William's heart continued to race wildly.

He could still feel the lingering sensation of Elise's lips.

Back at Elise's apartment, Elizabeth emerged from the study after deleting the videos. "Is he gone?"

Elise quickly composed herself and returned to the study. "Yes."

"Was I being too intrusive?" Elizabeth asked, feeling slightly guilty.

"Not at all." Elise shook her head.

Elizabeth studied her friend's expression before teasing, "That wasn't your first kiss with him, was it?"

Elise paused momentarily, then shook her head. "No."

The previous time, William had taken her completely by surprise.

She had felt only shock and anger then.

This time was different—she had given her silent consent.

The experience felt entirely new and distinct.

"He's quite skilled, isn't he?" Elizabeth couldn't resist teasing further when she saw Elise's thoughtful expression.

Elise simply stared back, uncertain how to respond.

Both kisses had been brief and gentle—hardly enough to judge technique.

"Well, that man certainly knows what he's doing." Elizabeth acknowledged William's appeal since Elise wasn't providing details.

His handsome features alone were enough to captivate anyone.

"By the way, I was surprised to learn you joined a reality show," Elizabeth changed the subject. "I wouldn't have known if Penelope hadn't mentioned it. So that's why you've been so busy lately."

"I'm using it as a platform to promote Stellar Group," Elise explained. "Your work as brand ambassador has given us great exposure, but overall, the company hasn't reached the standard I envisioned."

"You need to surpass Mitchell Corp," Elizabeth said supportively. "Seeing Samuel Mitchell act so arrogantly disgusts me."

Elise's ambitions extended beyond simply surpassing Mitchell Corp—if Stellar Group reached the heights she desired, crushing Mitchell Corp would be inevitable.

Her true goal was fulfilling her late mother's dream of elevating Stellar Group to new heights. Her mother had founded the company but passed away in an accident before seeing it flourish. Given her mother's talent, she would have undoubtedly brought Stellar Group to the pinnacle of the fashion industry.

"You should be careful around Sophia Mitchell and Amanda Mitchell," Elizabeth added with concern. "A two-faced witch and a cunning schemer? They're definitely plotting something—don't fall for their tricks."

"I know." Elise nodded.

She had anticipated trouble when she discovered they were also participating in Solo Show.

However, defeating them wouldn't be difficult—she simply needed to ensure they didn't perceive her as a threat.

During the first round, she had unintentionally stood out despite trying to remain low-key, having been unfamiliar with the other designers' capabilities.

Now that she understood the competition's standards, she knew how to approach the remaining rounds.

Elizabeth considered this and felt somewhat relieved. "Actually, with William around, you probably don't need to worry about being bullied too much."

Elise's heart fluttered momentarily. There was no denying that William provided a sense of security.

Yet during the second round, Elise clearly faced harassment.

Not only did she receive minimal screen time—the script assigned to her was deliberately unfavorable.

She knew Sophia and Amanda were behind it, unable to accept her fifth-place ranking in the first round.

In their minds, she should have been eliminated immediately.

William was right—money talked.

But this situation suited her purposes perfectly, because thorough preparation was essential for success!

Consequently, she placed twelfth in the second round.

It was a significant drop from her previous ranking, narrowly avoiding elimination.