The Queen's Back

Maxwell held Mona's hand as they slowly entered the dance floor, immediately attracting the attention of many onlookers.

As the music began, they moved gently. Mona's hand rested lightly on Maxwell's shoulder while his hand supported her waist.

They looked like a perfect pair, handsome and beautiful.

"If I hadn't just asked you to dance, would you have danced with Lydia?" Mona asked curiously.

Before asking, she had already made up her mind. If Maxwell showed even the slightest hesitation, she wouldn't hesitate to grip his shoulder tightly. Maxwell replied without a moment's thought, "No."

Mona was pleased with this answer. She gently stroked his shoulder and said, "But usually, a gentleman wouldn't refuse a lady's invitation"

"I didn't think about it too much. I'll just say it plainly. No one can force me to do something I don't want to do," Maxwell said.

As he held her hand, she twirled around and teased, "Oh, I didn't realize you could be so assertive."

"That's right. But if you ask me to do something I don't want to do, I'll still consider it." Maxwell was willing to compromise for Mona.

Meeting Maxwell's serious gaze, Mona felt her heart racing. "If I ever make you do something you don't want to do, you must tell me. Don't make it hard for yourself."

Maxwell was willing to compromise for her, and she was willing to do the same for him.

When the dance ended, Maxwell took Mona's hand and led her out of the Carter family.

The autumn breeze brought a chill, but the warmth of their hands was comforting.

They stopped under a large tree outside, and Maxwell, with his captivating eyes, looked at Mona and asked, "I think I did pretty well today. Can I ask for a reward?"

"Hm? What reward? Let me think about whether it's worth it, she replied, meeting his gaze.

Honestly, when Mona heard Maxwell ask Stephanie to apologize to her, her heart felt warm. In that situation, it was rare for him to still think of her.

"How about a kiss?" Maxwell suggested, pointing to his lips.

He knew that when Mona was dating Teddy, she hadn't experienced the sweetness of love. He wanted her to fully enjoy it before their wedding, to take things slow and savor the moment "Okay." As soon as the words left her mouth, she wrapped her arms around Maxwell's neck, stood on her tiptoes, and lightly pressed her lips against his, her heart racing wildly. That kiss was meant for Maxwell.

The moonlight cast a glow around them, accompanied by the gentle sound of the wind.

Mona's soft lips and the faint scent made Maxwell's heart flutter

After she pulled away, fre was still processing the kiss when he said, "Mona, kiss me again. I want to do that again."

Mona glanced around, aware that someone might come out of the Carter family at any moment. She had already mustered the courage for the first kiss. Doing it again would be embarrassing. She shot Maxwell a look and headed towards the car. If she were to kiss him again, she had to do it in the car.

Maxwell watched Mona hurry away, running his fingers over his lips as if he could still feel her warmth. He quickly caught up with her, holding her hand naturally and whispering in her ear, "Let's save the next kiss for when we get home." Mona looked at him, a smile creeping onto her face.

The evening breeze was just right. With the person she liked by her side, life was quite good this way.

As time passed, Barbara's preliminary design drafts were nearly complete. Mona and Elara had already shown the designs to Artemis and had begun the production process.

Seeing Mona's quick progress made Barbara feel anxious. After work, she immediately arranged to meet Lydia.

When she arrived at Lydia's house, Barbara showed her design drafts.This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.

She had created two pieces, a long white dress with bell sleeves and a thigh-high slit, and a short pink floral dress that was puffy.

Barbara was particularly fond of these designs and felt confident about them.

Lydia took a cursory glance at them and then tossed Barbara's drafts onto the table. Folding her arms, she said flatly, "Too simple. I don't like any of them."

Barbara looked at her designs on the table. Lydia's indifferent tone shattered her confidence.

She had spent many days working on these drafts, researching styles and fabrics, and even visiting local shops to gather inspiration. Each step was taken with great care, and she regarded these designs as her favorites to date.

"What do you want, then?" Barbara asked patiently. If it hadn't been for Lydia's reputation and the potential for her to win p award, she wouldn't have been discussing this with her.

Many people wanted to wear her designs to the Nathontown design competition.

"What do I want? You're asking me? Of course, I want something beautiful, unique, and worthy of my status. That's your job as a designer, Lydia replied leisurely, even sitting back on the sofa.

"Isn't this beautiful? I'm confident it can make the top three," Barbara said assertively.

She was well aware of the standards of the Nathontown designers. Otherwise, she wouldn't have won awards back in college. To her, the only competition that truly mattered was Mona

"I don't want to make the top three. I want the first place. Do you understand what-that means?" Lydia noted Barbara's gaze on the design drafts and added, "In my eyes, neither of these designs holds a candle to that red dress Mona designed last time." She was determined to surpass Mona, to prove to Maxwell that she was the one who could stand alongside him.

Barbara sighed, "Then I'll make some revisions. If only Mona couldn't participate in this design competition, we'd definitely win first place."

She seemed to say it casually, but Lydia took it to heart, muttering to herself that if Mona couldn't enter the competition,

victory would surely be hers, and Maxwell's attention would shit to her..