a serious competition, not a place for you to play house. You can’t just spout nonsense! You said you were notified to return to the competition? Do you have any idea how strict the XM Design Competition is? Why should a tainted contestant like you be allowed back? This is unfair and disrespectful to the other contestants!"

Offstage, the support groups—especially Liza Shelby’s relatives and friends—immediately voiced their displeasure. After all, there were only twenty spots in total. If Estelle Lockwood returned, Liza Shelby would be the one eliminated.

"Old Mrs. Yeats, how could this be allowed?" Mrs. Shelby sighed. "Estelle was clearly eliminated. How could she..."

Aunt Shelby chimed in sarcastically, "Could it be that Estelle is using the Yeats family’s name to threaten people again?"

Old Mrs. Yeats trembled with anger. "Zion, look at this! This is the ’good child’ you all insisted on bringing back! Seducing judges, cheating, bribing people—is there anything she won’t do?! If she isn’t embarrassed, I certainly am!"

Zion Yeats’s face also flushed red. Yes, that had to be it.

Estelle claimed she looked down on the Yeats family, but in reality, whenever she ran into trouble, she still used the family’s status to throw her weight around. He wondered why she was like this. Why was she being so foolish?

Zion wanted to send someone to drag her away, but wouldn’t that just prove her return to the competition was tied to the Yeats family? Therefore, he could only look at Estelle with a pained expression while declaring that the Yeats family had nothing to do with this matter.

Liza Shelby burst into laughter. "The Yeats family is directly severing ties with you! Tell us, who did you seduce this time to get back into the competition?"

Several judges also grew impatient. "To think you’d come here to cause trouble. Someone, get her—"

"I’ve been standing here for quite a while now. Have none of you noticed?" Ms. Foster’s cold voice cut directly through the judges’ words.

The venue instantly fell silent.

Everyone felt a collective sense of confusion. Why did it seem like Ms. Foster, the head of the judging panel, was speaking up for Estelle? If Ms. Foster was the one backing her, it would explain why she was acting so arrogant. But why? That was the one question no one could figure out.

"On what grounds?!" Old Mrs. Yeats suddenly shrieked. "On what grounds?! She was already eliminated, so why is she allowed back?! Bitch! She only knows how to humiliate our Yeats family! You cheap, wretched thing! AHHH!"

A friend of another contestant silently inched away from the hysterical old woman. They silently judged her, wondering what her problem was. She kept crying about "our Yeats family" when her own maiden name wasn’t even Yeats.

The judges frowned. Before they could speak, they heard Ms. Foster scoff.

"You only know how to pick on easy targets. I clearly reinstated her spot and announced the reason to the entire panel. Are all of you really that busy? You have the nerve to ask why I brought her back? Why don’t you look for yourselves? Out of more than thirty people, not a single one of you checked your emails or phones?

"Or is it just like Estelle said? You clearly know the truth, you’ve clearly read everything, but because you were bought off by certain individuals, you’re feigning ignorance and deliberately spreading rumors!"

Claire Yeats trembled, her face turning ghastly pale.

[What on earth are they talking about?? What truth?]

Ms. Foster shot a cold glare at Benjamin Carter. "Didn’t this one keep swearing he would withdraw? How does he still have the audacity to show up here?"

Benjamin’s scalp tingled with a creeping sense of dread. But Miss Claire had promised she would smooth everything over for him. What else could he do? He couldn’t afford to offend the Yeats family.

Ms. Foster turned her sharp gaze to the others. "Speak!"

The thirty judges remained dead silent. Finally, the leading judge, Mr. Lindon, stood up and spoke with a sanctimonious air.

"Madam Chair, it is true that we received the notice. However, you know the current public opinion. If we allow Estelle Lockwood to return, what will become of our competition’s reputation? Even if her work is indeed outstanding—easily ranking first or second—it remains a fact that she invited Mr. Carter to meet in her room. We can’t keep her simply because she’s a good designer. If we set this precedent, there will be no going back!"

Many in the crowd felt he had a point.

Ms. Foster’s expression darkened, and she let out a bitter, angry laugh. "Reputation? Public opinion?

"Mr. Lindon, does that mean you haven’t looked at the truth or the evidence I sent out at all?"

"Ms. Foster, we just prefer to believe what we saw with our own eyes!" Mr. Lindon stated righteously. "We all agree that Estelle Lockwood’s spot should be revoked. Please ask her to leave so she doesn’t disrupt the competition any further!"

Ms. Foster gritted her teeth, but Estelle held her back.

"Judges, Ms. Foster said there was complete evidence in your emails... Have you looked at it?"

Mr. Lindon replied firmly, "Of course!"

"Since you’ve looked at it..." Estelle tilted her head curiously. "How can you still claim that I seduced a judge and acted inappropriately?"

"Because your so-called evidence proves nothing of the sort! Estelle, lying won’t get you anywhere now!"

Liza Shelby couldn’t hold back anymore and started screaming frantically. "Estelle!! Do you have no shame?! Get out! Get lost! Bitch! You cheap tramp! Bastard! Shameless whore!"

The surrounding crowd stiffened slightly. It was hard to imagine such vile curses coming from the mouth of a wealthy socialite.

Claire Yeats also sighed softly, taking the moral high ground. "Estelle... We’re on live broadcast right now. Your reputation is already... Please, just stop making a scene, okay? Regardless of everything else, you used improper methods to advance. We don’t even blame you for not apologizing to everyone, but out of all things, you absolutely shouldn’t be causing a disruption at the venue..."

Mr. Lindon breathed a sigh of relief. He kept a straight face, feigning solemnity, but inwardly he scoffed with contempt. To go against the eldest Miss of the Yeats family? Did this girl have a death wish?

"Miss Lockwood, you heard them. No one approves of your return to the competition. So, please get the hell out—"

"Mr. Lindon, what exactly are you so afraid of?" Estelle asked slowly. "I will ask you one more time. Are you absolutely certain that, after seeing the evidence, you still judge me to be guilty?"

Mr. Lindon gritted his teeth. "Of course!"

Estelle nodded. "Then my apologies, but I’ll be playing that evidence now."

"Mr. Carter, a friend of mine admires you very much. She’s staying in Room 1008, and she’s already waiting for you there~"

Then came Benjamin Carter’s sleazy, greasy voice: "Hehe, alright, Miss Yeats. I’ll head over right now."

Estelle pocketed her phone, a radiant smile on her lips.

The entire venue was stunned.

The live chat also froze in shock.

[Wait a minute... What does this mean? Someone deliberately directed Benjamin Carter to Estelle’s room?]

[Hold on, Benjamin just said ’Miss Yeats’?? Who is this Miss Yeats...]

Claire Yeats’s face turned ashen!

Zion Yeats immediately stood up. "Impossible!"

Old Mrs. Yeats stared at Estelle with a dark, venomous expression.

As if hearing the commotion, Estelle turned her head and cast a glance at Zion.