After Divorce I Married a Tycoon-Chapter 162: The First Round

After the one-on-one matchups were drawn, the performance order was randomly determined by the system.

Claire Mercer and her opponent, Joel Jennings, were set to go eighth.

A winner would be decided between her and Joel Jennings.

From the thirty winners, twenty would be chosen to advance directly.

This made the first round crucial.

The winner might advance immediately, while the loser would have to continue competing against other contestants.

Excluding the twenty who advanced, the remaining forty contestants would then compete for the ten remaining spots available today.

Anyone who didn’t advance would be eliminated.

So, today’s competition was of the utmost importance.

Some contestants could advance directly from the second stage.

The remaining contestants would have to compete in three rounds.

Losing all three rounds meant complete elimination.

Once the order was set, the contestants went to the dressing rooms to prepare their makeup and styling before waiting to go on stage and present their outfits.

Two contestants from the same competition region shared one dressing room.

On the way to the dressing room, Stella Thorne asked Claire Mercer,

"Claire, which outfit are we wearing for the first round?"

Claire Mercer had already thought it through and told her,

"The first round is very important. If we can beat Joel Jennings, there’s a two-thirds chance we can advance directly today."

"If we lose the first round, we might have to compete in two more rounds."

"Every extra match introduces more uncertainty."

"To play it safe, I think we should wear ’Elian’ for the first round."

"When the winners’ group competes for the twenty advancement spots, we’ll wear ’Crimson Blaze’."

"What about ’Azure Bloom’? I think ’Azure Bloom’ is beautiful too."

Claire Mercer said, "’Azure Bloom’ is a bit more understated compared to ’Crimson Blaze’ and ’Elian.’ If we don’t advance after two rounds, our only option for the third round will be ’Azure Bloom’."

"If we can advance in the second round, then we won’t need to show ’Azure Bloom’ at all."

Stella Thorne nodded, and the two arrived at their dressing room.

They pushed the door open to find another contestant and her model partner already preparing.

It was Chloe Lawton, the runner-up from the Rhonia region.

They had met during the month-long competition before.

She had always been quite friendly, humble, and low-key.

Seeing Claire Mercer and Stella Thorne enter, she smiled at them.

Then she continued with the final preparations for her model before they went on stage.

Claire Mercer smiled back at her before starting on Stella Thorne’s makeup touch-ups and styling.

After the styling was complete, Chloe Lawton and her model couldn’t help but gasp in admiration, not holding back their praise at all.

"Ms. Mercer, the outfit you designed is absolutely gorgeous!"

"Ms. Thorne looks like a goddess in it. I can’t take my eyes off her."

Claire Mercer also saw the outfit Chloe Lawton had designed and praised it sincerely. "Your design is beautiful too. It’s noble and elegant, with a clever concept. You’ll definitely win."

Chloe Lawton said, "Thank you."

She was glad she hadn’t been matched with a formidable opponent like Claire Mercer in the first round.

Otherwise, she really wouldn’t have been able to remain so calm and composed.

Finally, after the first seven pairs of contestants had finished competing, it was Stella Thorne’s turn.

Before going on stage, Stella Thorne’s heart was pounding.

She kept trying to calm her breathing.

"Claire, this is the national semifinals, and it’s being broadcast live on TV. What do I do? I’m getting a little nervous."

Claire Mercer was beside her, soothing her frayed nerves.

She kept encouraging her.

"Stella, you have to remember, confidence is crucial."

"This ’Elian’ set I designed is so beautiful. You look like a celestial fairy in it. You’re going to be the most beautiful one on stage tonight."

"Besides, didn’t Chloe Lawton and her model just praise you for looking like a fairy? Don’t be scared. I have faith in you, and I have faith in the outfit I designed for you."

As soon as she finished speaking, they heard the host on stage announce the names Claire Mercer and Stella Thorne.

Claire Mercer gave Stella Thorne a light hug and a gentle smile.

"Go on, my little fairy."

Stella Thorne nodded at her, then walked onto the stage.

She made her way to the center of the stage with slow, deliberate steps.

Every step she took was perfectly elegant.

She maintained a confident and sweet smile on her face.

The two small dimples on her cheeks added a touch of charming playfulness.

Under the stage lights, the outfit named ’Elian’ shimmered with a soft, crystalline glow.

Stella Thorne looked like a fairy descending to the mortal realm, wrapped in starlight, so beautiful that no one could look away.

The audience members nodded repeatedly in approval.

Even the judges exchanged glances.

Their eyes showed their approval for both the outfit and the model’s presentation.

Seeing their amazed gazes, Stella Thorne finally let out a sigh of relief.

’Looks like the first round is in the bag,’ she thought.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the stage,

Joel Jennings watched the screen showing Stella Thorne in the ’Elian’ outfit, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.

’That woman, Claire Mercer... How could she design something so ethereal?’

’She must have been hiding her true abilities during the preliminaries.’

’It seems I underestimated her.’

He glanced at the clothes he had designed, now worn by his own model...

He knew he probably couldn’t beat Claire Mercer in the first round.

But when he caught the look of utter amazement on his model’s face,

his already sour expression and gaze turned icy cold in an instant.

After he had dressed and styled his model, she had been very composed.

While she had expressed her approval of his outfit,

he could tell her approval and praise were perfunctory, not from the heart.

But now, she was showing such an amazed expression for an outfit designed by his rival, and it infuriated him.

"What’s with that look on your face? Are you dissatisfied with my design?"

Joel Jennings’s model was startled by his chilling tone.

She forced a smile and explained,

"Mr. Jennings, that’s not what I was thinking."

Joel Jennings pressed on. "Then why did you have that look of amazement for the outfit Claire Mercer designed?"

His words left the model stunned.

’Is there something wrong with this Joel Jennings guy?’ she thought instantly.

’Why can’t I express my appreciation for something beautiful?’

’There’s a significant gap between his design and Claire Mercer’s.’

’Doesn’t he know that himself?’

’Besides, I’m just his model partner, not his subordinate.’

’What right does he have to question me with that kind of attitude?’

Just as she was about to voice her opinion, the host called her name.

Before she went on stage, Joel Jennings said to the model,

"Make sure you perform well."

’Don’t ruin my clothes.’

The model ignored him and turned to step onto the stage.

This model’s stage presence was also very steady. Her steps were elegant and practiced, and she handled the outfit with ease.

However, it was obvious that after seeing Stella Thorne, the audience and judges weren’t particularly impressed by Joel Jennings’s design.

In fact, when the two models took turns presenting and then stood side-by-side for comparison, Joel’s design was completely eclipsed by Stella’s.

It wasn’t that the model’s performance was lacking.

Rather, the outfit she wore failed to highlight her strengths and even seemed to clash with her disposition.

In the end, ’Elian,’ designed by Claire Mercer, defeated the outfit designed by Joel Jennings.

The saying "clothes make the woman" is not just an empty phrase.

Thanks to Stella Thorne’s exceptional natural abilities, enhanced by the ’Elian’ outfit, the pair naturally advanced smoothly in the first round.