She struggled against the sudden surge of emotion, trying hard to keep her face from looking tense.
With a gentle movement, he tilted his head to the side, carefully avoiding Collin's gaze so as not to be noticed by him.
The last thing he expected was to see Collin here.
Observing how the Stars Vision Company executives bowed to him, he had no doubt left—Collin was the mysterious founder.
Accepting this unpleasant reality was certainly very difficult for her. She clenched her jaw, her mind replaying their unpleasant encounter on the street earlier.
His spontaneous tone and disrespectful attitude had crossed the boundaries of politeness.
Yet, once upon a time, the mysterious founder of Stars Vision compa had been her inspiration, the reason she aspired to excel in design.
Could her inspiration be as arrogant as Collin...?
As she pondered this, a group of executives approached Collin, their voices respectful, "Mr. Humphrey, please follow us."
Collin nodded slightly and followed the group, unaware of her, who was hiding in a sheltered corner.
From her vantage point, she watched them disappear into the distance. She exhaled in relief, her face bearing a mix of emotions too complex to put into words.
As soon as the group left, the crowd waiting for interviews resumed their conversations.
"Did you see that man? That's Collin Humprey, he's the CEO of Stars Vision company. Their founder never shows up; it's always Mr. Humphrey who appears at big events."
"Mr. Humphrey is not only very handsome, but his aura is truly commanding. Even from a distance, his presence is very impressive."
"It's fascinating that someone as influential as Mr. Humphrey chose to work under a mysterious founder. Whoever he is, he must be incredibly intriguing."
"I would give anything to meet that mysterious founder."
"Be realistic; I've heard that even the company's top executives have never met the mysterious founder. Only Mr. Humphrey knows the founder's true identity. We may never find out."
"That's true. I just want to know if I'll succeed in getting into this company or not."
"Stay optimistic! Just give it your best shot."
Upon hearing this conversation, she realized. Collin was only the interim CEO, not the mysterious founder she had imagined.
Moreover, there might be a close connection or strong relationship between Collin and the founder.
When she realized this, a wave of relief washed over her.
Her surprise reaction was not without reason; considering their previous unpleasant encounter. Her opinion of Collin Humprey had deteriorated significantly, and she had little patience for a man who behaved as recklessly as Collin.
Fortunately, Collin was not the founder.
This revelation only piqued she's curiosity about the true identity of the mysterious founder.
She dreamed of joining the company and showcasing her abilities, imagining that one day she would meet the mysterious founder.
Willow's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a mocking voice from across the room.
"Wow,... wow, what's going on here? Is Stars Vision really open to anyone for an interview now? Am I in the wrong place? The presence of certain individuals here truly calls into question the integrity of Stars Vision company's selection criteria."
The voice dripped with venomous sarcasm, causing Willow to furrow her brows at its sharpness.
She turned and saw a woman sitting not far from her, staring at her with a look of disgust.
Noticing Willow's gaze, Sophia Warren sneered and raised her chin in a haughty manner. "What? Do you have a problem?"
The group of people around Sophia quickly approached the woman, their mocking voices echoing one another.
"Who is she? I've never seen him before. Does she have any references for her work? Or did she just show up here?"
"How did someone like her end up here? She probably just graduated from school. Then she auditioned to apply for a job at Stars Vision company — what a ridiculous joke!"
"Right. Stars Vision only interviews real designers—people with credentials, a good portfolio. How did she get through the resume screening?"
She immediately understood. They were deliberately trying to humiliate her. But she kept her expression cold and replied. "So, I assume you're all famous?"
Sophia let out a condescending laugh, her gaze exuding arrogance. "New to the design world and already clueless? Do you even follow this industry?"
She snapped her fingers toward the room.
"Look around. You're already at a disadvantage, and now you're proving you don't even know who you're up against."
A wave of laughter echoed among them.
"Wow, that's so sad. No reputation, no idea who the top names are here—strange, how did you even end up here?"
"Let's give her a little lesson," a woman chimed in about Sophia with admiration.
"This is Sophia Warren. You're from Dynasty Academy, right? Then how could you not know her?"
With a dramatic tone, she added, "She comes from the talented Warren family and is adored by hundreds of thousands of followers online."
Willow's eyes welled up slightly before she spoke. "So, you're Sophia Warren?"
Sophia glowed with the attention, her expression brimming with pride. She lifted her chin higher and said, "Yes. Have you heard of me? It seems you're not entirely unaware."
Willow smiled, her voice thoughtful. "Oh, I think I've heard of you. Like how your academic design thesis was actually written by a ghostwriter. And how it was exposed online when you refused to pay them. Is that true? I must admit, I'm very curious."
The scandal was extremely embarrassing for Sophia Warren. The ghostwriter had provided irrefutable evidence of her academic dishonesty, but the Warren family had spent a fortune to bury the story. Most of it had been forgotten—until now.
She hadn't really cared about it until someone brought up Sophia's reputation, triggering her memory.
Since they had gone out of their way to mock her, she saw no reason to be polite anymore.
Sophia's face flushed with anger. She snapped, "What are you saying?! Everyone knows I was framed! Some jealous people tried to harm me!"
Her outburst drew quiet laughter from the audience.
Most people may have forgotten the story, but veterans in the design world still remember it well.
Sophia couldn't find the words to defend herself, but her supporters immediately rallied around her, seizing the moment. One of them accused Willow. "What's your problem? You can't stand it because you'll never be able to compete with her, so now you're making baseless accusations? You'd better take back what you said and apologize to Miss Warren right now—or get ready to face legal action...!"