“If you think this industry is just an easy way to milk your fans for cash, you’d better learn the rules and respect the profession first.
Only then can you produce good work.” Chloe Austin looked at Vivian Sullivan and forced a smile.
“The real design drafts are right here.
Now, I hope the representatives from Tess can spare me five minutes so I can explain the inspiration behind my creations.”
Winona Hayes looked at Chloe with appreciation and led the applause.
Tess’s representatives were also intrigued—especially after witnessing the drama that had just unfolded.
“President Hayes, your designer has a lot of original ideas.
I hope to collaborate with her more in the future, and here’s to a smooth partnership this time around,” a Tess representative said.
They quickly signed the contract with Winona, both sides beaming with joy.
As the meeting concluded, Zara Miller finally let out a sigh of relief.
She had been completely on edge ever since Chloe took the stage.
Seeing Chloe win the brand’s approval made her happier than anything else.
After finishing her design presentation, Chloe left the conference room.
Her current physical condition didn’t allow her to stand for too long, or she would start to feel dizzy from low blood sugar.
In the office, the interns began to openly mock Vivian.
Provoked by their malicious laughter, Vivian’s body started to tremble uncontrollably.
Usually an aloof celebrity put on a pedestal, she simply couldn’t accept being reduced to the butt of someone else’s joke.
“Chloe Austin!” Vivian chased her out, lunging forward to slap her.
Chloe dodged it, nearly crashing into a nearby desk.
“Vivian Sullivan, your brand plagiarized my work first.
Now that you’ve failed to secure the order, you actually want to hit me?
This is Austin Corp’s turf.
Learn to read the room,” Chloe stated coldly, keeping her voice as low as possible.
Vivian’s body shook involuntarily.
Her hands were balled into fists, and her eyes burned with rage.
“Oh, I almost forgot.
Don’t tell me you want to call your Brother Caden to back you up again?
Sorry to break it to you, but even if he were standing right in front of me now, it wouldn’t change a thing.” Chloe turned to leave after saying that.
Furious, Vivian sprinted forward and shoved her.
Caught off guard, Chloe lost her footing and pitched forward.
She instinctively shielded her belly as she landed heavily on her bottom.
“A fight!
Someone’s fighting outside!” someone started shouting.
Chloe gritted her teeth, breathing heavily as she endured the shock.
She was terrified she might lose the baby, but fortunately, she hadn’t hit anything dangerous—thanks in large part to the thick office carpet.
“Vivian Sullivan, aren’t you afraid I’ll expose this?”
“Expose me?
You?
Chloe Austin, what makes you think you can expose me?
Amore isn’t publicly registered under my name, don’t you know that?” Vivian grabbed Chloe by the wrist, the words practically squeezing through her gritted teeth.
“You really are stupid.
Stupid beyond belief.
So stupid you actually dared to plagiarize my work.
You have zero passion for design; you just want to milk your fans for their cash.
Oh, wait, no.
It’s because you’re jealous of me.
You envy me, and that’s why you wanted to establish a design brand.
And after being exposed, you fly into a rage out of humiliation and resort to violence.
Is this the professionalism of a top female celebrity?” Chloe wrested herself free and pointed accusingly at Vivian.
Vivian sneered.
Had someone not been holding her back, she would have long since rushed over and kicked Chloe.
“Chloe Austin, it would’ve been so much better if you never existed.
You deserve to die.” She spat the words in a very low voice, but Chloe managed to guess what she said by reading her lips.
Chloe took a deep breath as the security guards dragged Vivian out.
“From now on, Vivian Sullivan and anyone from Amore are banned from setting foot in our company.” Winona’s gaze was lethal, and her tone left no room for argument.
Everyone nodded, taking it as an absolute order.
“Chloe, how do you feel?
You weren’t hurt just now, were you?” Winona put an arm around Chloe’s shoulders, looking at her with deep concern.
“Mom, I’m fine.
I’m just a little tired right now.” Chloe glanced at the intern who had stolen her design drafts, then walked up to him step by step.
“I have already forwarded your file to many heavyweights in the industry.
You won’t be able to survive as a designer anymore.
You’d better start thinking long and hard about what other profession you can switch to.
Furthermore, I have already filed a lawsuit against you.
Now, get out of our company.
We do not welcome traitors.”
The intern tried to argue, but Chloe threw the evidence right in front of him.
“There are only so many people in the design department; how hard could it be to find out who stole the drafts?
Not to mention, there aren’t many people who had the opportunity to strike, and you coincidentally had access both times.
Isn’t that just a bit too convenient?”
“President Austin Jr., President Hayes, please give me one more chance!
I just had a momentary lapse in judgment.
They offered me money, and I couldn’t resist the temptation…” The intern grabbed Chloe’s sleeve, begging for mercy.
“Someone who cannot resist temptation won’t repent, no matter how many chances they are given,” Winona said coolly.
The security guards dragged the intern away as well.
Now, the ones too scared to breathe loudly were the remaining staff in the office.
“It’s acceptable to struggle with producing good work, and it’s acceptable to study and emulate others.
However, we must never plagiarize or steal.
Isn’t this the very first lesson we learn as designers?
Why are there still people who don’t understand this?” Winona addressed the design department.
Upon hearing this, Zara lowered her head in shame.
“President Hayes, I will manage my subordinates better in the future.
I bear responsibility for this incident as well…”
“You certainly are responsible.
Jensen didn’t promote you to be the department head just to hear you say such things.
If you had been observant earlier, this whole ordeal could have been entirely avoided.”
Zara lowered her head even further, and Winona said no more on the matter.
“We signed a new project today, so everyone can get off work a bit early.
I hope you all bring even more passion to the office tomorrow.” With that, Winona returned to her office, and Chloe went back to her seat.
After taking some medication prescribed by her doctor, Chloe gradually calmed down and began reading the comments online.
Meanwhile, after being dragged out of the building, Vivian finally realized that the incident was highly likely to be leaked online.
Terrified, she paced frantically near the company entrance.
Although Amore was not officially under her name right now, the brand would eventually be launched into the market.
What had just happened was undoubtedly a ticking time bomb for its future.
“What do I do?
What do I do?” Gritting her teeth, Vivian dialed Caden Sterling’s number.
“Caden, you have to help me.
Amore can’t be smothered in its cradle just because of Chloe.
You must help me…”
Vivian recounted the entire ordeal to Caden in full detail.
Though he felt somewhat irritated, he still listened patiently to the very end.