Hazel finished drawing the last sketch and finally allowed herself to relax.
She stretched lazily, her coffee cup long empty.
Elaina had vowed to stay up and fight alongside her until the end, but within moments she had fallen asleep, slumped on the sofa.
"Elaina, wake up. We can go home now."
She rose groggily, rubbing her eyes. "Hazel, you finished everything? You really worked hard."
"It's fine. Let's go home."
Elaina had rented an apartment for Hazel within their residential complex, so they were heading in the same direction.
The moment they stepped out of the taxi, Elaina received a call from Kathy.
In the quiet of the late night, the excitement in her voice was unmistakable.
"Elaina! The plagiarism scandal has been cleared up!"
Elaina's drowsiness vanished instantly, her hand trembling slightly as she gripped the phone.
"What did you say?"
"Check the news! The design competition judge just issued a statement--he confirmed I didn't plagiarize. My name is finally cleared!"
Kathy wept with joy on the other end. The relentless online abuse over the past few days had nearly driven her to depression.
"That's wonderful, Kathy! If it's convenient, come back to work in the next few days, okay?"
She offered a few more soothing words, urging Kathy to rest.
After hanging up, Elaina grabbed her best friend by the arm.
"Hazel, did you really do it? This is unbelievably fast! How did you manage it?"
Faced with the barrage of questions, Hazel smiled helplessly.
"The process doesn't matter...the result does. Kathy's cleared her name, and the studio can reopen. This is my way of repaying you for taking me in."
"Oh, come on, that's what best friends are for! Hazel, having you around is such a blessing. If it weren't for you, I don't know how I would've gotten through this crisis."
Arm in arm, they shared a quiet laugh under the night sky.
Having stayed up late, Hazel slept in and didn't wake until noon.
When she opened her phone, she found a string of messages from Dark Hunter.
(Miss, I did what you asked. Pretty efficient, huh?)
(Busy? Did you see the news?)
(Miss, what about the exclusive scoop you promised me? You're not bailing on me, are you?)
Hazel tapped her forehead. She had completely forgotten about Dark Hunter.
(Just woke up, sorry about that. What do you want--entertainment gossip or an inside scoop on the city's bigwigs?)
(Wow! I get to choose? Miss, considering how awesome I am at getting things done, can I have both?)
Hazel blinked. Well, why not?
She tapped the black profile picture and quickly forwarded several explosive pieces of gossip to him.
The recipient immediately sent back several "worship the god" emojis. Clearly, as the leader of the online army, he was utterly shocked--something he had never experienced before.
(Miss, you are my one and only from now on!)
(No need for formalities. Thanks for this time, and please keep everything confidential.)
(Rest assured! I have strong professional ethics!)
Though he had lost the scoop about the design competition judge, Dark Hunter had gained far juicier news.
This deal was a total win for him.
Hazel closed the chat history with Dark Hunter and checked the latest updates online.
Although the design competition judge had clarified the plagiarism allegations, to avoid offending Oliver, he took the entire blame upon himself.
Upon verification, Kathy's work is indeed original. Oliver's piece, with its distinctive style, remains the most acclaimed entry in the competition and the undisputed champion.
Hazel scrolled down to the comments section, which was flooded with angry remarks:
Are you kidding me? When Kathy was getting slammed earlier, why didn't you step in to clear things up?
What's so great about Oliver's work? It's just another viral internet piece. Did the judges even look at it?
This is hilarious. Total hindsight. This design competition has zero credibility--it's all rigged!
Exactly! It's rigged! Oliver is clearly manipulative. Who knows what tricks she pulled? Poor designer Kathy!
Online sentiment shifted so easily...one statement could change everything.
It was truly laughable.
Hazel closed Twitter just as a message from Elaina arrived.
"Hazel, Kathy wants to treat you to dinner tonight. Are you in?"
Hazel thought for a moment and agreed, but added one more thing:
"Why not invite the whole studio team? Let's celebrate getting through this crisis! It's on me!"
Elaina replied instantly:
"Where did you get this secret stash?"
Before Hazel could respond, another message popped up:
"Fine, I'll treat. That's settled. Keep your money for chasing handsome guys."
Hazel chuckled at the teasing and dropped her insistence on paying.
Despite the online backlash against Oliver, Rayan would always rush to defend her whenever she played the victim.
Rather than wait for that, Hazel decided to take the initiative--let the "green tea bitch" taste the bitterness of her own downfall.
Only then would Oliver truly feel the sting.
Hazel reopened her phone and messaged Dark Hunter again.
(Do me a favor.)
(Just tell me what you need! I'll walk through fire for you!)
Surprised by Dark Hunter's loyalty, Hazel laid out her plan: team up with RK Corporation to hype Oliver.
(Why promote her? She's just an internet-famous designer at best. What if she becomes too big and overshadows you?)
Hazel was momentarily taken aback. He actually considered her interests--he genuinely cared.
(Ever heard of killing someone with flattery? Don't worry. I'm not afraid of people without real talent.)
With that, Dark Hunter understood immediately and agreed without hesitation.
He didn't even need Hazel to explain the details.
He contacted RK Corporation directly and presented his proposal.
The water army leader's account carried considerable clout, and collaborating to hype and praise Oliver's work promised lucrative returns.
"We'll split the profits 40/60. I'll take the smaller share. How about it? Online sentiment toward Miss Howard isn't exactly favorable right now."
The other party had already sensed the situation turning sour and was looking for a solution.
Dark Hunter's timely offer was like finding a pillow when you're sleepy!
"Deal! Profit isn't the priority--making Miss Howard a sensation is what matters most!"
The person on the other end nearly burst out laughing. If they could truly make Oliver a sensation, the President would surely reward him handsomely.
"Bro, relax. I'll work with you perfectly. Let me show you the power of the Internet!"
Each harbored their own hidden agenda, calculating their own gain.
That very night, Dark Hunter deployed a massive army of paid commenters to hype the popularity of Oliver's work.
They even gave her a clever new nickname--"the ghost designer."
The implication was clear: her ever-changing style marked her as a genius whose talent others could only envy.
