"That’s enough!"
Eliza Sutton grabbed Alia Sutton’s wrist, her expression icing over. "If you keep making a scene," she said coldly, "don’t bla for getting rough."
"Eliza Sutton, so you were just putting on an act! Deep down, you’re a cunning, vicious scher!"
"Cunning and vicious?" Eliza Sutton laughed. ’I really don’t know how Alia has the gall to say that.’ Her eyes were glacial. "Having an affair, using her husband’s money to keep a gigolo—that was all Mrs. Sutton’s choice. It’s not like I sent the man to her bed. Now that it’s all been exposed, you co rushing over to take it out on . Why? You think venting your anger on will clear Mrs. Sutton’s na as a slut?"
Eliza Sutton’s words were incredibly harsh, and Alia Sutton looked ready to explode. She started screaming like a woman possessed.
Impatient, Eliza Sutton called security to have her removed.
As Alia Sutton was being dragged away, Shane Lockwood was just getting out of his car.
She was completely stunned the mont she saw Shane Lockwood.
Although Shane Lockwood was famous throughout Seabourne, he had always kept a low profile. Even his newspaper photos were just of his profile. Alia Sutton’s social standing wasn’t high enough for her to have t him, so this was the first ti she had ever truly seen his face.
Shane Lockwood wore a sharp, well-fitted suit. Even sitting in a wheelchair, it was obvious he was tall with long legs. His impossibly handso face drew the eye, and he exuded an air of nobility, projecting an even more powerful aura.
’This... this is Shane Lockwood?’
’I always thought that even after waking up, he’d be so sickly invalid. I never imagined he’d be this handso.’
’Eliza is so damn lucky. To think her good-luck marriage was to such an exceptional man.’
Alia Sutton was incredibly jealous. But then she rembered Shane Lockwood’s physical condition, and her expression eased slightly.
’Good thing he’s useless now—and a cripple. Otherwise, I’d die of anger seeing Eliza marry so well!’
Eliza Sutton stepped into the design departnt right on the dot. Mr. Walker was waiting by the door. When he saw Eliza clock in at exactly nine o’clock, he couldn’t help but say snidely, "So people are just so calculating, acting like they’d suffer a huge loss by coming in even one minute early."
Eliza Sutton ignored him. Mr. Walker let out a cold huff and walked away.
Crystal Harrison leaned toward Eliza and said, "Don’t mind Mr. Walker. He’s just a bit strict."
"I won’t take it to heart."
"How’s your design sketch coming along? The review will be starting any minute."
"It’s finished."
"When I first joined the departnt and had my first group review, I was so nervous I could barely draw. The deadline was so short this ti, yet you still finished it. That’s amazing." Crystal Harrison gave Eliza a thumbs-up.
Seeing the kindness in Crystal’s eyes, Eliza quietly thanked her.
Crystal Harrison waved her hand dismissively. "You should get ready. The review usually starts at nine-thirty, so it’ll be any minute now."
This ti, however, Crystal was wrong. The review had been moved to the afternoon.
「Three in the afternoon.」
Eliza Sutton took the folder containing her design sketch and went to the conference room with the others.
When she entered, she saw that in addition to the design departnt staff, Shane Lockwood’s assistant, Erik Irvine, was also present.
The Lockwood Group had originally been built on apparel. Even though the company had long since diversified and the design departnt was no longer its top-performing division, Shane Lockwood still sent Erik Irvine to preside over every review.
For major competitions or the quarterly collection reviews, Shane Lockwood would even show up in person.
Erik Irvine looked at Eliza and gave her an almost imperceptible nod.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Brenda Preston spoke. "You’re all veterans here, so I’ll skip the pleasantries. Let’s have you submit your designs in order. This ti, we’ll start with Group B, led by Dulcie Vaughn."
Dulcie Vaughn nodded and submitted her design first.
Dulcie Vaughn’s piece this ti was particularly striking. She had chosen to incorporate the highly popular feather elent.
It was a long white gown with a figure-flattering rmaid skirt. A ring of feathers adorned the bust, making the design both sexy and elegantly luxurious.
"Designer Vaughn’s work is brilliant this ti."
"Yes, it’s gorgeous. It makes want to buy one myself."
Brenda Preston nodded at Dulcie Vaughn as well. "Nicely done."
Dulcie Vaughn said, "Thank you," and went on to present the other designers’ work.
Overall, everyone’s designs were decent, but they played it safe, lacking a certain wow factor.
"Next, we have the design from Eliza Sutton." Dulcie Vaughn picked up the folder Eliza had submitted.
Just as she took out the design and was about to display it, soone suddenly stopped her.
"Wait."
Dulcie Vaughn looked at Reina Miles. "Designer Miles, do you have sothing to add?"
Reina Miles said, "Presenting the designs one by one is a waste of ti. I think we should do two at once. Let’s display my design and Eliza Sutton’s design together now."
Brenda Preston replied, "That’s a fine idea."
Since Brenda Preston had agreed, Dulcie couldn’t object. She just had to step aside and place her design under the projector at the sa ti as Reina Miles.
When the two sketches appeared on the large screen simultaneously, the room erupted in a commotion.
"What’s going on?"
"Are my eyes playing tricks on ?"
"I think mine are, too! Otherwise, how could I be seeing two identical designs!"
Hearing the murmurs, Eliza looked up at the screen. Sure enough, the two designs displayed side-by-side were completely identical.
The only difference was the na in the corner: one bore her own, Eliza Sutton.
The other bore the flamboyant signature of Reina Miles.
This turn of events shocked everyone, including Eliza herself.
Reina Miles had produced a design identical to her own.
Reina Miles shot to her feet, pointed at Eliza, and roared, "Eliza Sutton, you have so nerve! To plagiarize my design and then dare to present it so brazenly! You’ve gone too far!"
After her tirade, Reina turned to Brenda Preston with a pitiable look. "Manager Preston, you have to do sothing! I can’t let soone just steal my design! If this goes unpunished, the Lockwood design departnt will beco a haven for plagiarists!"
"Calm down. I will get to the bottom of this."
Brenda Preston turned to Eliza, her voice suddenly stern. "Do you have an explanation?"
Eliza drew her gaze back and said calmly, "The design is mine. I didn’t plagiarize."
The words had barely left her mouth when Reina shrieked, "You didn’t plagiarize? Are you accusing ** of plagiarizing, then? Eliza Sutton, how dare you! You’re just so high-school-educated punk! You stole my design, and now that you’ve been caught in front of everyone, you still refuse to admit it!"
Eliza glanced at Reina and said calmly, "I said I didn’t plagiarize because, of course, I have proof. As a veteran designer, Designer Miles surely knows that for every final sketch, there are preliminary drafts outlining the design process. And right now, they’re in my folder."
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