‘It was him, again!’ Bridgette tried so hard to avoid his gaze and hide her fear at the moment. She gathered all her courage and stood up for herself. He may look intimidating, but she won’t let him affect her goals and sole reason for being at that convention.

She turned her head sideways quickly and drew a deep breath. "Good morning, sir. Thank you for the offer, but I wanted to win fair and square." She faked a smile. "Let’s just wait until all our respectable judges here cast their votes and ratings for our collection. "Thank you." She politely bowed in front of him afterward.

The judges were...