Chapter 187

Christina's POV Hudson squeezed my fingers. "Relax. You're ready for this. I might come by later to watch." I walked in alone. The registration staff scanned my ID and confiscated everything electronic—phone, smartwatch, even the fitness tracker I never used. Eight hours with zero outside contact. My assigned room was basically a box—about twelve square meters with dull gray-white walls and no windows. Just a metal chair, a worktable, and a touchpad bolted to the surface. A sliding door in the corner concealed a tiny bathroom. At precisely nine o'clock, the screen lit up. Three words appeared on the display: [Evening. Gemstones. Composure.] We needed to design a complete set—ring, necklace, earrings, and bracelet. I stared at the words for a few seconds, then smiled. "We've got both skill and luck on our side," Akira whispered in my mind. I'd actually been toying with something similar already. Not exactly the same combination, but close enough. Pure luck. Or maybe my instincts weren't