Mrs Hale, I Surrender
Chapter 358 - 357 Warning: Stay away from Mr. Hale!

Chapter 358: 357 Warning: Stay away from Mr. Hale!

Zoe Payne wasn’t interested in any competitions, yet her Mr. Hale, calling off his engagements, insisted they attend, and recently, Zac Cruz had been shadowing his uncle, acting all secretive. She knew something was definitely up.

Occasionally bumping into Zac Cruz, she asked, "What are you busy with?"

He just smiled and said, "Just work stuff."

"With your uncle?"

"He’s short-handed, so he asked me to fill in. It’s tedious business, you wouldn’t be interested."

Not a word more would he divulge.

So, she sent Kyle Lowe to pry.

After Kyle called him Brother Cruz, the man actually said, "Don’t think you can get our Third Master’s secrets out of me by calling me ’Brother’. If you really want to know, you’ll have to call me that a few more times."

In the end, after a few more ’Brothers,’ Zac Cruz let slip, "It’s a secret, but he’s having me investigate Miss Lopez."

He believed he shared a revolutionary friendship with Kyle, so revealing a few details seemed harmless.

Then,

Kyle immediately went and spilled the beans.

Hearing that this matter involved Sussie Lopez, Zoe also wanted to join in on the fun.

Wyatt Hale was already moonlighting in her store, and when he heard his sister-in-law was going to some event, he perked up like a cat smelling fish and insisted on tagging along.

Thus the crowd of onlookers just kept getting bigger and bigger.

---

The day before the competition selection, also the final deadline for submissions, all entries would be archived; their creators’ names removed. An expert panel organized by the committee would conduct a blind selection lasting one day in a closed session.

The selected works would be publicly displayed and the final results announced on the same day.

This ensured that the expert judges, decided upon at the last minute, would prevent any possibility of bribery through foreknowledge.

That day, Finn Hale visited the Payne Family.

Sussie Lopez stood in the courtyard, keeping her distance as she observed the falco rusticolus that Martin Yates had brought back from abroad.

The creature didn’t seem vicious but disliked strangers and was a formidable hunter.

She didn’t dare get too close.

With the New Year only a few days away and Martin Yates residing at the old house recently, he had brought the bird along.

"How’s your hand?" Finn walked straight toward her, "Does it still hurt? Coming out to catch a cold?"

"The family doctor took out the stitches yesterday. It’s okay, I can hold a pen now, but I can’t use my hand for extended periods."

"Are you still working?"

"A little, but mostly my colleagues are helping out."

Normally, once the design drafts are final and approved by the client, the studio would release them publicly, showcasing the designers’ skills and creativity, attracting more clients to their doors.

That’s also why designs signed by Sussie Lopez had been leaked.

Having been in contact with Finn Hale so much lately, even if she wanted to plagiarize, she wouldn’t be so foolish.

As they spoke, she noticed the bag in Finn’s hand, and he was already reaching out to hand it to her, "For you."

"What is it?"

"Open it back in your room."

He left something behind and took a quick glance at the construction site before hurrying away.

Sussie found a dress in the bag once she was back in her room.

Having come to Payne House to recover, all her toiletries had been prepared in advance by her senior colleagues, and she truly lacked attire for important events. Tim Payne had planned to take her shopping, but was momentarily stunned when he saw the dress hanging on the rack, "Who sent this?"

"The studio!"

Tim Payne didn’t suspect a thing, merely commenting with a laugh, "Your boss is really considerate."

The black velvet long-sleeve dress skillfully concealed the injury on her arm. Its clever tailoring, devoid of excessive embellishments, exuded an elegant old-money vibe.

On the day of the competition, Julia Yates arranged for a makeup and hairstyling artist. When Tim saw her again, he appraised the dress, remarking, "Your boss has good taste."

Sussie felt a twinge of guilt.

When they arrived at the venue, the event organizers personally welcomed them.

"Junior President Payne, we truly didn’t expect you to come, it’s our great honor."

"This must be Designer Sussie Lopez, I didn’t expect such excellent work, and the person behind it is so beautiful."

After a round of polite compliments, they led the two into the inner area.

Tim Payne was surrounded by people, leaving Sussie Lopez on her own. The works selected for the competition were rotating on the big screen.

She soon spotted Declan Saunders’ design work.

Surprisingly, it had been selected.

That meant there was a chance to win an award.

She was genuinely happy for her colleague; others in the field also praised the work when they saw it.

"Declan Saunders? I’ve never heard of him before, but this piece is really good. It seems simple, but it’s full of clever details, showing a master’s touch."

"Could this year’s gold medal go to Northern Architecture Studio?"

"I’m favoring this work, after tonight, Declan Saunders might shoot to stardom."

"Don’t you feel like this work is somewhat familiar?"

"It’s normal, many start by imitating the masters in the industry, so styles can be similar."

Sussie Lopez frowned.

Why...

did it look familiar?

She felt like she had seen it somewhere before.

She had had a lot of work intersections with Declan Saunders; could she have seen it at his place?

But since the designs were scrolling, she hadn’t had the chance to look closely—as it was already skipped over. Soon, people approached to greet her, all well-known designers in the industry, and she politely made small talk.

Until someone mentioned, "M & R has arrived."

This was Finn Hale’s studio.

A big shot’s team in the industry, they captured everyone’s attention upon arrival. Leading them was Finn Hale’s assistant, Finn Robinson, who came with several designers. In the moment their gazes met, she felt a surge of malice.

Many memories surfaced, and the hand at her side instinctively tensed.

Two of the people from Finn Hale’s studio knew her.

Seeing her again, they inevitably showed surprise.

Especially when they learned of her relationship with Tim Payne, their looks became subtly different.

Finn Robinson said something in a low voice, and the group didn’t come over to greet her.

"What’s wrong? You look a bit pale." Tim Payne had been watching her all along, and when he noticed something was off, he glanced at the people from M & R.

Finn Robinson, who was some distance away, nodded politely.

"It’s probably just the wound that’s uncomfortable."

"Shall we go home?"

"I just need to rest for a bit."

Using rest as a reason, Sussie Lopez went to the back of the venue and stood by the window for some air.

Since returning to the country, she had known—it was only a matter of time before she ran into people from M & R, and her past relationship with Finn Hale couldn’t be hidden. She wondered what her senior brother would think upon finding out.

As she contemplated, rather than being discovered, she decided it would be better to come clean to her senior brother.

So tonight, when she got back, she’d tell him the truth.

After all, whether she faced it now or later, the blow was inevitable. Her phone vibrated, a message from Zoe Payne: "Have you arrived with my brother? I’m almost at the hotel entrance."

Sussie Lopez was about to reply to the message when out of the corner of her eye, she spotted someone approaching. She looked up and was momentarily stunned.

"Assistant Lopez, long time no see."

It was Finn Hale’s assistant—

Finn Robinson!

"Hello," Sussie Lopez greeted him politely.

Having followed Finn Hale for some time and having attended many significant events, Finn Robinson had a commanding presence not fitting of a mere assistant. He chuckled softly, "I thought you might never come back?"

"Why can’t you stay away from Mr. Hale?"