Chapter 7

On the day of the finals, all ten contestants sat in the same design studio, with blank drawing boards in front of them and a six-hour countdown ticking away.

The prompt was announced on the spot: design a 3,200-square-foot community center for an old neighborhood with a budget of 1.5 million dollars, requiring the preservation of two century-old trees on the site.

Six hours.

From concept to final presentation, everything had to be done right there, on the spot.

Emily's workstation was right next to mine.

She gave me a brief glance, didn't say a word, and sat down, immediately…