Ch. 111..120

Chapter 111 Don’t Look For Me Anymore

With the release of the new summer line looming, both Nicole and Joanna began to get busy.

During lunch break at noon, Nicole was looking through the design drafts on her computer when the door suddenly opened, and Henry came in with her lunch.

When Nicole saw him, she quickly turned off the computer screen.

“Nicole, you didn’t come out at all, so I just thought I’d bring your lunch in. You haven’t eaten yet, right?” Henry smiled warmly and placed the lunch box in his hand on the table.

Staring at the computer for a long time made Nicole’s eyes a little uncomfortable, so she reached out and rubbed her eyes to relieve the fatigue.

“I’ve eaten. Scarlett brought me food,” Nicole answered in a hoarse voice.

She had been too busy these few days, so she stayed in the office almost the whole time she was at work, and Scarlett would bring her breakfast and lunch.

Henry smiled indifferently and continued, “It’s okay. I’ll bring it over to you earlier next time, Nicole. Just tell me if there’s anything you’d like to eat.”

Looking up at Henry, Nicole paused, then remembered Scarlett’s remark. “Henry.”

When Henry heard Nicole call him, he immediately raised his head and smiled. “Yeah, I’m here.”

“Don’t come to my office anymore,” Nicole said bluntly. In the next few months, the summer line was going to be launched, and they had to work on the winter collection right after the launch. She had no time to beat around the bust with Henry anymore.

When Henry heard Nicole’s statement, the smile on his face vanished. His expression tensed up as he looked up at her and asked softly, “Nicole, is there something I’m not doing right?”

Nicole shook her head. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Right now, we’re just friends at most, so you’re overstepping a little.”

Henry studied Nicole. The person in front of him seemed to have changed all of a sudden as she had become calm and confident. Originally, he thought he could always take advantage of Nicole’s guilt, but he didn’t expect that this woman would turn away and deny him so soon.

In the past few days, a lot of gossip had spread in the Gardner Corporation because of his frequent visits to Nicole’s office. Queenie was satisfied with this and had given him a sum of money.

After getting a taste of that, Henry was even more reluctant to let her go.

Pretending to be pitiful, he put on a guilty expression. “I’m sorry, Nicole. I-I didn’t think that far…”

When Nicole looked at him, she found the atmosphere to be a little stiff. She sighed slightly before continuing, “Henry, I’m now representing F&M Apparel at the Gardner Corporation. Let’s not get too close to each other since people in the office are gossiping. After this project is completed, we can properly spend some time together.”

Since Nicole had already made such a decisive statement, Henry couldn’t make any more excuses. Lifting up the things in his hand, he said embarrassedly, “I’m sorry, Nicole. I… I was too anxious.”

Nicole didn’t speak, and she didn’t look at him either, but simply turned to look outside.

Henry understood Nicole’s meaning, so he turned around and left with the food.

His grip tightened. Fortunately, he had copied all the design drafts when he came to Nicole’s office last time. Otherwise, he certainly wouldn’t have a chance.

He had yet to hand over the design drafts to Queenie because he still wanted to catch up with Nicole. But since she had no consideration for his feelings, he figured he’d show her no mercy.

After all, the money Queenie gave him was enough to cover his salary for a year.

When Nicole saw Henry leave, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. In the next few days, she had to confirm and revise the designs, and she had to go to the factory to finalize the fabrics too. It was all a mess, so she truly had no energy to continue the ambiguous relationship with Henry.

Scarlett came in after Henry went out, and she was looking at Nicole with a small smile on her face. “Nicole, is he gone?”

“Yes.” Nicole nodded.

Scarlett stepped forward and said, “I just saw him. He seemed very angry.”

Nicole wasn’t surprised. After all, she had refused him quite decisively.

Curling her lips, Scarlett said, “Nicole, it’s right to be quick and decisive. I always feel that he doesn’t have good intentions anyway.”

 

Chapter 112 Leaked Design Drafts

As people would say, those who were unaccountably solicitous must be hiding evil intentions. Nicole always believed that if she didn’t have anything to be taken advantage of, Henry wouldn’t be so eager to approach her.

“Well, if he comes to the Design Department again in the future, don’t let him in.” Nicole nodded as she spoke.

She had mentioned it to Henry once or twice before, and she had politely asked him not to come to the office again. However, Henry treated it as if he didn’t hear it, or as if he didn’t understand it, and he came again and again.

Nicole had to make this clear today to prevent him from coming repeatedly.

“Okay, got it,” Scarlett responded happily.

…

The weather in late March had gradually warmed up, and the clothes in the factory had gone into production. After Nicole discussed with Colton, they decided to announce the new product launch in early April to warm up the heat of Labor Day.

But, a few days before the product launch event, the design drafts were suddenly leaked on the Internet.

The Design Department held a meeting overnight to discuss what to do about this.

In the conference hall, there was a touch of tranquility in the air. Upon listening carefully, there was only the sound of breathing.

“Let’s all think about how to solve this matter.” Joanna took the lead and spoke.

“We’ve never experienced having our design drafts leaked before.”

“Yes, the Design Department has never allowed outsiders to come in before. After so many years, there has never been a leak of the design draft.”

There was a lot of discussion, but all of their speculations pointed at Nicole.

After all, in the past few days, there had been an outsider in Nicole’s office.

Although there was no expression on Joanna’s face, she felt unusually happy. She didn’t expect Queenie to act so quickly!

The leakage of the design draft would definitely cause Gardner Corporation some losses. They would like to see what Nicole would do to deal with this.

“Miss Lisa, although I shouldn’t question you, this new product is the painstaking effort of the entire Design Department. You should explain why a person from the Logistics Department enters the Design Department so frequently.”

Nicole knew that Joanna was talking about Henry, so she didn’t didn’t shy away but replied instead, “I got to know him through your introduction, Director Schmidt.”

Joanna’s expression changed. Narrowing her eyes, she said coldly, “Miss Lisa, you are the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel after all. You can’t defame people like this.”

Nicole didn’t hesitate at all as she stared straight at Joanna, then she smiled and said, “In order to prevent outsiders from entering, the people from the Design Department are required to open the door by swiping our staff cards, or it can only be accessed by someone above the manager level.”

She fixed her gaze on Joanna and continued, “Hence, I’m very curious: How could Henry, a measly employee from logistics, enter the Design Department?”

Joanna’s heart tightened when she was questioned by Nicole, but her face calmed down. After all, she didn’t get involved in this matter.

“Well, we’ll have to ask you this, Miss Lisa. After all, he always came to you.”

“I asked Scarlett to check the surveillance footage of the door and found that Henry swiped his card every time he came in. Besides the employees, the rest of the Design Department’s cards are with you, Director Schmidt,” Nicole shot back with a smile.

Joanna was taken aback. She suddenly remembered that Queenie had asked her for an access card a few days ago, saying that she had a way to deal with Nicole, but she didn’t expect Queenie to give the card to Henry!

But, in the current situation, she couldn’t admit it. “So what? Are you saying I gave it to him, Miss Lisa?”

“No, I’m just analyzing objectively, Director Schmidt. Don’t get too emotional,” Nicole said and smiled.

She scanned the crowd, then promised, “In three days, I’ll find out the person who leaked the design draft.”

“So what if you find out about it? The design drafts have already been leaked, and Gardner Corporation’s factory has also begun to make the clothes. Who should make up for this loss?” Joanna asked.

Nicole didn’t panic at all. She looked at Joanna, and the two of them just stared at each other. “Director Schmidt, things have to be solved step by step, so let’s take it one step at a time.”

Chapter 113 Calm and Composed

After the meeting, Nicole went up to Colton’s office.

Colton appeared calm, and he didn’t seem anxious because of the leaked design drafts. When he saw Nicole coming in, there was a gentle smile on his face.

“You’re here. Would you like to try some coffee I recently bought?”

Nicole shook her head. “No, thanks.”

Dressed in a white suit, Colton had a tall figure and a handsome face, which made him look like a prince who had walked out of a fairy tale.

“The matter this time is really as you predicted. The design drafts were leaked before our new product launch,” Colton uttered slowly, his dark eyes gleaming.

“It’s just as well. Just think of it as a warm-up for the new product launch.” Nicole laughed.

Her office didn’t have surveillance cameras because it was newly renovated, but after the first time Henry came to her office, she had secretly installed one in a hidden corner.

At that time, she wished that it was just her overthinking, but she didn’t expect… in the surveillance footage, she actually saw Henry making a backup of her designs…

However, she didn’t expose him on the spot, but played dumb instead. She figured there must be someone else manipulating him behind the scenes, so she couldn’t wait to find out who they were.

“Are you suspecting Joanna?” Colton suddenly asked.

Previously, after Joanna left the factory, Nicole made changes to the previous designs. Although the materials required were the same, the styles were completely different.

“I don’t suspect her, but I’ll be more certain if one less person knows.”

Colton nodded, not having much to say about Nicole’s approach. This time, the public was closely monitoring the cooperation between the Gardner Corporation and F&M Apparel, so there could be no mistakes.

The person who leaked the design must be watching the show. They didn’t need to spend any money for the public to cause an uproar for them.

There was a smile on Colton’s face. He quite admired Nicole’s style of doing things straightforwardly.

“After this, if there’s anything you need help with, just come find me.”

…

At some point, Henry quit his job, and he was nowhere to be found.

The people in the Design Department were all ready to see Nicole humiliated. Even if she could find out who leaked the design within three days, she wouldn’t make it in time for the new product launch event.

However, what they found strange was that on the last day of the deadline, Nicole went to work as usual, appearing calm and composed, as if the matter had no effect on her at all.

Joanna couldn’t bear it anymore as it had been three days, so she asked outright, “Miss Lisa, have you found the culprit who you claimed leaked the design?”

As Nicole took in the menacing figure in front of her, a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Sitting on the sofa, she picked up the pot with her fingers and poured a glass of water.

“Director Schmidt, come and have a sip of iced coffee to calm down. Otherwise, being angry will make you prone to acne.”

Joanna frowned when she heard Nicole’s nonchalant voice, and she said sharply, “Miss Lisa, I’m not joking. As the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel, do you not know the seriousness of this matter?”

When she saw how unperturbed Nicole was, her tone became more solemn.

“It’s a taboo for a company to have their design leaked before it’s launched!”

Nicole quietly listened to her, then took small sips of coffee from the cup in her hands. Putting down the cup, she said slowly, “I know. So now, even if we know who leaked it, it’s useless.”

Joanna narrowed her eyes, unable to understand Nicole. She’s obviously in deep trouble, but why is she still so calm?

Seeing that she wasn’t speaking, Nicole continued, “Tomorrow will be the day for the new product launch, and most of the clothes in the factory have been made. What we have to do now is to promote the new products well and ensure this launch gets the public’s attention.”

When Joanna saw how calm Nicole was, she couldn’t help but say sarcastically, “We don’t have to worry about the attention. The leaked design drafts gave our launching event enough attention before it started.”

 

Chapter 114 New Product Launch Event

Nicole heard the sarcasm in Joanna’s tone, but she was unperturbed. She simply raised an eyebrow and said, “Isn’t that good? With all the attention, our clothes will sell like hot cakes.”

Nicole’s attitude completely enraged Joanna.

“What the hell are you thinking? The leaked designs will lead to some clothing manufacturers releasing counterfeits before our launch, which will affect our brand’s pre-order sales!”

Noting her angry appearance, Nicole glanced sideways before finishing the coffee in her hand and standing up.

“Director Schmidt, tomorrow’s new product launch will go well. If there are any problems, I will be fully responsible on behalf of F&M Apparel!”

Joanna was so stunned by Nicole’s statement that she couldn’t say anything. Nicole had brought up F&M Apparel, and at any rate, Joanna couldn’t question their company.

After suppressing her anger, she could only make one remark.

“Good luck, then.”

The leaked designs caused a furore, and even Zachary, who was abroad, heard about it. Although he believed in Nicole’s ability, he couldn’t help but be concerned.

“Nicole, it seems like there’s been quite a commotion on the Internet these days. Is something wrong?” Zachary asked gently on the other end of the line.

Nicole chuckled, then briefly explained the matter to him.

After she was done, Zachary couldn’t help laughing.

“You always have many tricks up your sleeves. But there’s so much drama over at the Gardner Corporation. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to stay there. We don’t have to suffer this!”

“I can handle it all. I’m afraid tricks like this won’t even last a week in F&M Apparel,” Nicole sneered sarcastically. She had struggled in F&M Apparel for so many years. Did he think that she got by easily?

“All right, just carry on with what you’re doing. Even if everything collapses, F&M Apparel will have your back!” Zachary assured.

Warmth filled Nicole’s heart as she lowered her voice and thanked him. “Okay. Thank you, Zachary.”

…

The new product launch event of F&M Apparel and the Gardner Corporation was approaching, but the designs had been circulated on the Internet. Regarding this matter, neither company sent a representative to explain the matter in person.

The people spectating wondered if the incident was fake.

For the past few days, the topic of the leaked Garder Corporation’s designs was trending. It just so happened that the product launch event was happening not long after that.

Internet users were all eagerly waiting to see what the Gardner Corporation was going to do this time!

At this new product launch event, Gardner Corporation didn’t invite any media companies, but they came uninvited. The last few rows reserved for the media were packed with people; they were each holding a camera.

Colton, the president of the Gardner Corporation, Joanna, the director of Gardner Apparel, and Lisa, the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel, were all present at the new product launch event.

This lineup itself was already powerful. Coupled with the fact that the design had been leaked on the Internet, it made the new product launch event even more lively.

Joanna was sitting on the stage with an exquisite face of makeup, but her expression was a little sour.

Right before going up on stage, Nicole had told her everything, saying that the leaked design was a previous draft, and the clothes being manufactured weren’t those of the leaked design.

Joanna’s first reaction when she heard this was anger. She was the director of Gardner Apparel, so why did Nicole keep such an important piece of information from her and only told her at the last moment?

However, Nicole added, “President Gardner knows about it too.” So, she had to suppress her anger.

Now that she thought about it, if Nicole was acting alone, the Gardner Corporation’s factories wouldn’t possibly listen to her!

She figured Nicole must have someone backing her up, and it turned out that the person supporting her was Colton.

She didn’t expect that Colton didn’t fully trust her even though she had been in Gardner Apparel for so many years!

 

Chapter 115 Head off a Danger

Queenie was present at the new product launch event too. She had already bribed a few reporters to ask Nicole some direct questions later, so her lips curled up into a confident smile.

She had deliberately leaked the designs after the factory started work, just to ensure Nicole would have no way out.

That fool, Henry, had taken the money she gave and fled. Even if they were to find out who did this, only Henry would be blamed.

Moreover, Henry was Nicole’s first boyfriend. If they were to say that this had nothing to do with Nicole, who would believe it?

Now, she was just waiting to watch the excitement and see how Nicole would find her way out this time.

The new product launch event started as scheduled. As the ready-to-wear clothing had yet to be released, they were mostly talking about the concepts behind the clothing line and other promotions.

When the host finished speaking, it was time for the reporters to ask questions.

All of the reporters who came this time only mentioned the leaked design, and they asked questions without any reservations.

“Miss Lisa, may I ask if the design posted on the Internet some time ago is real?”

Before the reporter finished asking, the reporter next to them grabbed the microphone and said sharply, “Miss Lisa, Gardner Apparel has been operating for 7 years. When you weren’t there, there had never been the problem of designs being leaked. Why is it that this problem occurred as soon as you showed up?”

This question instantly silenced the noisy scene.

After all, even if the reporters present didn’t want to show Nicole any regard, they had to respect the Gardner Corporation and F&M Apparel, so they didn’t expect someone to ask such a direct question.

However, they didn’t stop it either. They weren’t the ones who asked the question anyway. When the breaking news was revealed, they could take advantage of the free publicity too.

Even though such a direct question had been thrown Nicole’s way, the smile on her face never ceased. She crossed her hands in front of the table, then swept her gaze over the crowd. Sure enough, she saw Queenie in a corner.

After thinking about it, she reckoned that only this idiot could perform such a brainless thing.

Nicole spoke up, not denying the claim. “It’s true that the Gardner Corporation had never had any designs leaked before. Similarly, F&M Apparel had never encountered this problem either, so this only shows that someone is targeting the cooperation between the Gardner Corporation and F&M Apparel!”

After Nicole answered the question, there was an uproar among the audience, followed by questions from the reporters.

“Miss Lisa, are you saying that someone is specifically targeting the cooperation between both companies?”

“Miss Lisa, did you unintentionally admit that the leaked designs are indeed the new summer line that the Gardner Corporation is going to launch?”

Nicole simply smiled, but didn’t answer. When the organizing team noticed that it was getting a little out of control, the host hurriedly stepped forward to mediate the situation. “If anyone has any questions, please take turns asking them.”

Seeing that the audience had slightly calmed down, Nicole picked up the microphone and gave a brief explanation.

“Back then, I met an acquaintance in the Gardner Corporation. He was someone I got to know during my school days. After we had a few conversations, he came to my office time and time again. Not long after, some of my scrapped designs was leaked onto the Internet, and it was claimed to be the Gardner Corporation’s new product.”

Nicole had a small smile on her face, and although she spoke in a gentle manner, there was a sense of dignity about her.

“I installed surveillance cameras in my office and have confirmed that he stole them. Although the leaked designs aren’t the Gardner Corporation’s new products, this is very shameful behavior. The Gardner Corporation and F&M Apparel will work together to investigate the matter.”

Nicole was speaking in neither a humble nor overbearing manner. Joanna already knew the truth beforehand, so she wasn’t surprised.

But, that wasn’t the case for Queenie. Originally, she thought that even if she couldn’t bring down Nicole this time, she could at least defame her. She didn’t expect that Nicole would so easily resolve the things she had worked so hard to plan.

She looked up at the stage, and Nicole happened to look over too. There was a hint of amusement in her eyes, as if she was mocking her!

 

Chapter 116 Unexpected Twist

Queenie’s heart squeezed as she clenched her fists. Why is this happening? Why is it that Nicole manages to head off a danger every time?!

Dissatisfied, she bit her lip. She thought that she could witness Nicole making a fool of herself at this press conference, but she didn’t expect that not only was Nicole not be humiliated, she even pissed her off.

Queenie’s eyes turned red, and she wasn’t interested in listening anymore, so she turned and left.

When Nicole saw Queenie leaving, a smile played on her lips as she carried on talking to the reporters.

“I hope everyone can focus on the excellent designs and not on these irrelevant behaviors. This summer line will definitely dazzle everyone. Thank you.”

After Nicole finished talking, Joanna and Colton were the next to speak, and they more or less made the standard remarks before ending the new product launch event.

After Queenie came out, she immediately took out her phone and made a call.

“When the news of the Gardner Corporation’s launch event is released, leak the plagiarism news immediately.” She gritted her teeth, gripping the phone so tightly that her knuckles had begun to turn white.

Of course she never expected the leaked design draft to cause Nicole’s downfall; she just wanted to use this chance to make Colton lose trust in Nicole.

Unexpectedly, she had wasted so much effort only for Nicole to gain an advantage, and it even made the new product launch even more successful.

Queenie’s entire body was trembling a little, and she said viciously to the person on the other end of the line, “No matter how much money it costs, we must make this incident as big of an issue as possible!”

After Queenie hung up the phone, a smile finally appeared on her face.

This time, she wasn’t the one defaming Nicole. Instead, Nicole shot herself in the foot because the outfit she had given Wendy turned out to be a plagiarized product!

She even copied the design of a major design competition’s champion from a few years back. Although the winner had participated anonymously, they would certainly be angry if they saw that their design had been plagiarized, and that it went viral.

Now, she must quickly find the anonymous person who won the first place. If she could find them and get them to sue Nicole, perhaps she could have Nicole imprisoned for a few years.

At this thought, Queenie felt much happier, and a trace of viciousness flashed across her eyes. Nicole, I’d like to see how you’re going to fight back this time!

After the new product launch event, Joanna had a sour look on her face, but because Colton was still around, she didn’t show it.

Standing next to Nicole, Colton turned to look at her, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

“This launch is more successful than any other launch event Gardner Apparel has ever organized over the years. It’s no wonder you’re the Chief Designer.”

Nicole smiled modestly, not taking credit for herself.

“No. This is all thanks to the person who wanted to humiliate me. It just so happened that this time, it didn’t take any effort for it to become a hot topic.”

Joanna couldn’t say a single word while standing next to her. Although she wasn’t involved in the matter, she more or less knew about it.

She didn’t expect that Queenie was so useless that she fell into the trap that Nicole had designed.

Colton nodded. When they talked about the perpetrator, his smile disappeared, and his voice became a little colder.

“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely give you an explanation for this matter.”

Nicole shook her head and looked ahead. “President Gardner, can you please not pursue this matter?”

Surprised, Colton turned to look at Nicole, then raised his voice in confusion. “What?”

Nicole lowered her gaze and explained in a low voice, “The Gardner Corporation and F&M Apparel have nothing to lose from this matter.”

Nicole pursed her lips and peered at Colton. “After all, I owed him in the past. We’ll treat it as me paying him back.”

Colton was silent for a while, but he eventually agreed. Nicole wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but she had the feeling that Colton was a little upset.

 

Chapter 117 Plagiarism!

The new product launch event was a great success. Coupled with the previously leaked designs, they had long become a hot topic on the Internet. As soon as news of the launch event was released, their popularity was on a constant rise.

However, apart from the news of the product launch event, there was also the plagiarism appraisal report.

In the report, a design from many years ago was placed together with the dress Nicole had designed for Wendy, and they were found to be strikingly similar.

Moreover, authorities had certified the plagiarism in the report.

Riding on all the previous buzz, the plagiarism news instantly took the Internet by storm.

Many designers came forward to accuse Nicole of plagiarism after taking a look at the two designs.

Not only Nicole was implicated for the matter of plagiarism, but so was Wendy, who wore that dress.

In the president’s office of the Gardner Corporation. “Miss Gardner, Miss Gardner, President Gardner is still busy inside. You can’t go in.” Tony stepped forward to stop Wendy, but her aggressiveness made her unstoppable.

When Wendy opened the door, she saw Colton behind the desk at once. Gritting her teeth, she spoke with tears glistening in her eyes. “Colton!”

Colton frowned slightly. He reached out to rub the corners of his eyes, then said a little coldly, “Didn’t I say that you have to knock before coming in? Where are your manners?”

Wendy couldn’t care less about it. With two pieces of paper in her hand, she stalked toward Colton’s desk.

She spread the papers in front of Colton, looking wronged. “Colton, look at these two designs.”

Colton looked down. One was the dress Nicole had designed for Wendy’s graduation, and the other was one he had never seen before.

However, after taking a few glances, it could be seen that the two dresses were similar. Although the dress Nicole had designed was embellished with many elements that were popular in recent years, the overall design was the same.

“What is this?”

Wendy blinked, her dark eyes filling with tears as she sniffed. “This is plagiarism! Colton, Lisa let me wear a plagiarized design!”

Colton frowned, suddenly feeling a little troubled. It would probably be bad if the matter of plagiarism was looked into and made into a major issue.

“Who told you about this?” Colton asked.

“What do you mean who told me about this? It’s trending on the Internet now. It’s probably trending even more than your new product launch event!” Wendy answered.

She was in the limelight because of that dress, and she even made it into the trending topics. Initially, it was a good thing, but she didn’t expect that the matter of plagiarism would suddenly be exposed. Since there was concrete evidence, there was no way to refute the claims.

She initially didn’t know about it either, but Queenie was to thank for coming to her house and bringing it up. Otherwise, she would’ve still been kept in the dark.

Wendy’s first reaction was to go to Anna. After all, she was a designer who could identify plagiarism at a glance. Upon confirming it, she went to Colton’s office in a menacing manner, hoping that Colton could help her seek justice.

Colton’s face hardened. His slender fingers rested on the keyboard as he searched it up. Sure enough, ‘F&M Apparel’s Chief Designer suspected of plagiarism for Miss Gardners’ dress’ was currently a trending topic.

Colton took a glance and found that there were comparison photos with details, which could almost conclude that it was indeed plagiarism.

Wendy had previously been a trending topic, added up with the popularity of the leaked designs and the new product launch, the matter became a hot topic without needing much publicity.

Frustrated, Colton massaged his temples. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that someone was specifically targeting Nicole, but if Nicole had actually plagiarized the design, then there was nothing he could do.

 

 

Chapter 118 Pay the Price!

“Wendy, go back first. I’ll take care of this matter,” Colton said. Somehow, he felt that there was something fishy about the matter.

Seeing that Colton was obviously taking Nicole’s side, Wendy felt her anger surge. She gritted her teeth, and there was a hint of a sob in her voice.

“Colton, it’s already come to this point, yet you’re still siding with her! Just because of her plagiarism, I’ve become a joke. I… I actually wore a plagiarized dress!”

Growing up, Wendy was spoiled by the Gardner Family, so she had never suffered such a huge grievance. Now, many classmates took her as a joke and made snide remarks about her.

Feeling a headache coming, Colton rubbed his temples and summoned his patience as he comforted her. “Wendy, I’ll get to the bottom of this and give you an explanation.”

“What else is there to investigate? She must just want to impress you, but she doesn’t have the capabilities, so she copied a design!” Now, Wendy only had negative feelings about Nicole!

“Wendy!” When Colton noted how Wendy was gradually becoming unreasonable, his tone got heavy as he stood up and walked to Wendy’s side. Seeing how aggrieved she was, he couldn’t bring himself to be stern as his heart softened instead.

He let out a soft sigh, then reached out and patted her head to comfort her. “Wendy, Nicole is from F&M Apparel after all, so I can’t make a decision on my own. We must wait until this matter is thoroughly investigated.”

As soon as Colton finished speaking, a majestic voice rang out.

“The two designs are right in front of you. It’s obviously plagiarism! What else is there to investigate?!”

Colton looked up and saw that it was Anna, followed by Joanna.

“Mom, why are you here?” Colton asked.

Anna didn’t seem to be in a good mood. As Joanna helped her in, she snorted coldly. “Even if she is not an employee of the Gardner Corporation, this plagiarism report alone is enough for her to undergo investigation!”

Upon seeing that her mother had shown up, Wendy threw herself into Anna’s arms and sobbed without holding back.

Anna was distressed to see her daughter cry, so she quickly softened her tone and comforted her. “There, there. Wendy, don’t cry.”

“M-Mom, I’m a total joke now…” Wendy couldn’t endure this kind of shame and humiliation. As the daughter of the Gardner Family, she had a certain status in the upper class social circle.

When she wore the dress designed by Nicole, the ladies showered her with praises, so she didn’t expect that they would look down on her now that news about the plagiarism was exposed.

Anna’s heart ached, and her hatred toward Nicole grew. “No matter what the reason is, plagiarism is a shameful deed! Colton, even if the Gardner Corporation isn’t the tycoon of the fashion industry, we mustn’t let such a person go unpunished!”

Colton’s head throbbed. Now that Nicole wasn’t there, he couldn’t confront her directly, so he softened his voice as he said, “Mom, after I get to the bottom of this, I’ll definitely give you and Wendy an explanation.”

As soon as he made the assurance, Joanna spoke up. “President Gardner, it’s not that we don’t want to give Miss Lisa time, but she copied the design of the champion of the national design competition four years ago.” Joanna paused. “Now, even the judges of that competition have stood out and said… that she indeed plagiarized the design.”

Only then did Colton realize the severity of the matter. As judges of the competition, they must have a certain status in the world of design.

It seemed that Nicole was truly in huge trouble this time.

At this moment, he could only look for Nicole to clarify the matter. Otherwise, he couldn’t explain this away no matter what he said.

Colton nodded, then said in his deep voice, “Alright. I’ll give you all a satisfactory answer.”

 

Chapter 119 Add Fuel to the Fire

After Colton spoke, he turned around and walked out.

As Joanna watched Colton’s hurried steps, there was a burst of anger inside her. At this point, Colton’s reaction showed that he was still siding with Nicole.

However, she didn’t let her emotions show on her face. What surprised her the most was that Queenie would go to such lengths.

“Wendy, it’s all right. Don’t cry. I’ll design something better than that for you. Don’t be angry. I’m sure Lisa didn’t do it on purpose.” Joanna comforted Wendy, at the same time speaking up for Nicole.

Anna sighed, then looked at Joanna and said, “Joanna, you have such a good heart. At this point, you’re still speaking up for her.”

After Wendy cried for a while, she got up from Anna’s embrace. Looking at Joanna, she gritted her teeth. “Joanna, don’t say anything good about her anymore! S-She humiliated me! She humiliated me with a plagiarized design!”

Seeing how resentful the mother and daughter were, Joanna felt secretly happy, but she still appeared kind on the surface.

“President Gardner said that he’ll investigate it, so let’s wait for his findings.”

As of now, Wendy could be said to harbor complete hatred for Nicole. She grunted coldly, her voice obviously showing that she had just cried.

“Colton must have been seduced by that woman. Until now, he’s still taking her side,” Wendy remarked.

Anna’s gaze darkened. She used to have a sense of respect for Lisa because she was a part of F&M Apparel, and she was also a famous designer. However, there was now an issue of plagiarism, and her daughter was implicated. There was absolutely no way she could allow this to happen!

“No, Wendy. Don’t speak so mindlessly. Lisa has a son, so she can’t possibly be with President Gardner,” Joanna interrupted.

When she said this, Anna’s face immediately took a change for the worse. She turned to stare at Joanna. “Did you say that she has a son?”

Joanna hurriedly pretended as if she had said the wrong thing. “Oh, you didn’t know that, Mrs. Gardner?”

Anna appeared livid. How could she not know her son? Just by looking at Colton’s behavior, she could obviously tell that he had feelings for Nicole.

If she was still single, Anna had nothing to say. But, she didn’t expect Nicole to have a son. How could such a woman be worthy of her son?

“I know that now!” Anna stated sharply, then didn’t say anything else.

As Hayden had a slight fever, Nicole was worried and didn’t go to work today.

Although there was a nanny to take care of him at home, she still wanted to be by her son’s side.

However, before long, she suddenly received a call from Colton.

Nicole found it a little strange. If Colton is calling at this hour, could it be that there’s omething wrong with the design drafts again?

Nevertheless, she answered the phone.

“Nicole, I’m coming to your house now. Send me the location,” Colton said solemnly.

Nicole was taken aback, but she could still hear a trace of trouble in Colton’s voice. She quickly asked, “Is something wrong?”

“Well, the dress you designed for Wendy has been suspected of plagiarism, and there’s quite a lot of buzz about this,” Colton briefly explained.

Nicole frowned. Plagiarism?

Even though she made some changes to her own design, it couldn’t possibly be considered plagiarism. She blurted out, “I didn’t!”

“Yes, I believe you, so I’m going to your house now to discuss how to solve this matter.” Colton lowered his voice.

Nicole didn’t know why he trusted her so unconditionally, and it warmed her heart. She murmured assent, then sent him the location of her home.

Due to her son’s fever, Nicole hadn’t looked at her phone all day, so she didn’t expect that such a huge incident had occurred.

After hanging up the phone, Nicole took a look on the Internet. Sure enough, her name was trending, in which one of the hot searches was—’Lisa plagiarized a design!’

Nicole browsed a little more and found that the matter was quite serious, as even the judges of that year’s competition came forward to confirm it.

Chapter 120 Get to the Root of the Problem

Her head ached as she tried to log into the account she used to submit the design that year, but because it was too long ago, she had forgotten her password.

Nicole thought of the passwords she commonly used in the past and entered them over and over again, but the final display was, ‘The password you entered is incorrect’.

As she became the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel that year, she never logged into that account again. Now, she wanted to access it after being accused of plagiarism, but she

Colton was quick and arrived at her house in less than ten minutes.

As soon as he arrived, he walked right in.

Today, Nicole was wearing loose light-colored pajamas because she was at home. Her hair was tied into a messy bun, and she had slight dark circles under her eyes, so it seemed like she didn’t sleep well.

Nicole didn’t beat around the bush either and said bluntly, “President Gardner, please sit. I took a look at the posts on the Internet. The gist of what they’re saying is that I copied the design of a national design competition’s champion from a few years ago.”

Upon seeing how frank Nicole was being, Colton didn’t know how to reply.

Nicole smiled and didn’t continue talking about the plagiarism, but turned the conversation around and talked about what had been happening lately instead.

“President Gardner, don’t you think the incidents of the past few days are all aimed at me?” Nicole asked calmly.

Colton nodded and responded, “Yeah.”

Nicole continued, “First of all, that person arranged for Henry to approach me. I only let my guard down because I felt guilty about him. After that, the design draft was leaked—that’s also aimed at me. Now, it’s plagiarism. I don’t think all these are coincidences. Someone had carefully planned it.”

Colton was silent as he listened to Nicole’s analysis, and he also suspected that someone was targeting Nicole, but the matter of plagiarism had already been spread on the Internet. If strong evidence wasn’t provided, this incident would become a stain on Nicole’s life.

“Then, what are you going to do?” Colton cast Nicole a sideways glance. Although her bare face made her look a little tired, she was still full of dazzling confidence.

“We’ll beat them at their own game and find out who the true mastermind is!”

Colton thought it strange that he trusted Nicole wholeheartedly, but he nodded in response. “Okay.”

Suddenly, Nicole remembered something, so she turned to look at Colton. “President Gardner, don’t you suspect that I actually plagiarized the design?”

With a small smile on his face, Colton said slowly, “As the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel, you have no reason to do such a thing that could ruin your reputation. I don’t believe that you’re so dumb.”

Nicole stared at Colton’s handsome face as his thin lips opened and closed, his voice low and slightly magnetic.

Lowering her head, she said seriously, “I took a look at the comments on the Internet. They’re saying that I copied the design of the champion of the design competition a few years ago.”

Nicole peered at Colton. There was no expression on his face, and he still looked indifferent as usual.

Nicole continued, “I anonymously participated in that competition, and I created that design on my own. That is also one of the very few youth-themed outfits I’ve designed. I figured that since that dress wasn’t manufactured, I could just add some modern elements and alter it to become Miss Gardner’s dress.”

Realization dawned on Colton, then he raised his eyebrows and turned to Nicole before asking, “Then, what are you planning to do next, Miss Anderson?”

Nicole touched her nose in embarrassment. “Back then, I participated anonymously, and I submitted it using an email address. Now, I have to access the account to prove it, but I’ve forgotten the password.”

Colton pursed his lips and gave Nicole a heads-up. “If you can’t prove it, I’m afraid you’ll be subjected to cyberbullying for the next few days.”

Chuckling faintly, Nicole stood up. “I can still endure this. I can use this opportunity to get to the root of the problem and stop the mastermind from pulling any more of these tricks!”