Married First, Loved Later : A Flash Marriage with My Ex’s "Uncle" - Chapter 286

Chapter 286: An Amateur Challenges the Pros
Logan raised an eyebrow—he hadn’t expected Hunter to ask that.

Hunter… interested in Selina?

“I’m just curious, that’s all. It’s the first time I’ve seen you go out of your way to protect someone.”

Hunter knew it wasn’t that he liked Selina. It was just that, the moment he saw her, she felt strangely… familiar.

Yeah. Familiar.

But he was sure they’d never met before. He had no idea where that feeling came from.

“You looking for me for something?” Logan asked.

Hunter snapped out of his thoughts. “I’ll probably be leaving the Nelson Family soon. It’s a mess, and once I’m gone, Riley might not be able to hold his ground.”

Logan raised his brow again. “You want me to back Riley?”

With Logan’s support, Riley would easily become the rightful heir of the Nelson Family.

Hunter was silent for a moment, then shook his head. “…Riley’s not cut out for business. We’ll deal with that later. I actually came to tell you—there’s been a lead on that thing.”

Logan’s gaze darkened slightly.

At the event venue.

Selina found the City A University booth. The place was packed with students and rising celebrities. As soon as she sat down, compliments started coming her way.

“Selina, you look amazing today! Where’d you get that outfit?”

“Yeah, that dress fits you perfectly—it totally suits your vibe. You’ve got great taste.”

Selina blinked. Where was the dress from?

She honestly didn’t know—it was a gift from Logan. “I’m not sure. If you guys want, I can find out for you…”

“What kind of taste do you guys even have? You seriously like that? Don’t tell me you want to buy the same one.”

A sharp, mocking voice cut in before she could finish.

Several students turned to look.

A small crowd of influencers and students surrounded a woman strutting over. When she spotted Selina, her face twisted slightly before breaking into a sneer.

“Dingy little dress with no brand? Probably some flea market junk. Wow… you students really have no eye. With taste like that, you think you belong in a design competition?”

A few students turned red with embarrassment. “You’re talking nonsense, we—”

“Hey, do you even know who you’re talking to?” one of the woman’s sidekicks snapped. “This is Miss Zara—Angelica from the Morris Family’s friend. And you broke college kids think you have a say?”

Zara pretended to be generous. “Forget it. I already said they’ve got no taste. No point arguing.”

Selina suddenly smiled.

Zara—Angelica’s loyal lapdog. She’d been a pain in the ass for years.

Selina glanced at the event livestream crew nearby, tilted her head with a sweet smile. “Miss Brooks, you don’t like my dress?”

Angelica was the center of attention at the event, and since Zara was her friend, people were quick to cozy up to her.

Naturally, Zara’s arrival pulled the crowd in.

And the livestream started gaining viewers.

Zara let out a snort. “Selina, just look at yourself—poor and pathetic. Look at what everyone else is wearing. At the very least, they’ve got gowns on. And you? A dull, ugly little dress. You clearly don’t respect the event.”

Judging someone’s respect based on their clothes—what a joke.

But because of Zara’s status, a bunch of wannabe celebrities treated her words like gospel.

“She’s right, Selina. This is the most prestigious fashion design event in the industry. All sorts of important people are here, and you didn’t even bother with a proper dress? That’s insulting to the top designers here.”

“Exactly. Showing up in street clothes—what, you think that makes you look fashionable?”

The celebrities looked stunning, dressed in gowns borrowed from top fashion houses, each trying to outshine the other.

They compared brands, status, influence—no one wanted to lose. So when they saw Selina in what they assumed was a “cheap knockoff,” they naturally went all in, tearing her down to boost their own sense of fashion credibility.

Selina waited until they finished talking, then slowly looked up.

“Zara, who are you wearing?”

Zara tilted her chin proudly. “Obviously, it’s Flora by Ethereal Luxe. Let me tell you, this gown—”

“Oh? Flora was a discontinued piece from Ethereal Luxe two years ago. It was pulled from the market for lacking design appeal, and what remained was sold off dirt cheap. I’m curious, Miss Brooks, where did your version come from?”

The entire area fell silent.

A discontinued design from two years ago? That’s ancient. And if it was pulled for being subpar, then either Zara bought it on the cheap… or she seriously lacked taste.

Zara’s face twisted. “You—!”

“And this young lady,” Selina turned to the small-time celeb who mocked her earlier, “You’re wearing ‘Ocean’s Heart’ by Mateo. He was blacklisted for plagiarism. That dress? It’s a rip-off of Ethereal Luxe’s Sanctuary from five years ago. Wearing a knockoff to a high-end design showcase…”

Selina tilted her head slightly, feigning confusion as she threw the girl’s own words back at her: “Does that make you fashionable?”

Everyone held their breath. You could hear a pin drop.

Zara and her crew looked like they’d been slapped in the face—veins popping, jaws clenched.

“But even if that’s true, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re wearing flea market trash!” one of them finally snapped. “So what if our dresses were outdated? That’s just poor styling judgment—our managers dressed us. It doesn’t mean we don’t have taste!”

“You, on the other hand, wore that on purpose. That’s disrespectful!”

The other starlets jumped in right away.

“Yeah, we didn’t know any better—you’re the one calling herself a designer. You should never show up in a cheap dress.”

“So embarrassing, walking out in that thing…”

“Wait a sec,” someone from the crowd suddenly said, brows furrowed.

“Selina’s gray dress… looks kinda familiar.”

“Isn’t that from Rowan’s new spring line?”

The crowd froze.

Rowan? No way.

Everyone in fashion knew Rowan. Every single piece he designed was a masterpiece. Sometimes, he released capsule items with no retail availability—only a dozen pieces in the world.

If Selina was wearing a Rowan original… then it wasn’t that the event deserved respect from her.

It was that the event might not be worthy of her.

Who wouldn’t dream of owning something by Rowan?

“Confirmed. I just looked it up—Selina’s dress is from Rowan’s spring collection!”

Selina turned to Zara with a slight smile, not even hiding the amusement in her eyes.

Zara looked like she’d been slapped twice. “No—no way. That’s nonsense! Angelica is one of Rowan’s students and she doesn’t have anything by him. How could Selina? It’s gotta be fake!”

“Oh, so now Selina’s a designer wearing counterfeits?” she shrieked. “You’re done for, Selina!”