Although Nancy understood the rationale, she didn't want others to think that her future achievements were solely due to Charlie's influence.

Professionally, she needed everyone's genuine respect and acknowledgment!

While Nancy and Linda were enjoying their time, the atmosphere in the other three villas was not as pleasant.

Since each villa had to accommodate twenty-five people, it was impossible for everyone to have a private room.

Generally, four or five people shared one room, and only those who had obtained direct passes could have a room to themselves. Clearly, Nancy was one of them, which allowed her to invite Linda to stay with her.

Lucy, although she had been taken to the dinner by the judges, did not have a direct pass and had to share a room with several other girls.

Upon her return, thinking of Nancy showing off in front of Charlie made her fume with anger.

The girls in her room gathered around her as she came in.

"Lucy, what did Roths want with you today? Why are you back so late?"

Although Lucy had suffered a bit at the dinner, seeing these girls who didn't even have the opportunity to go filled her with a sense of vanity.

She flipped her long hair off her shoulder and smiled smugly, "Oh, nothing much. Just Smith inviting some big shots to dinner, and I was asked to accompany them."

"Oh my God! Big shots!?"

"Ah, why don't such good things ever happen to me?"

Coincidentally, Vivian was in the same group as Lucy and shared a room with her. Seeing Lucy's smug expression, she felt extremely sour inside.

Knowing she had no backing now, meeting a big shot favored by the organizers could have been her ticket to turning things around.

Her heart felt like it had eaten a hundred lemons, sour to the extreme. She hummed disdainfully, "Dining with big shots is one thing, but it only matters if they take you seriously. Otherwise, you're just there as a backdrop."

This hit a sore spot for Lucy, exactly why she was upset tonight...

Seeing her change in expression, Vivian's mood brightened immediately, "Could it be I hit the nail on the head?"

"Damn it!"

Lucy snorted angrily, about to retort, but then swallowed her words.

What use was there in quarreling with Vivian here?

Better to have all the girls here unite against Nancy, despising and isolating her!

With this thought, a mocking smile curled on her lips, and she laughed sarcastically, "Yeah... someone as innocent as me certainly can't compare to others with deeper schemes. Oh well..."

The other girls' eyes sparkled with the thrill of gossip.

"What? What happened? Lucy, tell us."

"Yeah, who's scheming? Come on, spill it."

Lucy looked at them satisfied, then her eyes filled with extreme contempt, as if she wanted to devour someone, and she gritted her teeth with venom.

"Do you know Nancy Swinton?"

Vivian, hearing Nancy's name, instantly showed a flash of disgust deep in her eyes, though no one noticed.

"Is she the one in David's group who got a direct pass?"