Surviving the Apocalypse with my Multiplier System novel Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Winners

Noah did a double-take when he saw the name.

"Rayne Weston, huh? What an interesting coincidence!" said Noah, almost laughing out loud.

"Dr. Weston's daughter has her father's sharp and creative mind!"

Noah then placed Rayne's design on top of the 'accept' pile. He picked up the three winning designs and signaled to his assistant that he was ready to announce the results.

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The guests gathered in the main hall, making predictions about who the winner would be.

"I bet that Fabiano will win! He's been featured in so many magazines this past year, and I hear that he's been booked a year out to design company buildings!" gossiped a middle-aged man.

"Yes, I agree. Fabiano is like a celebrity to us designers," replied a woman with sharp features.

Rayne walked around the hall with Ella, listening in on everyone's gossip.

"Do you think you'll win?" Rayne asked Ella as they reached the table with the drinks.

"Hmm, I'm not sure. I've never thought about designing a bunker, so I'm sure there were many aspects of the design I missed," she replied quietly.

"Yeah, I was honestly expecting them to say the subject would be something like a hotel, or office building. Maybe even a hospital," replied Rayne.

Rayne picked up a glass of champagne from the table, sipping on it slowly.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! I have the much-anticipated results for today's fun competition!

Allow me to reiterate that there will be three winners! Second and third place will both win an exclusive contract with REN Corp to design the next set of office buildings for their ever-growing company!

And the lucrative first-place prize will be an exclusive contract for a top-secret project! I am sure this one will pay very well!" announced the MC.

The chatter in the hall quieted down as everyone was excited to hear who the lucky three were.

"Starting in third place! The third-place winner is Fabiano! The judges praised his creative modular approach!"

The crowd clapped and cheered. Many people were shocked that Fabiano was only a third-place winner.

"No way! How did Fabiano only get third place? I wonder who beat him!!" a few people whispered among themselves.

"Next up, we have the second-place winner! The winner is... Ella Soto! The judges said that her design had a feature that no one else had," announced the MC.

Once again, everyone in the room clapped. Ella's father, Reginald, was being complimented by his old buddies on having such a talented daughter.

A few of them even tried setting up a blind date with their sons.

"Oh my goodness, Ella! You won second place!! You're amazing!" Rayne said excitedly! She was very happy that her friend had won such an honor!

Having this exclusive contract with REN Corp had just sent Ella from a low-key designer to someone the rest of the world would know!

"I can't believe it! I truly didn't expect to win!" replied Ella. Tears of joy were welling up in her eyes.

"Up next is the winner who takes first place!" said the MC.

The hall immediately quieted down. Everyone was very eager to hear who the winner was.

"And the winner is... Rayne Weston! Her design took every little situation into account. Not only were there creative elements, but she also designed a one-of-a-kind ventilation system that's never been seen before!"

The crowd clapped, but many people were wondering who she was.

"Who is Rayne Weston? I don't think I've ever heard of her before," one lady asked a group of women.

Everyone shrugged, indicating that they also had never heard of her before.

"Oh, I know her! We went to university together. I taught her everything she knows!" boasted the same man who was angry about not being selected for the competition.

The crowd looked over at him, shaking their heads. How could someone who didn't even pass the initial selection claim that they taught the winner of the competition?

"Rayne!!!! Oh my goodness!!" squealed Ella! She jumped up to hug Rayne.

Rayne stood frozen in place! She couldn't believe that she had won! She was doing this just for fun, but she ended up winning the top prize!

Ella dragged Rayne toward the stage to join Fabiano. As Rayne stood up, many people couldn't help but comment on how beautiful she was:

"Oh, so she's Rayne Weston? She's very elegant; just look at the way she carries herself."

"I wonder what studio she works at?"

Once they got to the stage, Fabiano moved over so that Rayne could stand in the middle. The three winners waved at the crowd, smiling.

The MC walked over, followed by Noah.