Ch. 151..160

Chapter 151 Return to the Gardner Corporation

Henry’s facial expression stiffened. He looked up at Colton, who was beside him. If it’s Nicole, I’m still somewhat confident. But, if it’s Colton…

“President—” As soon as Henry started to speak, he was silenced by Colton’s icy cold gaze while his body trembled. He wanted to seek Nicole’s help, but he still could not utter anything.

Turning around, Nicole walked out of the place without any hesitation.

After giving Henry a light glance, Colton walked out with Nicole without speaking a word.

Nicole walked for quite a distance before her tense facial expression relaxed a bit. Then, she lowered her eyes slightly, and the expression on her face carried a tint of distress.

Trailing behind her, Colton knew she must have felt upset in her heart. Thus, he gently comforted her with a few words by saying, “Well, it’s a good thing to see a person’s true nature earlier rather than later.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” she replied in a low voice. Then, she closed her eyes and took a breath. A smile tinged her cheeks again, as if she wanted to cheer herself up.

After that, Nicole turned her head around and looked at him. With her lips pulled into a smile, she added, “President Gardner, the Gardner Corporation and F&M Apparel’s products from the summer line have become increasingly popular now because of the incident. We can take this opportunity to broadcast some of our advertisements. I suggest that the pre-order period can be advanced to earlier dates in order to catch up with this popular period.”

Looking at the determined look on Nicole’s face, Colton knew she did not want to talk about this matter anymore. So, he nodded. “Sure, my thoughts exactly. I’m afraid you guys will be swamped, though.”

Upon hearing that, Nicole shook her head. “It’s no big deal. Besides, this time, it’s not my idea but that of the entire Design Department of the Gardner Corporation. With everyone hustling hard, we can launch some of the products first. Then, the remaining products can be launched following the trending topics.”

“Sure.” Colton agreed.

After that, she followed him back to the Design Department of the Gardner Corporation. The people in the Design Department disliked her a bit because of the plagiarism scandal.

Now that things were clarified, those people were rather ashamed by their past actions when Nicole returned to the Gardner Corporation. After all, they had spat those nasty remarks.

Without uttering a word, Colton escorted Nicole to the Design Department. Then, he left after he saw her off. Needless to say, with President Gardner as her personal escort, she had received the highest honor indeed.

As Nicole stared at the way those in the Design Department lowered their heads, she smiled. Honestly, she did not really mind the remarks they had made before.

After all, she did not clarify at that time. Besides, she also understood the distaste designers had toward plagiarism. Hence, she was not angry.

“In regards to the issue before, I was also at fault for not explaining it to you all clearly, so it was normal for you guys to have some misunderstanding of me,” Nicole said in a voice that didn’t carry much emotion.

Hearing that Nicole gave them a way out , these people quickly nodded in response. We’re not idiots.

“Miss Lisa, it was my fault that I suspected you before. I hereby apologize to you.”

“I’m sorry, Miss Lisa. We shouldn’t have listened to the rumors on the Internet at that time. We should have believed you and Miss Schmidt.”

There were further comments from those around her.

Nicole’s face did not have much expression as she smiled casually. “It’s fine. Everything has come to light now, and I’m sure there won’t be any more problems in the future. So, I’m still depending on each and everyone’s efforts in building up the fashion brand for this season.”

The people in the Design Department could not help but admire Nicole’s magnanimity. At the same time, they all breathed a sigh of relief after knowing that she did not mind what they previously did.

Later, Nicole went into Joanna’s office where Joanna was busy drawing her design drafts. Upon seeing Nicole come in, she stood up with a smile on her face.

“Miss Lisa, congratulations on clearing your suspicions.”

Nicole also smiled. After all, she should repay courtesy with courtesy, even though it might be fake. “Yeah, it’s a pity that we didn’t find out the person behind this.”

“What do you mean by person behind this?” Joanna asked, pretending to be puzzled.

However, Nicole did not comment much. She shook her head and vaguely said, “Oh, nothing. I just casually blurted that out.”

“Miss Lisa, you have cleared yourself of the plagiarism scandal. I’m sure there will be no problem in the cooperative tie between F&M Apparel and the Gardner Corporation,” Joanna said.

Compared to Queenie, it is tougher to deal with someone who does dirty deeds without leaving any traces like Joanna. Still, I won’t be staying long in the Gardner Corporation too. As long as Joanna doesn’t pull out any dirty tricks during this period of time, I won’t find fault with her.

 

Chapter 152 Daniella Committed Suicide

With a smile, Nicole said, “Things must have also been hard on you these days, Director Schmidt. Well then, I shall take back the documents I gave you before.”

Clearly, the expression on Joanna’s face stiffened. However, she quickly responded and picked up the things that had been arranged on the table.

“Well, not entirely. It was given to me because you were entangled in a scandal and couldn’t get out of the matter. Now that everything has been resolved, it’s natural for me to return them to you.”

As Nicole took the things, she smiled. She flipped through them and found that Joanna had poured in a lot of effort. “Fair enough. Then, I would like to thank you, Director Schmidt. Now that the plagiarism scandal has been clarified, the next thing we need to do is to hustle hard. Please bear with me and show me tolerance if there’s any area that I may require your cooperation.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s my honor to be able to work with you, Miss Lisa.” Joanna pursed her lips and faked a stiff smile.

Nicole had no intention to continue passing the bucks with Joanna. After getting the documents, she turned around and left.

After Joanna watched Nicole leave, the smile on her face instantly disappeared. She stood there for a long time without budging.

Hatred glimpsed in her eyes. I thought that Queenie could really drag Nicole down this time. She boasted about her ability, yet this was the result? Such a useless piece of sh*t!

Continuing to stand on the spot for a long time, Joanna closed her eyes slightly. She kept telling herself to calm down. Nicole is only going to stay in the Gardner Corporation for a few months and will leave after the cooperative tie between F&M Apparel and the Gardner Corporation is over. I can’t afford to take risks within these few months. After Nicole leaves, I’m still the only director for Gardner Apparel!

At the thought of that, Joanna felt that the anger in her heart eventually dissipated a lot. That’s right. I’ll let Nicole be complacent for a few more days.

Anyhow, my status will definitely rise when Gardner Clothing reaches the top nationwide. So, there’s no harm for me.

…

Later, at noon, Nicole came back from her lunch. Just as she sat down, she suddenly received a call from Whitney.

Nicole answered the phone. Before she could speak out, she heard a grumpy voice coming from the other end of the phone. “Miss Nicole! Bad news!”

Gripping the phone, Nicole held it away from her ear a little. The shout that was just let out by Whitney shocked her. Feeling upset, she frowned. “Why are you making a fuss? You should be calmer when dealing with things.”

Listening to Nicole’s calm tone, Whitney could not help but anxiously ask, “Miss Nicole, did you not surf the Internet at noon?”

At once, Nicole felt a little uneasy in her heart. Why do Whitney’s words seem to be having hidden messages? And thus, she turned on the computer and responded, “I didn’t. I just had my lunch.”

Then, Nicole paused for a moment before she continued in a slight joking manner. “I’m not you, hanging around in front of the phone and computer every day.”

“Miss Nicole, can you please pay more attention?” Whitney complained.

Nicole slowly clicked open the webpage. The trending topic of her not committing plagiarism had subsided. Currently, the topic that became trending was ‘Daniella Zimmer Could Not Withstand the Pressure and Committed Suicide’.

Taking a rough glance at the article, Nicole asked, “What the hell?” Her tone was a little dense.

“Just this afternoon, someone discovered that Daniella committed suicide by slitting her wrist at home. Now, she is getting emergency treatment in the hospital. Miss Nicole, this was originally her fault. But now, she’s using suicide to gain sympathy. Some of the netizens are already starting to scold you.”

Reaching out her hand, Nicole massaged her nose bridge. My goodness! I thought that the matter was nearly coming to an end. I didn’t expect Daniella to have the courage to do this to herself.

“So, what’s the situation now? Did she die?” Nicole asked calmly.

“No, she didn’t. According to the Internet, she has been rescued. I hacked into the hospital system to take a look. It stated in the database that she did not sustain major injury, and the cut was not too deep either,” Whitney said as she explained further.

Upon hearing that, Nicole breathed out a sigh and said, “I got it. Let’s talk about it when I get back in the afternoon.”

Seeing that Daniella had committed suicide now, Nicole was afraid she would be condemned by the public again if she continued with the lawsuit…

Chapter 153 Putting Down Trending Topics

Reaching out her hand, Nicole rubbed the corners of her eyebrows. She felt her head was throbbing in pain. One incident happens after another; they sure do not want me to live in peace.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. “Miss Nicole,” whispered Scarlett. She came into the office with a file in her arms.

Putting away the troubled look on her face, Nicole raised her head and slightly faked a smile. With a hoarse voice, Nicole asked, “Yes, what is it?”

“These are some of the problems encountered while you were not present. I have sorted them out.” Scarlett placed the file on the desk.

Upon hearing that, Nicole reached out her hand and took the file. After taking a look at the content, she discovered that Scarlett had already marked everything out very seriously. It was clear and organized.

Nicole nodded and smiled. “Alright. I get it.”

However, Scarlett did not immediately leave after delivering the document. Instead, she stood there for a moment, then Nicole looked up, wondering what was wrong. “Is there anything else?”

Scarlett took a deep breath and confessed by saying, “Miss Nicole, there are rumors flying around that Daniella committed suicide, you… ought to be careful.”

Hearing Scarlett’s concern, Nicole gave her a light chuckle. With a slight smile on her face, Nicole said, “She’s the one who committed suicide, not me. So, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Undeniably, Scarlett also knew that this was the case. However, as the saying went, public pressure could kill one person. Right now, the public opinion toward Nicole was not positive at all.

Glancing at Scarlett’s embarrassed look, Nicole smiled ever so lightly. “It will be alright. I have my own plan. Thank you for looking out for my best interest.”

Upon seeing Nicole’s poised appearance, Scarlett swallowed all the comforting words she had originally thought up. Then, she nodded and left.

Meanwhile, in the President’s office at the top floor of the Gardner Corporation, Tony raised his eyes. He looked at the man with a dim expression and spoke cautiously.

“President Gardner, the public opinion toward Miss Nicole is rocky at the moment.”

Upon hearing that, Colton narrowed his eyes slightly. There was a bit of danger lurking in his elongated eyes.

Putting his hand on his chin, Colton said in a deep voice, “What is the updated situation at the hospital at the moment?”

“It’s not as serious as it was made out to be. It was said that Daniella didn’t cut deep enough to seriously harm herself, but she’s still in the hospital as we speak,” Tony answered hurriedly.

As he spoke, Tony raised his eyelids; he stared at the moody boss above him and sighed a bit. How is it that I feel as though President Gardner’s attitude has changed over time after he and Miss Nicole crossed paths?

Prior to this, Colton was almost unbothered to care about these things. But now, it seemed that whenever it involved Nicole, Colton would go the extra mile.

“Send someone to the hospital to keep a constant eye on her and see what other tricks she is up to,” Colton said. His voice paused momentarily, and he continued by saying, “Also, locate the Public Relations Department to help further shut down the trending topics on this matter.”

The heat of the chilli would easily subside, but the memory of the spice left behind would stay. Tony could only take the bullet and continue on by saying, “President Gardner, the trending topics surrounding the scandal can no longer be suppressed. After the whole fiasco for the past few days, a lot of people are invested in this matter.”

Feeling extremely sour, Colton suppressed his voice and said, “Will you not look for a few famous celebrities’ scandals or illicit materials to expose on? Regardless of which you choose, ensure that you help me suppress this trending topic!”

Tony was left speechless. He did not expect Colton would go to such lengths for Nicole’s sake.

Still, Tony nodded. “Okay. Will do.”

After Tony responded and turned around, Colton, who was right behind, had a sudden thought and stood up.

Tony was startled after he heard the sound. Thinking nothing of it, he turned around and walked back to the desk instantaneously. However, just as he was about to ask what other orders he had, Colton’s words rang out.

“What’s the matter? Hurry up and get on with your job. What are you still doing here standing around?”

With that, Colton walked out with his pair of long legs.

Realization eventually hit Tony as he stood dumbfounded. It’s as if whenever Miss Nicole is faced with trouble, President Gardner’s mood would also sour. It seems that if I want to report anything important in the future, I have to pick the time when Miss Nicole is all right.

 

Chapter 154 The Hospital Visit

Colton’s keen concern on this matter was out of Nicole’s expectation. In the afternoon, Colton actually came to her office directly.

Upon seeing Colton entering her office, Nicole felt a little surprised. Her first reaction was wondering whether there was something wrong with her design drafts.

“I’m here to inform you about Daniella,” Colton said slowly. He took a few steps forward and plopped himself on the sofa.

At once, Nicole stopped working, knowing fully the reason as to why Colton came to see her. She did not know whether to cry or laugh.

“I’ve seen the news. She intends on using public opinion regarding her suicide to suppress me,” Nicole murmured in a low voice.

Upon hearing that, Colton nodded. As he observed Nicole’s calm appearance, he knew she must have a plan concocted. So, he asked directly, “Then, what’s your plan?”

Tugging the corners of her mouth into a smile, Nicole replied to him by saying, “She can do as she pleases. But, I will stand firm and not withdraw the lawsuit.”

Colton looked at Nicole’s determined appearance with a flash of respect and admiration in his eyes. Truth be told, he thought Nicole would buckle in pretty easily because of Daniella’s suicide. However, he did not expect the very woman in front of him to behave quite stubbornly.

“Well, then you’d have to prepare yourself mentally. And if you continue to press charges, it will certainly attract more public opinion, which might not necessarily be positive.”

Upon hearing that, Nicole nodded. “I’m aware of it. But, if I choose to not pursue this matter, people across the world will continue to think that the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel is an easy target that can be bullied and manipulated.”

Not only does the lawsuit concern myself, but it’s also for the reputation of F&M Apparel. If I don’t persist in pursuing this matter, the reputation of F&M Apparel will lose its lustre.

“I have already requested the Public Relations Department to help keep a lid on this issue. So, what do you wish to do next?” Colton inquired.

“Head to the hospital, and see how much longer she can keep up with the act,” Nicole sneered. If she’s truly acting, it’ll definitely show.

A hint of tantalization flashed in Colton’s dark eyes, and he stood up. “Seeing as I’m free from any duties in the afternoon, how about we visit her together?”

“Sure.”

As of this moment, the two had a solid alibi to skip work.

However, the two of them did not foresee that a flock of reporters would swamp the entrance of the hospital. If it was not for the security personnel at the entrance, they would have easily swamped into the hospital.

Fortunately, Colton knew the director of this hospital. Hence, the two of them entered through a small door.

“Did Daniella really take her own life?” That was the first question asked by Colton after seeing the director.

The director was a man in his fifties in fairly good shape. He was wearing a pair of delicate looking glasses and had a soft demeanor.

Carrying a bit of hesitation on his face, the director frowned slightly. After a long time, he replied, “Actually, it wasn’t even a deep cut to begin with, and no arteries were harmed. It’s not critical after the doctor treated her wound. But, she insisted on being hospitalized. We can’t simply chase the patient out, considering our reputation might be harmed.”

Of course, Colton understood his concerns. After all, Daniella did not actually want to kill herself, so of course the wound wouldn’t be deep.

“Alright, I understand. Thank you.”

The director did not say much. He then instructed a nurse to take Colton and Nicole to Daniella’s room and left the scene.

When Nicole and Colton stepped into the ward, Daniella was still sitting on the bedside, clearly occupied with her phone. When she heard noises at the door, she looked up and saw that it was Nicole. At once, she put up a pitiful look.

“Miss Lisa,” Daniella whispered.

Nicole looked up. At the moment, Daniella’s face was paler than usual, her lips drained of color. She was wearing a hospital gown, which further helped her portray a person who was truly sick and frail.

“I heard from the doctor that the cut wasn’t deep enough to bring serious harm when I came over earlier,” Nicole said slowly. Her gaze slowly landed on Daniella.

“Miss Lisa, I know it was my fault. But, I was just simply gripped by anger at why the people who committed plagiarism went unpunished. That was why I resorted to a stupid act. Please be magnanimous and forgive me.”

When Daniella spoke, there was already a hint of sobs, making her sound so pitiful.

Still, Nicole only looked at her coldly, unmoved by her acting. “If you expose who put you up to this, I will withdraw the lawsuit.”

Chapter 155 Reveal the Mastermind

Daniella was stunned for a moment. Then, she secretly glanced at Colton, who was standing next to Nicole. Feeling her palms were sweaty, Daniella pursed her lips and did not utter any more words.

Everyone knows Queenie is Colton’s fiancée. If I am to really rat out Queenie, I’m afraid that the Gardner Corporation will not let me off easily regardless of whether they believe me or not. Furthermore, I also don’t understand. What grudges do Queenie and Nicole have, considering the two of them seem to be in an intense fight with one another?

At the thought of that, Daniella glanced at Colton. Could he be the root cause of it all?

After thinking about it for a long time, Daniella still maintained her story. “Miss Lisa, no one instructed me. At first, I just thought that if no one stood up against plagiarism, this trend would continue on…”

Upon hearing that, Nicole narrowed her eyes faintly, and her sharp gaze shot back and forth on Daniella.

Meanwhile, Daniella was also growing uncomfortable with Nicole’s gaze. The present Nicole had certainly changed a lot compared to when she first met her. At this moment, she had become a bit assertive…

Later, Nicole pursed her lips and said lightly, “Since you refuse to say anything, rest and recover so that you won’t be too sickly when you have to face the judge.”

Daniella’s face turned even paler. I’m already injured, yet Nicole still won’t even consider letting me off the hook.

Daniella’s heart stiffened a bit. She simply felt hopeless and decided to go all out. With her neck straightened, she said, “Miss Lisa, I’m already in a destitute situation. Won’t you let me go? Seeing as I’ve been fired from the Pinnacle Group and is now jobless, what else do you want from me? Could it be true that you wish to see me six feet under?”

Nicole hurriedly shook her head, hands placed on her chest while she pretended to be afraid. Then, she denied by saying, “I don’t have such intentions. Don’t slander me.”

Staring at Daniella’s pale face, Nicole added hastily, “Not only am I Lisa, I’m also the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel. The moment you falsely claimed this design draft, you should have known the consequences you signed up for!”

Nicole’s comment took the last ounce of blood on Daniella’s face. Her lips trembled, and she said through gritted teeth, “Even if you were to sue me now, you won’t be able to reclaim the reputation you had before!”

Upon hearing that, Nicole smiled indifferently, and she raised her voice. “You falsely claimed to be the owner of the design draft. Do you know this one claim of yours can easily put you behind bars for a few years? Meanwhile, the public opinion will simply fade into the wind within a few days, or at most a week.”

Instantaneously, Daniella found herself without any bargaining chips left to threaten Nicole with.

Upon realizing that, Daniella felt utterly hopeless. She squeezed her hands on the hospital bed tightly.

Sensing that she could no longer persuade Nicole, Daniella could only find another way to solve it.

And thus, Daniella turned her head to the side, closed her eyes slightly, and said, “I’m going to continue resting. Miss Lisa, President Gardner, you may take your leave first if there’s nothing else to discuss about.”

Even so, Nicole continued. “You still have about a week to reconsider it. If you have decided by then and tell me, I will withdraw the case. Otherwise, I’ll see you in court.”

With that, Nicole left with Colton.

Daniella, who was on the hospital bed, opened her eyes cautiously after Nicole left. She bit her lip out of nerves and made a phone call immediately.

At the same time, Colton did not say a word from start to end. It was as if he was there as an audience to witness the whole play.

After exiting the ward, Nicole could not help but be a little curious. “You followed me here, but there’s nothing you wish to ask about?”

In a low voice, Colton laughed, and he put his hands in his pockets. “At least when I’m here, you won’t be painted maliciously.”

At once, Nicole caught on to what Colton had meant. Is he implying the incident whereby Daniella edited the recording of my voice maliciously last time?

Unable to hold back, Nicole burst out laughing. She looked at Colton with a smile adorning her face. “Is that so? Well, thank you, President Gardner.”

“You’re very welcome. After all, you are the backbone of the Gardner Corporation now. We must cherish and protect you at all cost,” Colton said in a relaxing voice, but his words carried heavy meaning.

 

Chapter 156 Rest Assured

Suddenly, Queenie received a phone call from Daniella when she was still in the Anderson Residence.

Upon realizing who the caller was, Queenie frowned. After hesitating for a while, she eventually answered the call. “Didn’t I tell you not to call me at this crucial moment?”

At present, Daniella had been forced into a tight corner. She couldn’t care less about when it was good timing to call Queenie. Gritting her teeth, Daniella uttered, “President Gardner accompanied Lisa to visit me at the hospital today.”

“President Gardner?” Queenie was slightly stunned. “Colton?”

“Is there someone else who goes by the title, President Gardner of the Gardner Corporation, other than him?”

Daniella’s suicidal act was all Queenie’s idea. Queenie told Daniella that she could use public opinion to force Nicole to drop the lawsuit. Yet, it was completely pointless at this juncture.

“What did they say?” It did cross Queenie’s mind that Nicole would look for Daniella. However, she never expected Nicole would visit Daniella at the hospital together with Colton.

That b*tch! She even has the audacity to declare her innocence with Colton! It was all a lie!

“President Gardner said nothing. But Lisa told me she’d drop the lawsuit if I tell her the person behind this scandal.”

At once, Queenie felt her heart experience a brief contraction, and she immediately asked, “Did you tell her anything?”

Upon hearing that, Daniella shook her head and answered, “No, I didn’t. Queenie, you’re the one who assured me that everything would go as planned. That was why I falsely claimed ownership for the draft. But now, Lisa wants to sue me. With both F&M Apparel and the Gardner Corporation supporting her from behind, I have no choice but to attend the court sessions!”

Slightly enraged, Queenie exclaimed, “Of course I know this! Don’t rush me! I’m currently coming up with a plan for you!”

Originally, Queenie thought Nicole would drop the lawsuit after being intimidated by public opinion. However, she never thought that Nicole had such a stubborn temperament.

“Queenie, you better come up with a well-thought plan for me! Otherwise, don’t blame me!”

In addition, Daniella mentioned how Queenie’s persuasion had enabled her to commit self-harm. If it still could not stop Nicole from proceeding with the lawsuit, then Daniella could only sell Queenie out.

Between wealth and freedom, I choose freedom!

Just then, a trace of malignancy flashed in Queenie’s eyes. She could not help tightening the clench on her phone. After trying hard to suppress her anger, Queenie consoled Nicole by saying, “Don’t you worry. I surely won’t let Nicole file that lawsuit against you. After all, we’re in this together.”

Upon hearing that Queenie was willing to help her, Daniella slightly sighed a breath of relief. Phew! I’m glad I didn’t sell Queenie out just now. Otherwise, I’m not sure if I’d have another escape route.

“As long as you can guarantee that I won’t be imprisoned, I’ll surely won’t sell you out,” Daniella assured.

As Queenie curled her lips upward, a trace of malignancy flashed in her eyes. Then, she slowly said, “That’s good. Since your fake suicide didn’t work, get yourself discharged from the hospital as soon as possible. After discharging from the hospital, contact no one and wait for me. I’ll go find you.”

A brief joy sparked in Daniella’s heart. “Have you thought of a plan?”

Once again, Queenie reassured Daniella by saying, “You bet. I most certainly won’t let Nicole file that lawsuit against you.”

With Queenie’s firm guarantee, Daniella soothed her anxious feeling. Then, she talked happily for a while before she hung up.

After she hung up the call, Queenie’s grip on her hand started getting tighter to the point that the joints of her fingers began to turn pale.

Staring at Queenie, Lydia noticed that she did not look well. Therefore, she could not help but ask, “Queenie, is there something wrong? Did something happen?”

Breathing out a sigh, only then did Queenie loosen up the tightness of her face. After that, she turned her head and looked at Lydia. As she gritted her teeth, she uttered, “Mom, can you believe that b*tch, Nicole? She would rather withstand the public pressure than drop the lawsuit!”

Feeling as if the shock within her had just been unlocked, Lydia exclaimed, “What?” Then, she furrowed her eyebrows. However, she had everything figured out clearly in a flash. “Well, we have completely removed ourselves from this case and have gotten what we aimed for. I suggest that we should just let Nicole proceed with the lawsuit.”

If only it were really that easy. Queenie shook her head and added, “If Daniella is truly sued, I’m afraid she’ll be sentenced to prison. According to Daniella, Nicole won’t drop the lawsuit if she doesn’t reveal the person behind the matter. If we can’t find any other ways to get Nicole to drop the lawsuit, I speculate Daniella will sell me out!”

Whoosh! Lydia instantly stood up after she heard Queenie’s words. “No way! Absolutely no way!” If something happens to Queenie, the whole Anderson Family will be doomed!

A dark shade covered Queenie’s eyes, and she turned to look at Lydia. Then, she uttered under her breath, “Mom, dead men tell no tales.”

Chapter 157 Might as Well Be Dead

At that moment, Lydia was shocked by Queenie’s gaze. With her lips trembling, she asked hesitantly, “Queenie, you must think this through. Murder is a huge crime. If someone found out, you’d be sentenced to life in prison.”

Enraged, Queenie scolded, “Mom!” This successfully shut Lydia’s mouth.

Holding Lydia’s hand, Queenie pulled the corners of her mouth and said, “Weren’t you involved in the death of Nicole’s mother back then?”

A trace of startle flashed in Lydia’s eyes. Here I thought I had concealed this matter very well. It never crossed my mind that Queenie was aware of this matter!

Dodging Queenie’s stares, Lydia blurted under her breath, “Don’t spew nonsense!”

Tightening her hand that was holding Lydia’s, Queenie said, “Mom! You managed to murder someone without anyone realizing five years ago, so why can’t you do it now?”

Staring at the malicious-looking Queenie in front of her, Lydia swallowed her saliva. She had no idea what to say.

Upon looking at the hesitant look on Lydia’s face, Queenie continued by saying, “Mom, if we are to get rid of this matter, we have no choice but to get rid of Daniella.”

Lydia gave in. If Queenie is exposed to be involved in this issue, our lives will definitely be chaotic. Silencing Daniella seems to be the only solution as of this moment.

“Queenie, if you really want to do this, we must execute the plan concisely. We mustn’t let others suspect us even the slightest,” Lydia said. Truth be told, she did not come from a clean background.

In her early days, Lydia hung around lots of pubs and clubs. She had seen and used many dirty tactics. Only after she got married to William and became a lady of the upper class did she stop using most of her dirty acts.

Initially, Lydia did not wish for Queenie to be involved with such dirty tricks. However, they had to do it since things had come to this stage.

“Don’t worry, Mom. I have my own plan,” Queenie said.

Seeing that things have come to this, I can’t be blamed for being ruthless! Daniella, you’re the one seeking death, so I’ll simply grant your wish!

…

The public opinion circulating around the Internet was getting serious within these few days. Initially, Nicole had cleared off her suspicion in regards to the plagiarism scandal. Yet, she had once again become the bad person since she was being deemed as the one who insisted on suing Daniella and caused her to commit suicide.

Nicole clicked open the interview link regarding Daniella’s suicide. It wasa video, and the reporter was questioning Daniella in the video.

In the video, Daniella looked exactly as Nicole had seen two days ago. Her face was pale, and her whole person looked rickety.

The reporter’s camera was facing Daniella, and it even zoomed in on Daniella’s bandaged wrist. Then, the reporter asked, “Ms. Zimmer, why did you resort to suicide? Everyone on this Earth will make mistakes. You can’t simply choose death over one mistake made.”

Listening to the question asked by the reporter, Nicole could easily guess the real motive behind this interview. Hah! This must be a self-directed play by Queenie and Daniella!

With her face ghastly pale, Daniella glanced at the camera timidly. However, she quickly retrieved her gaze.

Shortly after, Daniella’s eyes instantly got teary, and she even choked down her sobs in between her words. “As a designer, plagiarism is the most unacceptable issue. I-I just got a little impulsive during that time. I was thinking I could use that chance to let everyone understand the consequences of plagiarism.”

Daniella stuttered, and she even welled up and choked in tears nearing the end of her speech.

Upon seeing that, the reporter immediately consoled her, “Ms. Zimmer, don’t be sad. You can just say anything that you wish to say.”

On the camera, Daniella cried for a while before she looked up with her teary eyes. She sniffed and said adamantly, “I know I’m at fault in this matter, but I have no regrets. If there were a next time, I’d still do the same thing.”

“It’s good that you have found a way out of this, Ms. Zimmer. Please don’t take your life for granted,” the reporter immediately consoled her.

After she heard the reporter’s comforting words, Daniella closed her eyes, looking hopeless. Then, she reached out her hand, wiped her tears, and showed a pale smile. “If I couldn’t get Miss Lisa’s forgiveness, I might as well be dead.”

The video played until that part before it stopped.

Chapter 158 Public Pressure

It was as clear as day that this video was to exert pressure on Nicole. Daniella is using her life to threaten me in the video. The meaning behind this video is probably that Daniella will take her own life if I don’t drop the lawsuit.

All of a sudden, Nicole felt rather amused. I wonder what’s going on in Daniella’s brain that she’s threatening me with her own life.

At the thought of this, Nicole closed her eyes slightly. When she clicked open to view the webpage, she discovered that all the trending topics were about her and Daniella.

‘The Reason Behind Daniella’s Suicide.’

‘Lisa Being Adamant Caused Daniella to Commit Suicide.’

‘Heartless Lisa Has No Regard for Human Life.’

…

Though enraged, Nicole was also amused as she looked at these trending topics. Will those who play victims always have someone to defend them? Even the issue of Daniella falsely claiming my design draft has somehow become justifiable. Since when did the netizens become so compassionate?

After viewing that interview video, nearly all the netizens had turned into saints. One by one, they left their comments.

‘Actually, Daniella did nothing wrong. If Lisa directly stood up and cleared off the issue in the first place, it would not have turned into such a big fuss. Daniella simply wants to give a clean slate to the design industry!’

‘Yeah, that’s right. Daniella, please stop having suicidal thoughts. We all stand by you. As a Chief Designer, Lisa’s tolerance seems rather low. Daniella was just trying to do good deeds. Why can’t she just let this slide now that things are over? Why is she still pressing hard on Daniella? Could it be that she’ll be satisfied only if the person is dead?’

‘If Lisa still proceeds with the lawsuit, it just means she has no regards for one’s life. She’s a murderer!’

…

At once, these comments were instantly pinned on top of each post, and the number of likes immediately reached over ten thousand.

I’m simply protecting my self-interest. Yet, people said I have no regards for human life and labelled me as a murder. How utterly ridiculous!

Scrolling further down the comment box, Nicole discovered that there were still netizens who had clear consciences.

‘If Lisa didn’t stand up to reveal the truth, Daniella could have gained both fame and fortune by falsely claiming ownership of the draft. Now, she’s pretending to be the victim once she was exposed? How shameless!’

‘Why would Lisa be blamed when it was clearly Daniella’s fault?’

However, it was a pity that these clear-headed comments were suppressed to the very bottom of the comment section.

With ease, Nicole could guess the video was merely a self-directed play by both Queenie and Daniella. Their purpose was to force Nicole to withdraw the lawsuit. However, they had miscalculated, because Nicole would definitely not drop the lawsuit!

Still, Nicole felt it was amusing. All these netizens did not even bother to understand the truth behind the whole matter and dwelled on the ‘blame game’. Embracing the righteous spirit of keyboard warriors, they stood by the so-called weak party and started making malicious comments.

But I must say this tactic employed by Queenie is indeed effective. Daniella pretended to look pitiful and committed suicide. At once, all the blames are directed at me.

At the thought of that, Nicole curled the edge of her lips. I don’t think Daniella will actually have the courage to end her life even if I don’t withdraw the lawsuit!

Feeling slightly tired, Nicole rubbed her eyes. In her mind, she combed through the whole matter.

Nicole had decided to proceed and sue Daniella for the matter regarding her false claim on the design draft, and Nicole was confident that she would win the lawsuit. However, the public opinion on the Internet was not as friendly as Nicole had hoped.

Therefore, the critical issue to be solved now was to decide how she should react to the public opinion on the Internet.

The clothing brand under the cooperative tie between F&M Apparel and the Gardner Corporation is about to be launched. I can’t afford to get into more troubles at such a crucial period.

All of sudden, Nicole felt rather upset. That feeling was even greater than when the netizens condemned her for plagiarism. At the very least, those who were not aware of the truth would only think it was Nicole’s fault when they came across the plagiarism scandal on the Internet.

However, in this matter, anyone with a keen mind instantly knew who was the one at fault. Yet, most netizens still chose to stand on the wrong side.

Feeling her temples throbbing, Nicole closed her eyes.

After resting for a while, Nicole reopened her eyes. She had always been a strong-headed person. The more one disallowed her to do something, the more she would want to do it!

I can’t wait to see what Queenie will do if I insist on proceeding with the lawsuit!

 

Chapter 159 Two Unlucky Omens

Nicole looked at the design draft for a while. For some reason, she felt a sudden discomfort in her head. Immediately, she reached out her hands and rubbed her eyes. After thinking for a while, she simply stood up.

The events of the past few days weighed on her one after another—maybe she was just too tired.

Nicole decided to go out for a walk to let loose some of her uneasiness.

As soon as she walked out of the office, the people back in the office started to discuss amongst each other excitedly and noisily.

“Have you heard about what happened on the Internet recently? Could it be possible that Lisa really wants to force Daniella to a deadend?”

“Yeah, in Daniella’s video, she said that if Lisa didn’t withdraw her lawsuit, then she didn’t want to live anymore. If Daniella actually dies, then would Lisa become the murderer?”

“Now that Daniella has lost her job and was kicked out of the Pinnacle Group, Lisa would just be pushing it if she still doesn’t let go of her.”

They continued to comment on the incident in the office.

When Joanna returned and passed them by, she happened to hear their discussion. She was secretly happy because she didn’t expect that Nicole was this unpopular among the rest. Whether she was right or wrong, people still did not like her.

When she saw that they were going to continue discussing, she lazily said, “Okay, let’s not discuss these things here. Lisa is an honored guest from F&M Apparel after all, so we can’t criticize her behind her back this way.”

When everyone heard Joanna’s words, they all stopped and turned to look at her.

“Joanna, you are such a good-natured and generous person. You are still standing on Lisa’s side to speak up for her when her rumors are spreading like wildfire on the Internet.”

When she heard these compliments, Joanna just smiled slightly. She reached out and patted the man’s shoulder.

“It’s not that I speak up for Lisa; it’s that we are still cooperating with F&M Apparel, and we should cooperate well. So don’t say anything that will get people in trouble,” Joanna said while scanning the crowd.

Everyone nodded in understanding.

……

Nicole came out of the company building. She wanted to go outside for a walk and come back, but the moment she went out, she saw Queenie and William.

The two of them just got out of the car and were about to go inside when they bumped into Nicole.

Seeing them, Nicole frowned slightly and wanted to leave through the side, pretending as if she didn’t see them.

But William quickly grabbed her and said calmly, “Is this how you act when you see your biological father?”

William’s grip on her wrist was slightly strong, and her wrist hurt. Feeling his painful grip, Nicole withdrew her hand while frowning uncontrollably and asked in a cold voice, “What? Should I politely call you Dad?”

William was angered by Nicole’s words. His expression distorted as he stared at her, and he scolded, “What are you talking about? I am your dad!”

Nicole heard the slight anger in his voice, but smiled instead. She narrowed her eyes on him, and spat with a smirk, “You kicked your own daughter out of the house, and won’t even help her when she’s down—what kind of father is that?”

William’s entire body was trembling at Nicole’s words, and Queenie hurriedly stepped forward to comfort him.

“Nicole, watch how you speak to Dad! No matter what happened, he was the one who gave life to you. You must at least have some respect for him!”

When faced with Queenie’s questioning, Nicole just raised her eyes lazily and uttered with a cold snort, “Out with it already. I don’t have so much spare time to speak nonsense with you here.”

She might as well have stayed upstairs if she had known that she would meet these two unlucky omens when she went downstairs.

William breathed a sigh of relief and finally stated the purpose of his trip. “Fine. Withdraw the lawsuit.”

When Nicole heard William’s words, she couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing. She looked at the person in front of her with a smile on her face. How on Earth does he have the face to come to me and ask me to withdraw the lawsuit? This is ridiculous!

“Why should I listen to you?” Nicole asked. “Or let’s put this this way: Who do you think you are to me?”

Chapter 160 Only Help Outsiders

William felt suffocated by Nicole’s words, and his whole face flushed with anger.

“Withdrawing the lawsuit is for your own good! Do you know what people on the Internet are saying about you now? They’re saying you’re hard-hearted and have no regard for human life!” William looked at her with his aged eyes while pointing at her with his finger, almost poking into her face.

Maybe Nicole was too disappointed; when she looked at William, she found that there was no fluctuation in her heart.

She pursed her lips and said amusedly, “When I was accused of plagiarism, you stood on someone else’s side and wanted me to apologize. But now that I have cleared away the plagiarism accusation and revealed that it was someone else who falsely claimed the design draft, you dare to ask me to withdraw the lawsuit—William Anderson, do you only intend to help outsiders?”

William’s expression turned gloomy, and he angrily said, “What are you talking about?!”

“First of all, William, please don’t speak to me as if you’re my father. Five years ago, we no longer had a father-daughter relationship!” Nicole said coldly.

When he heard her mention what happened five years ago, probably because of guilt, William’s attitude finally softened a little. He sighed. “I’m doing it all for your own good now. Haven’t you seen all the comments on the Internet?”

“So what if I saw them? Don’t manipulate me, saying that it is for my own good! There’s no relationship between us anymore,” Nicole said while she closed her eyes slightly. After seeing them, her head felt even more uncomfortable.

She wanted to leave quickly; she felt sick when she saw the two of them.

William was silent for two seconds. His eyes were fixed on Nicole, and after a while, he said, “Even if you win the lawsuit, you won’t get any benefit from it at all. If you withdraw the lawsuit now, you can at least gain a good reputation.”

Nicole chuckled lightly and glanced at Queenie. “Good reputation? My reputation has long been ruined after your precious daughter decided to make my past public—do I have any good reputation left?”

Queenie’s face changed when she heard Nicole’s words, and she immediately said, “Nicole, don’t slander me!”

“Okay, I don’t have any intention to continue wasting time with you. Point is, I won’t just drop the lawsuit unless Daniella tells me who is pulling the strings behind the scenes. Otherwise, it’s impossible!”

When Nicole spoke, she stared straight at Queenie. Queenie knew what she was alluding to, but Nicole did not specifically call her out, and she didn’t think it would be a good idea to refute in front of William.

After all, these things were done without the knowledge of William.

William frowned, with a bit of doubt on his face. “What do you mean… the person behind the scenes?”

Nicole opened her mouth, glanced at Queenie, and then withdrew her eyes. “We’ll just have to wait for Daniella to say it herself.”

After Nicole finished speaking, she didn’t stay there any longer, then she turned around and left.

When Nicole was gone, Queenie supported her father and said in a vehement manner, “Dad, I told you not to come looking for her. She won’t listen to you at all. You didn’t believe me and let her humiliate you for nothing!”

William’s face changed slightly, and he said, “That unfilial girl!!”

Queenie looked at William’s angry appearance, and her heart blossomed with joy, but she still pretended to be affectionate toward her sister.

“Dad, just let her sue. At most, our family would bear a bad reputation… It will fade in a few months.”

William felt angrier when he heard Queenie’s light-hearted words. He shouldn’t have recognized Nicole for the sake of her title as the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel. Now, Nicole’s matters were connected to the Anderson Family, causing the Anderson Family to be gossiped about.

“If this unfilial daughter of mine doesn’t give up on the lawsuit, then the Anderson Family will not be able to tolerate her any longer!” William gritted his teeth.

“Dad, what do you mean?” Although Queenie already understood in her heart, she still pretended to ask.

“I want to cut off the father-daughter relationship with Nicole!” William said solemnly, with a bit of gloom in his dark eyes.