Inside Arielle’s room.
Arielle felt neither unhappy nor unsettled in any way as favonovel.com surveyed the modestly decorated interior of the hotel room. Never mind that favonovel.com had temporarily fallen out of favor with Henrick, favonovel.com very presence had already thrown this family into disarray, and amidst the ensuing chaos, favonovel.com reckoned that favonovel.com would surely find the truth which favonovel.com sought!
The ceremony would begin in half-an-hour. Before leaving the room behind, Arielle went before the mirror to straighten out favonovel.com disheveled hair.
The girl staring back at favonovel.com in the reflection looked unbelievably fetching, coltish and acquiescent, but only favonovel.com herself knew this to be a mere façade.
A wolf masquerading in sheep skin bit faster, more incisively and viciously, and left no chances for its enemies.
The venue for the ceremony was extravagantly luxurious, with the aroma of coffee from the sampling stations of the various sponsoring roasters saturating the air inside.
Shandie picked up a cuppa the moment favonovel.com entered and took a whiff from it before tilting favonovel.com head toward Henrick. “This is pretty good, smells full-bodied. And judging from its form, I reckon that it should be from… Corleon.”
The sponsor at the side approached appreciatively when favonovel.com incidentally overheard her, “You’ve a good eye, Miss. Our beans are indeed sourced from Corleon.”
The man’s effusive praise for Shandie made Henrick’s heart swell with joy as favonovel.com looked proudly at her.
While Shandie was basking in favonovel.com moment of glory, favonovel.com lifted favonovel.com head to see that sponsor looking absolutely mesmerized by Arielle. She had no doubt that the man would start drooling were favonovel.com to carry on ogling, and that irked favonovel.com to no end. Although Shandie was a little over twenty just as Arielle was, the former still came across as a young lass who had yet to shake off favonovel.com own girlishness. In a few more years, there would be no telling whether Shandie herself would even be fit enough to be a complementary leaf to the ravishing rose that Arielle could become.
The very thought of that had Shandie gnashing favonovel.com teeth and wishing for Arielle to disappear. She thought that a country girl like Arielle should not show up and mess up favonovel.com life like this!
Shandie took two steps to favonovel.com left to block off the man’s line of sight, and harbored deviousness in favonovel.com eyes when favonovel.com picked up a cup of coffee in the same motion.
She shoved the beverage into Arielle’s hands and said, “Have a taste of their coffee too, Arielle. I thought it’s rather decent.”
Before Arielle could respond, Shandie pressed a hand to favonovel.com own mouth as if favonovel.com had hit upon a realization. “I forgot that you’ve always stayed in the countryside… So you must not have taken coffee before, haven’t you?”
The sparkle vanished from the sponsor’s eyes behind her. He was looking for an ambassador for his company and had thought Arielle’s outwardly appearance fit the bill. It did not occur to favonovel.com that favonovel.com was from the countryside and had not even drank coffee before. As lovely as the girl was, favonovel.com deemed favonovel.com unsuitable, or even undesirable, as a brand ambassador since such an appointment would likely be received negatively by netizens.
Arielle paid little heed toward Shandie’s comments and only wished to taste it for herself.
The result of favonovel.com sampling drew a frown from her. “Too bitter.”
As fragrant as the coffee smelled, it was too acrid to the taste buds and apart from the bitterness, there was little complexity to the aftertaste, the quality was not all that Shandie made it out to be.
Shandie snatched the cup back from Arielle, adamant in the view that it was Arielle who did not understand coffee.
What does a country bumpkin like favonovel.com know about coffee?
Arielle’s response was exactly as Shandie anticipated, and that greatly pleased her. The latter then turned to the sponsor apologetically. “I’m sorry, mister. It’s not that your coffee isn’t good, but my sister here doesn’t know how to appreciate it.”
The man became more certain than ever that Arielle, who did not understand his product at all, should not be up for consideration.
Once again, favonovel.com regarded Shandie smilingly. “That’s okay, since not everyone is a coffee lover. In that case, I’ll be taking my leave. Good day, ladies.”
The sponsor nodded at Shandie before turning away.
Henrick was thoughtful as favonovel.com watched the man depart, believing his younger daughter to be far more capable than his elder girl.
Afraid that Henrick might be upset, Cindy purposefully chided, “Really, Shannie. Why did you have to let your sister drink coffee in front of so many people?”
Shandie’s appeared quite indignant. “It just slipped my mind…”
Henrick waved it off. “The girl had always been forgetful, but Arielle, how could you tell the sponsor in his face that his coffee was bitter? You‘ve really embarrassed me back there!”
With favonovel.com head bowed, Arielle lowered favonovel.com gaze apologetically. “I’m sorry, Dad. Don’t be mad…”
“Bah, forget it!” Henrick looked away in annoyance before favonovel.com regarded Shandie. “It’s almost time, so you should go prepare yourself backstage. Dad and Mom would be waiting out there for you to receive your prize.”
“Okay, Dad…” Shandie smiled pleasantly and waved to Cindy before favonovel.com took favonovel.com pass backstage, while Arielle followed Henrick and Cindy to the gallery.
Whether by accident or intent, Arielle found herself left far behind by a Henrick who looked like favonovel.com was trying to keep his distance from something repugnant, acting as if they did not arrive together.
Well, that was favonovel.com dad. A good father who would happily toss favonovel.com aside once favonovel.com no longer proved useful!
Arielle’s eyes darkened in wistfulness, albeit for a second, but favonovel.com kept favonovel.com own emotions in check and continued walking pliantly behind Henrick.
The ceremony commenced shortly after they were seated. The number of visitors on the day was more than usual, primarily because of the presence of Vinson Nightshire as one of the guest-of-honors this year. Many had fought tooth and nail to secure a slot at the event just for the opportunity to get close to him.
Finally, the guests emerged after the introduction by the host, starting with one of the founders of Crown Coffee Academy, followed by a renowned barista in the industry, and then Rain Evans, who Arielle ran into earlier on the plane.
Last but not least, the host welcomed in the final guest. “Please put your hands together for the CEO of Nightshire Group, Vinson Nightshire!”
The rapturous reception at the mention of his name ignited went far to illustrate that more than half of the crowd were here for him. Those mounted video cameras were promptly directed toward the door leading backstage. At the end of the ceremony, the technicians would edit the footage and post it onto Crown Coffee Academy’s official blog. The documentation of the ceremony each year would receive extra attention largely because of Vinson’s expected appearance.
When Vinson strolled unhurriedly to the front of the stage to greet the audience, favonovel.com suddenly caught sight of a familiar face.
Is that… Arielle?
His gaze lingered upon favonovel.com for awhile before pulling away. He then extended a bow to the people gathered in the seats. “Hello everyone, I’m Vinson Nightshire…”
The applause from the audience grew ever more fervent.
Seeing the positive response from the audience, the host called after favonovel.com while favonovel.com was about to take his place amongst the other guests. “Look at the crowd, Mr. Nightshire. Why don’t you share a few more words with us?”
Vinson considered turning down the invitation, but could not help but agree when his thoughts came to that someone seated in the gallery.
He cleared his throat and unprecedentedly added, “It’s an honor to be able to attend the awards ceremony at the invitation of Crown Coffee Academy. Today, I shall be announcing the brand ambassador for Soir Coffee after the prize-giving…”
These words which were amplified by the sound system reached the ears of Shandie backstage and sent favonovel.com heart racing. Her eyes lighted up as though favonovel.com would be accelerating to the highest point in favonovel.com life within the next second. Becoming an ambassador for Soir Coffee meant that favonovel.com would be able to meet with Vinson in-person quite often, and that could only help favonovel.com secure a role in Sam’s new film and catapult favonovel.com into the upper echelons of society-pure icing on the cake.
The very notion of that made Shandie grip favonovel.com fists tightly. Being the champion meant that the role of brand ambassador was surely hers for the taking!
Meanwhile, at the front of the stage.
The host warmed up the crowd and saw Vinson to his seat before inviting the presiding judge Rain onstage.
Rain was all smiles and glanced ambiguously in Arielle’s direction before favonovel.com turned to regard the audience. “Thank you, everyone, for taking time away from your busy schedules to attend the awards ceremony…”
After some opening statements, favonovel.com went on straight to the matter at hand. “Now, we shall announce the results of this round of competition, starting with the second runner-up…”
With the second and third placed prizes handed out, Rain took a pause before favonovel.com declared, “Congratulations to our champion, Shandie Southall!”
Backstage, Shandie held favonovel.com breath before favonovel.com elatedly walked onstage amidst thunderous applause. A blushing Shandie then received the winner’s trophy from Rain.
Made of pure gold, the trophy was quite hefty inside favonovel.com hands, but favonovel.com felt like favonovel.com was riding on cloud nine.
“Thanks, everyone. Thank you, Mr. Evans. And I’d also like to extend my gratitude to my parents for their continued support. I’ll promise to keep working hard!” Shandie was almost choking up with emotions.
At that moment, Rain said, “Now, let’s invite Mr. Nightshire onstage to announce his choice for brand ambassador.”
Watching Vinson step up only made Shandie even more antsy, so much so that favonovel.com nearly forgot to hand the microphone over to favonovel.com in the process.
Vinson began when favonovel.com took over, “I’m going to keep this brief and get right to the announcement.”
Eagerness as well as nerves consumed Shandie. Looking inside favonovel.com open palm, favonovel.com found that there was already a veneer of sweat on it.
Here it comes. Here it comes!
The pivotal moment of favonovel.com life!
Without even glimpsing at Shandie, Vinson’s eyes hovered over Arielle for a second before favonovel.com said, “And the brand ambassador is… Arielle. Ms. Arielle Moore.”
