Ch. 211..220
Chapter 211 Embarrassed
When Colton heard that, he smiled. He liked how Nicole stared at him in a daze earlier.
He laughed deeply before raising his gaze and looking at her. With a tinge of teasing in his gaze, he said thoughtfully, “True. You’ve seen my body before when you came to my house.”
His tone of voice was decent, but the contents of his words would obviously make one’s imagination run wild.
I did see his body, but it was only by chance!
Nicole’s ears were burning hot as she remembered the incident. Truth was, each muscle on his naked, muscular body was flawless.
Furthermore, she saw him as he walked out of his bath, with water droplets on his flawless body. When she thought of that image, she couldn’t help but feel her heart racing.
“That was really accidental,” she quickly explained.
With a bright gaze, Colton looked at the woman who was usually calm and confident but was now flustered. She looked adorable in this manner.
“Well, I don’t mind it too,” he leisurely responded.
Nicole was left speechless. He was always this indecent!
Looking at her embarrassed expression, he decided to change the subject. “My cousin is a doctor with good grades. He’ll be here for Wendy’s birthday. My mother will probably ask him to perform the DNA test for me and Hayden, so you don’t need to be worried.”
Nicole nodded and tried to keep her face expressionless. Her earlier behavior was extremely embarrassing. She then took a step back to distance herself from him before saying, “I’ll leave it to you, then. I’ll be off now.”
At that, Nicole quickly walked away without waiting for his response.
When Colton looked at her escaping form, his smile widened.
Meanwhile, Nicole was surprised to find her heart racing after leaving Colton’s office. When did she become so pure and innocent that even Colton’s flirting words could make her nervous?
She tried her best to suppress her panic and racing heart before returning to the Design Department.
Whitney noticed Nicole’s panicky demeanor when she returned. Worried that something had happened, Whitney quickly followed Nicole inside.
The first thing Nicole did when she returned to her office was to gulp down the entire glass of water on the table. After the cool water ran down her throat, she finally calmed down.
Whitney, on the other hand, was taken aback when she saw Nicole gulping down the water as she entered.
Whitney then shut the door and approached Nicole, her gaze fixed on her. Finally, she came across something unusual—Nicole’s ears were flaming red!
That caused Whitney’s eyes to widen, and she was filled with disbelief. She continued to stare at Nicole before asking, “Miss Nicole, didn’t you just come from Colton’s office?”
Nicole nodded and tried to suppress her galloping heart. When she raised her head, she saw Whitney looking at her strangely. Hence, she frowned and asked, “Yeap. What’s the matter?”
Whitney’s mouth fell wide open when she heard that. With her face filled with surprise, she mumbled, “Miss Nicole, what… What exactly did you do in his office that made you blush? Don’t tell me that you and him…”
Looking at her pretentious manner, Nicole could almost guess what Whitney was thinking. Then, Nicole reached out and pinched Whitney on the waist.
A loud yell immediately resonated throughout the office.
Whitney rubbed her waist and looked aggrievedly at Nicole while complaining, “Miss Nicole, that was so harsh!”
Nicole simply sneered in response. “Keep those filthy thoughts out of your head!”
Still rubbing her waist, Whitney said softly, “I’m only asking on President Yates’ behalf. After all, he has adored you for so long.”
Nicole’s sneer faded when Zachary was mentioned.
Ever since she came back, she had not seen Zachary in a long time. There was not even a phone call from him.
In the past, he used to call her at least once a week when she wasn’t with him.
Chapter 212 Trouble
Nicole’s gaze lowered and she became lost in thought. She had been so preoccupied with the design sketch for the past few days that she had almost forgotten about him.
With her lips pursed, she thought for a few moments before asking, “How’s Zachary recently?”
She knew he was busy but because he didn’t bring it up, she didn’t ask him either.
“His situation is bad,” Whitney replied candidly.
Nicole was stunned for a moment after hearing her response, and a bitter smile appeared on her face. “He didn’t want to tell me anything, and it’s not for me to ask him as well.” She sighed at that.
Whitney took a look at Nicole, feeling complicated.
Though it was nicely said that Whitney came here from F&M Apparel to assist Nicole, that was not the case. Almost everything had changed for F&M by this point.
When Zachary’s father discovered that Zachary adored a woman with a child, he was furious. He refused to back down, and demanded Zachary return home to take over the family business.
But Zachary adamantly refused. He too, had a stubborn temper beneath his gentle appearance.
Following that, Benjamin forcibly acquired F&M Apparel’s shares, intending to drive Nicole out of the company. Zachary returned to F&M Apparel after learning of this and was still at odds with his father.
Zachary had taken on everything for Nicole and did not allow Whitney to reveal anything to her.
Otherwise, based on his concern for Nicole, he would appear in the country to explain everything for her and bring her back when she was previously defamed with the plagiarism issue.
But he could not do so, as he was really up to his neck with the troubles he faced in F&M Apparel.
Whitney looked profoundly at Nicole and decided not to tell her anything. Zachary must be concerned that Nicole would become concerned if she found out about it, and hence instructed Whitney not to divulge anything.
Hence, Whitney replaced her solemn expression with a smile. “It’s not a big deal. President Yates was still as active as ever when I came here. I suppose his father did something that annoyed him.”
Nicole wasn’t the type to be overly concerned too. She nodded and said, “We’ll return to F&M Apparel once our Gardner Corporation collaboration projects are completed. If Zachary does encounter some difficulties, we can face them together.”
Whitney did not reply to that. After all, she couldn’t say much as Zachary did not want Nicole to know about those matters.
Their subject of conversation was a little solemn, and the entire atmosphere in the office was serious when they were on it. Thus, Whitney subtly changed the subject.
“By the way, didn’t Joanna say she wanted to compete with you? Have you finished your design sketch yet?”
Nicole was aware that Whitney was deliberately changing the topic, but she wasn’t bothered by it. “Yes, it is done. Wendy will be coming in the afternoon.”
She then came to a halt. “Mrs. Gardner will be here as well,” she added, recalling Colton’s words.
“Because of Hayden?” Whitney could roughly guess the reason.
Nicole nodded to that.
Whitney then attempted to console her by saying, “It’s okay, Miss Nicole. We’ll cross the bridge when we come to it. Don’t think too much.”
“I’m not thinking too much. You’re the one who is speaking too much! Are you very free here?”
Nicole nonchalantly looked at Whitney and realized that the latter seemed to be more nosy after she came to the Gardner Corporation.
In response, Whitney quickly smiled and nodded. “Of course not! I’m just concerned about your health. Since you’re well, I’ll go out now. Take care!”
Whitney immediately dashed out after her words, fearing that Nicole would catch her.
Nicole, on the other hand, looked at Whitney who dashed out and smiled. Whitney didn’t change at all, she thought.
But Nicole was still worried about Zachary as she didn’t know how he was doing. The time he spent dealing with whatever he was preoccupied with indicated that the problem was more serious than she had suspected.
Chapter 213 I Prefer Nicole’s
Wendy and Mrs. Gardner arrived at the office around 3.00PM.
They didn’t stay in the Design Department for long before taking Nicole and Joanna to a high-end restaurant.
The four of them then entered a private room, took their seats, and ordered some snacks and tea.
Wendy had anticipation written all over her face. She smiled all the way, and with her chin resting on her palm, she asked, “Miss Nicole and Miss Joanna, can I have a look at your sketches?”
Joanna made the first move before even waiting for Nicole’s response. “Of course. It is designed for you, so of course you have to see it.”
She then took a file from her bag and placed it on the table.
Nicole simply smiled and placed a file on the table too without saying anything.
Anna let out a gentle chuckle. Seeing Wendy’s shining eyes, she said softly, “Take a look at them and see which one you prefer.”
Following that, Wendy started with Nicole’s sketch. Her eyes brightened the moment she saw the design, which she immediately showed to Anna. “Mom, this sketch is different from the one I saw in Miss Nicole’s office previously,” she said excitedly.
When Anna heard that, she too, turned her attention to Nicole’s sketch.
The sketch she saw earlier in Nicole’s office had already surprised her, but this sketch she was looking at now was even more amazing.
It was nothing short of incredible! The entire design was breathtaking in every way. Just by looking at the sketch, they could sense the vigor and youthfulness of the dress. The design of the neck and back was slightly mature, but not overly revealing.
Wendy fell in love with this design the moment she saw it. There was absolutely nothing to complain about. She even imagined herself as the center of attention with this dress on.
“Wendy, let’s look at Joanna’s design,” Anna reminded Wendy, seeing how much the girl adored the design and didn’t even bat an eyelid at the other.
Her words made Wendy retract her gaze from the sketch. “Miss Nicole, you’re just so excellent!” she exclaimed, unable to control her smile.
Joanna, too, saw Nicole’s sketch and was taken aback by it. She had previously seen one of Nicole’s design sketches and modified hers accordingly, believing that her victory was guaranteed, but Nicole did not use that sketch at all!
But her imposing manner remained and her lips pursed. She made significant modifications to her sketch for that jewelry, and she was now confident that her design and the jewelry matched perfectly!
She was convinced that Wendy and Anna would never give up the jewelry from Triton Studio.
Wendy then opened Joanna’s sketch, which she also found satisfactory. The design was mature and elegant, but it didn’t take her by surprise. It was more of the same as the classic ones found on the market, with little to no creativity.
But Wendy did not want to embarrass Joanna. “Miss Joanna, your design is excellent too. It looks suitable for me,” she praised.
Looking at both sketches, Anna had the answer in her heart. She could tell that Wendy preferred Nicole’s design just by looking at the girl’s demeanor.
However, they had to consider the Triton Studio’s jewelry sent by Queenie.
Nicole’s design did not go well with the jewelry at all. Instead, Joanna’s design matched perfectly with it.
“Wendy, which of these designs do you prefer?” Anna turned to face Wendy and inquired.
Wendy’s gaze was fixed on Nicole’s design. “I prefer Miss Nicole’s design,” she replied without hesitation.
That didn’t come as a surprise to Nicole. Hearing Wendy’s choice, she smiled confidently.
Just as she was about to speak, someone knocked on the door. At that point, Queenie and an unknown man then entered.
Chapter 214 Joanna’s Design Was Chosen
The man had a black suitcase with him. When he walked in, he nodded to Anna before placing the suitcase on the table.
A tinge of surprise flickered in Nicole’s eyes. She had no idea what Queenie had up her sleeve.
Hence, she sat there, motionless.
Queenie signaled to Kevin to open the suitcase. He nodded and opened it up in front of all of them.
Nicole was taken aback when she saw the jewelry in the suitcase. She wasn’t expecting Queenie to bring someone from Triton Studio. Even though the jewelry in the suitcase wasn’t their main product, it was a new design.
Joanna, too, pretended to be surprised. “Isn’t this Triton Studio’s jewelry?” she exclaimed.
Queenie nodded arrogantly. “Yes. This is Kevin Carter, a designer from Triton Studio.”
Following that, Anna looked at the two design sketches and the jewelry, leaving Wendy to make the difficult decision.
Wendy exhaled a sigh. She was unwilling to give up Nicole’s design, which she adored just by looking at the sketch. However, the jewelry…
She was in a difficult situation. She raised her head slowly after a long moment of hesitation and said, “Miss Nicole, based solely on the sketches, I prefer yours. However, Miss Joanna’s design appears to complement the jewelry better.”
Nicole took one look at Joanna’s design and couldn’t help but sneer. She was just wondering why Joanna’s design was so much grander and more mature than what was appropriate for Wendy’s age.
She now understood why—Joanna had long been in cahoots with Queenie.
Even the Gardners, despite being wealthy, couldn’t engage designers from Triton Studio either. After all, Triton and everyone else in his studio thought highly of themselves and couldn’t care less about money.
For many years, their jewelry was reserved for royalty, or prominent and reputable figures.
It was no surprise that Joanna appeared to have the upper hand. She had been waiting for Queenie all along!
Nicole’s sneer remained. She had not expected Joanna to stoop so low and employ such despicable means. And she even thought of competing fair and square against her this time. She had really overestimated Joanna!
She then raised her head and posed a serious question to Wendy. “Miss Gardner, please tell me honestly. If there’s no such jewelry, do you prefer my design?”
Wendy nodded without hesitation. Truth was, she adored Nicole’s design so much that she even thought of giving the jewelry up for it. Fortunately, her rationality kept such an urge at bay.
Nicole could almost guess Wendy’s intention from her hesitant expression. The jewels of Triton Studio represented one’s noble status, and she understood that no woman would be willing to give up such an honor.
Joanna heard Wendy’s words too. She, however, did not get angry and merely said softly, “In fact, I assumed that it may be better for Wendy to dress up in a more grand and mature style for her eighteenth birthday party. It just so happened to match with the jewelry.”
“Let’s use Joanna’s design for the party this time. We can then use Nicole’s design for any future important events,” Anna comforted Wendy after seeing her reluctant expression.
Hearing that, Wendy raised her gaze and looked at Nicole. “Can I do that, Miss Nicole?”
Nicole was generous with that. She nodded and said, without even a hint of dissatisfaction, “Of course you can. Since I’ve already designed it, I’ll make the dress. Take it as your birthday gift from me.”
Seeing that Nicole wasn’t angry, Wendy happily said, “Thank you, Miss Nicole!”
After Wendy made her decision, everyone began to discuss the next steps, except Nicole, who simply lowered her head and drank her tea. The tea here was tasty despite its high price.
She drank quite a lot of it. A while later, she stood up with an apologetic face and said to Anna, “Mrs. Gardner, I need to go to the ladies. Please excuse me.”
With that, she turned around and left after her words.
Chapter 215 Despise
Just after Nicole left the room, Joanna followed.
Nicole saw her entering the ladies just after she was done. Since both of them weren’t familiar with each other, Nicole simply washed her hands and did not intend to pay any attention to Joanna.
Seeing Nicole ignoring her, Joanna approached Nicole herself.
She put on an apologetic face and said hypocritically, “Miss Lisa, I’m sorry that my design happened to match Triton Studio’s jewelry.”
Hearing that, Nicole simply glanced at Joanna and saw the woman’s pretentious apologetic expression. However, Nicole wasn’t angry. She hummed nonchalantly, her eyes squinting.
Joanna found it odd that Nicole wasn’t angry. Nonetheless, she moved closer to Nicole and said, “Wendy actually prefers yours. I simply benefited unfairly from the jewelry.”
“At least you know that,” Nicole said while looking leisurely at Joanna with her lips pursed.
Joanna had not expected Nicole to be so candid, so when she heard that, she changed her expression. After a while, she regained her composure and said smilingly, “But Wendy chose my design eventually. She will be wearing my design at her eighteenth birthday party!”
To that, Nicole turned off the water-tap and said coldly, “You’re just an opportunist who cut corners.”
Then, she turned to face Joanna and said disdainfully, “I thought the Gardner Corporation’s design director is someone upright, but it turns out that she would conspire with outsiders just to win.”
Joanna’s expression changed when she heard that. “Miss Lisa, are you being so nasty to me just because I won?” she asked, her eyes narrowed and her face filled with displeasure.
Nicole didn’t want to waste any more time with Joanna on meaningless conversations. As a result, she wiped her hands clean and turned to face Joanna. “If you truly believe your design will win, you should compete fairly rather than using such despicable means,” Nicole stated, to which Joanna retorted, “That’s just a coincidence. Don’t tell me F&M Apparel’s Chief Designer is someone who can’t accept defeat?”
Nicole ignored her. Throwing the used tissues into the trash, she said indifferently, “Who said I’ve lost?”
And she left right after her words.
Joanna frowned as she looked at Nicole’s leaving figure. She was so annoyed by Nicole’s arrogant demeanor even after losing!
Meanwhile, Nicole returned to the private room and saw Queenie happily conversing with Anna. When Queenie noticed Nicole had returned, she turned around to face her and said, “You’re back, sis.”
Nicole, however, ignored her. She had no intention of appearing close to Queenie in front of the others. She thought it was disgusting.
Nicole’s attitude didn’t bother Queenie either. She simply dismissed it as Nicole’s annoyance at losing to Joanna, and she smiled as she thought about it. Then, she lowered her head to look at her watch before saying, “Wendy and Mrs. Gardner, it is getting late. I shall leave first.”
Due to the fact that Queenie managed to get Triton Studio’s jewelry, Anna had grown fond of her. “Okay,” Anna responded with a nod.
Queenie then took a look at Nicole before leaving arrogantly.
When Joanna returned, Nicole was still here. After some patronizing words, she was about to leave as well, but Nicole sat there with no intention of leaving at all.
Thinking that Nicole was up to no good, she frowned and said, “Miss Lisa, our lunch break is almost over. Let’s go back together.”
Anna cut her off right after she finished speaking. “Joanna, you may leave first. I need to speak with Nicole about something else.”
With that, Joanna looked profoundly at Nicole, wondering why Anna had asked her to stay. But she was certain that with Triton Studio’s jewelry, Nicole would not be able to turn the tides no matter what she did.
Chapter 216 I Rented the Jewelry Too
After Joanna left, Anna then told Nicole, “Nicole, please accept my apologies. Queenie sent this jewelry yesterday and I didn’t have time to tell you. As a result, you didn’t have time to prepare.”
To that, Nicole simply shook her head and said nonchalantly, “I’m content as long as Wendy likes my design.”
Wendy was still hesitating on it. After all, every girl adored beautiful things. She raised her head to look at Anna and hesitantly said, “Mom, or perhaps I’ll give Triton Studio’s jewelry up. Nicole’s design is absolutely stunning and I truly love it!”
Anna knew what Wendy was thinking and explained, “It’s not that simple. This jewelry also represents a kind of honor, and you can’t just say no to it.”
Hearing that, Wendy lowered her head, looking rather unhappy.
Seeing Wendy’s dissatisfaction, Nicole said truthfully, “In fact, I rented a piece of jewelry from Triton Studio to match my design as well.”
She said it calmly, but Wendy was so surprised that she raised her head right away.
Anna, on the other hand, was skeptical of Nicole’s words. Anna herself had tried to rent the jewelry several times but was rejected.
“I’ve previously worked with the person in charge of Triton Studio and we’re well acquainted, so I purposefully rented the jewelry from him this time for Wendy’s birthday.”
Looking at Nicole’s calm demeanor, Anna started thinking. She had seen all of Triton Studio’s jewelry for the current season, and the only piece that could match with Nicole’s youthful design was their flagship product this time—the pink diamond necklace.
Don’t tell me Nicole managed to rent the pink diamond necklace?
Nicole then pulled out her phone and showed Anna and Wendy the photo Triton had sent her.
Both of them fell in love with the jewelry the moment they saw the photo. This pink diamond necklace was far more appealing than the one Joanna had rented. It exuded a vibrant energy that was ideal for youths like Wendy.
And most importantly, this piece of jewelry was Triton Studio’s flagship product for this season. It was even rumored that it had been rented by a foreign princess for the middle of the year.
Wendy’s eyes instantly brightened. “Isn’t this the season’s flagship product from Triton Studio? Miss Nicole, did you really manage to rent it?”
The Gardner Family was, in fact, not lacking money at all. Wendy had all the jewelry she needed, including the pink diamond, but she had never seen one with such a large and beautiful design.
Its pinkish color, combined with Nicole’s design, was perfect. Wendy was certain that everyone would be impressed if she wore Nicole’s design to her party!
“Yes. I personally rented it from their person in charge,” Nicole announced.
Anna had not expected Nicole to be so close with the person in charge of Triton Studio. “Why didn’t you say this earlier? Wendy will undoubtedly choose your design then!”
Nicole understood what Anna meant. With a faint smile, she said graciously, “I don’t want to be unfair to Director Schmidt, so I intended to inform you after Wendy had made her decision. No matter which design she chooses, this jewelry is available for her.”
Seeing Nicole’s generosity, Anna couldn’t help but feel in her heart that Nicole indeed possessed the magnanimity of a well-known designer.
Hence, she immediately made up her mind. “Then, I’ll tell Joanna to stop designing since Wendy prefers yours.”
Nicole, however, shook her head to that, but a tinge of mockery flashed in her eyes. Since Joanna cared so much about this birthday celebration, Nicole decided to let Joanna continue with her arrogance.
The harshest thing to be done on someone was to take away the things she thought she had in her hands.
“Mrs. and Miss Gardner, I hope the fact that I rented this jewelry can be kept secret. Please don’t tell anyone about it.”
“Why?” Anna found Nicole’s request strange and asked curiously.
Chapter 217 Do It Then
“Firstly, this jewelry is noble in and of itself. I’m afraid that once news gets out, many people will be eyeing it. Secondly, we should leave the surprise until Wendy’s birthday in order to impress everyone,” Nicole explained.
She then paused for a few seconds before continuing, “Furthermore, this jewelry is still in Triton Studio. It will take about a week to arrive. I can’t guarantee that everything will go smoothly; thus, it’s better for Director Schmidt to continue designing hers just in case something goes wrong.”
Seeing that Nicole was so thoughtful, Anna nodded and said in a satisfied tone, “You’re so thoughtful, Nicole. We’ll go ahead with what you said, then.”
Nicole smilingly nodded. “Sure. I’ll make the dress once I go back.”
Wendy was overjoyed to know that she could wear Nicole’s design. Happily, she pulled her chair closer and said, “Miss Nicole, I loved your design the moment I saw it! Your design is so novel and I’ve never worn anything like it before!”
Nicole simply smiled warmly in response to Wendy’s compliment. “It’s all part of my job.”
After settling down on Wendy’s dress for her birthday, Anna moved on to the serious business.
When she raised her head and looked at Nicole, her smile had vanished.
Nicole could almost predict what Anna was going to say and had already mentally prepared all of her responses.
“Nicole, I’ve got one more thing to ask you.” Anna looked at her calmly.
Nicole, too, maintained her calm demeanor. “Just ask whatever you want, Mrs. Gardner,” she replied with a nod.
Anna’s eyes flickered and she said tactfully, “It’s actually not a big deal. Yesterday, I found a DNA paternity test report in Colton’s car.”
Even a moron could figure out what Anna was saying, let alone someone as intelligent as Nicole.
Nicole lowered her gaze and took a glance at the table in front of her. “Mrs. Gardner—” She smiled. “—I think you won’t believe me now if I say Hayden isn’t Colton’s child.”
Looking at Nicole, Anna assumed Nicole was finally admitting it.
However, Nicole went on, “Since you don’t believe President Gardner and my explanation no matter what we say, the best option now is to let you see it for yourself. Mrs. Gardner, why don’t you find a doctor of your choice and have a DNA paternity test performed on Colton and Hayden on the spot?”
Such a suggestion was exactly what Anna desired. As she was thinking the same thing in her heart, she nodded and said, “My nephew is a doctor and he will be coming for Wendy’s birthday. I’ll ask him to come earlier to conduct the test for them. What do you think, Nicole?”
Nicole did not have any objection to that. The entire incident arose because of her. Now that Anna had misunderstood, it was her responsibility to clear things up and stop troubling Colton.
“I’ll leave it to you, Mrs. Gardner,” Nicole replied gently.
She had nothing to be afraid of since Hayden wasn’t Colton’s son. Nicole thought that being forthright could also dispel some of Anna’s doubts.
And that was true. Seeing Nicole’s forthright demeanor, Anna became suspicious, as Nicole appeared to be confident that her son had no relationship with Colton.
But her suspicions vanished fast. Whatever the truth was, it would be clear after the outcome was revealed.
“Sure.” Anna stood up and nodded. “I’ll trouble you with Wendy’s matters, then.”
Nicole stood up as well. “No worries. This is what I should do,” she said humbly.
After her words, she turned around to face Wendy and said, “Don’t tell anyone about the jewelry, Wendy. Though Triton Studio agreed to lend that to me, I’m afraid that things may change and you’ll be embarrassed if it is not here. We can talk about it when it arrives.”
Chapter 218 Sit Back and Watch
Knowing that Nicole had her own strategy, Wendy obediently nodded and reassured, “Don’t worry, Miss Nicole. I will definitely keep this a secret.”
Nicole was right; anything could happen to the valuable jewelry from Triton Studio. She would be the embarrassed one if she had announced it earlier and failed to obtain it in the end, which meant that her plan had to be perfect.
Now that Wendy was aware of the importance of the matter, Nicole didn’t say anything and only said a few words before she bid her goodbye and left.
Nicole noticed the strange looks that everyone threw her way as soon as she returned to the Design Department. However, the other employees didn’t seem to be gossiping as she didn’t hear any whispers in the background.
Whitney, who happened to see her entering, quickly dragged her into the office.
Seeing her agitated behavior, Nicole couldn’t help but laugh. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“What else can it be? I am so pissed from listening to all that earlier!” There was anger written all over Whitney’s face.
Nicole could almost guess what her friend had heard. In a lazy voice, she guessed, “Did they say that I can’t even compete with Joanna?”
“Exactly!” Whitney nodded with anger still evident on her face. She had no reservations at all when she plopped onto the couch and started complaining.
“Miss Nicole, as soon as that woman, Queenie, came back with Joanna earlier, she immediately babbled congratulations. It went along the lines of ‘Miss Joanna, I didn’t expect your design to be better than Nicole’s!’ and ‘Mrs. Gardner and Wendy both loved your design, Miss Joanna!'”
Whitney spoke in a high-pitched voice, her impression of Queenie sounding surprisingly similar to the woman she was impersonating.
Nicole couldn’t help laughing out loud as she looked at Whitney. Then, she relaxed in the seat she sat in.
She seemed pleased when she uttered, “Let them talk all they want.”
Whitney was confused about Nicole’s nonchalant attitude. Logically speaking, Nicole shouldn’t be reacting so calmly.
A frown appeared on Whitney’s face after she thought about it for a while. “Now that everything is in shambles, are you still not vexed, Miss Nicole?”
Nicole slowly looked up at Whitney and asked in return, “What is wrong? Would you bite a dog that has bitten you?”
Hearing Nicole’s cool reply, she quickly answered with a smile, “True that, but it is still going to hurt nevertheless. Are you really going to let it go just like that, Miss Nicole?”
Nicole raised her brows then. “They are but clowns. We don’t have to bother ourselves with them.”
There was something else that Whitney was curious about—she wanted to know how Nicole could lose to Joanna. From all the years she had been with Nicole, she had never seen Nicole lose when it came to her designs.
“Did you really lose to Joanna with your design this time?”
Nicole immediately scoffed when she heard the suspicion in Whitney’s voice.
Whitney quickly understood when she saw Nicole’s unnerved expression and without missing a beat, she began to appease Nicole. “Don’t be upset, Miss Nicole. You will always be the best to me. Please personally don’t take this one-time failure!”
Nicole couldn’t help feeling slightly annoyed as Whitney rambled on in her ear. She looked over with cold eyes and asked, “Do you also think I lost?”
Hearing that, Whitney promptly shook her head as fast as she could. “You will never lose!”
Nicole finally couldn’t hold back her laughter when she heard the flattery. After she covered her mouth and coughed out a laugh, she raised her head and explained, “Joanna and Queenie have joined hands this time. Queenie borrowed a piece of jewelry from Triton Studio, and Joanna designed clothes according to the jewelry.”
“How shameless of them!” Whitney blurted out after she learned of the reason. It took her some time to calm down, and it was only then that she suddenly remembered something. “Didn’t you also borrow jewelry from Triton, Miss Nicole?”
Nicole answered with a nod. She had an expression on her face that looked as though she was waiting for something to unfold. “I am only waiting for the moment Joanna embarrasses herself!”
She was excited by just the thought of how Joanna’s face would look when the clothes Joanna had painstakingly produced were rejected!
Chapter 219 The Founder
Whitney immediately figured out what Nicole planned on doing, and she couldn’t help giving the woman a thumbs-up. “That is such a boss move, Miss Nicole.”
Instead of denying it, Nicole only said indifferently, “I won’t mess with people who don’t mess with me. Since she likes to use such underhanded methods, there is no need for me to hold back as well.”
Whitney’s anger finally subsided after she came to know the whole story. At the same time, she felt pity for Joanna for having Nicole as her opponent!
Due to the series of events that had been happening, the brand already had a widespread reputation even before the announcement of the new product release between the Gardner Corporation and F&M Apparel.
After Colton and Nicole had a discussion, they decided to name the brand ‘Ann’ in accordance with Anna’s name, as she was the reason Colton got the Gardners into the clothing industry.
After Daniella’s suicide following the incident of the design draft leak and plagiarism, Nicole’s name had been pushed into the list of the top searches. Instead of a celebrity, the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel was the most-talked-about person in the country.
On top of that, Colton had used all the company’s media to promote the collaboration between the Gardner Corporation and F&M Apparel. Just like that, the clothing brand ‘Ann’ had instantly become a highly sought after brand.
They had managed to turn up the heat with just a few photos of the ready-to-wear clothing items.
Regardless of what had happened before, they had saved cost on the marketing side this time around because of how social media had automatically assumed the part to promote the brand. The marketing aspect was the least of their concern.
The investigation of Daniella’s death confirmed that it was not suicide. It was proven that someone wanted to threaten Nicole with this incident by raising public opinion.
Even though the police had not announced who the murderer was, the news had cleared Nicole’s name after it was made known to the public.
Even the news on the Internet that called Nicole a murderer had also been removed.
Colton had directly made an official announcement that Lisa was the founder of ‘Ann’.
Needless to say, Nicole was caught by surprise when she saw the announcement. Although she was the one who made several of the main outfits, Joanna had also had her fair share of contribution in making the brand come true. Nicole didn’t at all expect Colton to make her the sole founder of ‘Ann’.
Naturally, there was no way Joanna could sit still as soon as the news came out. She stared at the announcement carefully for several times, and after searching back and forth, she still didn’t see her name there.
She was so angry that her whole body went stiff, and her lips were pressed into a straight line as she balled her hands into fists.
It wasn’t as though she had expected to be named as the founder of the brand, but they didn’t even bring up her name after all the time and energy she had spent. Nicole had taken all the credit for the labor of both their hard work!
Joanna wasn’t willing to take this sitting down. How could they treat the design director this way?!
Lexi looked at Joanna’s tense face, and she couldn’t help but feel worried. “Miss Joanna,” she meekly called out. “Are… are you alright?”
It was only then that Joanna remembered that there was someone else in the room. After she held back the emotions running across her face, she shook her head as she swallowed the hard lump in her throat. “I am fine,” she uttered.
Lexi knew what she was mad about, so she comfortingly said, “Don’t be discouraged, Miss Joanna. After all, this is a collaboration with F&M Apparel. It might have been a request by F&M Apparel. President Gardner probably didn’t have a choice but to comply.”
Joanna gradually looked more at ease after listening to Lexi’s words. She slowly closed her eyes as a wry smile tugged on the corners of her lips.
“Mhm. I know that this is a collaboration with F&M Apparel.”
Seeing that Joanna was still disheartened, Lexi began to console her again. “Miss Joanna, in any case, you are the chosen designer to make the dress for Miss Gardner’s 18th birthday. This is more than enough for you to beat Lisa.”
Chapter 220 Nicole Is Also Making It
Joanna’s expression finally softened. Indeed, it was true—at least she was the one who would design the dress Wendy would wear to the celebration of her 18th birthday.
The media would be there in order to kiss up to the Gardners when the time came. Hence, Joanna was sure that the clothes she designed would become a trending topic as well!
The look on her face only slightly brightened when she thought about this.
Letting out a soft laugh, she turned to Lexi, and only said, “I probably don’t look too well now because these days have been exhausting for me.”
Lexi immediately understood that Joanna didn’t want her to think that she was angry about Nicole being the founder of ‘Anna’. “That is right, Miss Joanna.” She nodded her head and continued, “You must be worn out from designing Miss Gardner’s dress day in and day out.”
Hearing that, Joanna slowly replied, “I am alright. It is something I should do. After all, it is Wendy’s coming-of-age ceremony. Of course it will have to be grand.”
“Mrs. and Miss Gardner must really like you for them to let you handle the dress for such a ceremonious event,” Lexi added.
Joanna didn’t say anything else after that. Truth was, she knew why Anna and Wendy chose her as Wendy’s designer.
If they were only comparing the designs… Even Joanna was aware that she could never win against the one that Nicole drew.
Lexi was an observant person who read moods well. Sensing Joanna’s reluctance to continue this topic, she swiftly brought up something else.
“Miss Joanna, even though Mrs. and Miss Gardner have chosen your design, I have noticed that Lisa has been making clothes these days.”
It was now Joanna’s turn to be surprised. “She is making clothes as well?” she asked to make sure. “Are you sure it is the one she designed for Wendy?”
“I am quite sure it is. I peeked into Lisa’s office one time when her door was open, and I saw her making it in her office,” Lexi said.
A flash of doubt appeared in Joanna’s eyes then. Just what is Nicole up to?
After thinking about it for a while, she nodded and commented, “It is probably for Wendy to wear at some other event. Let’s not worry about that. You can head out and get busy with your work now.”
Lexi let out a hum and proceeded to leave the room.
Joanna might look nonchalant on the surface but as soon as Lexi left, she immediately made a call to Queenie.
Queenie, who had never been the one to be contacted between the two, couldn’t help but feel strange when she received the call.
“Director Schmidt, to what do I owe the pleasure of getting your call?”
Hearing the humor from the other end of the call, Joanna unhesitantly sputtered, “Nicole is also making Wendy’s birthday dress now.”
“What are you trying to say, Director Schmidt?” Queenie didn’t understand where their conversation was going.
“I am worried that Mrs. Gardner and Wendy have had a change of mind. Mrs. Gardner did ask Nicole to stay back when I left.” Joanna voiced her concern.
“What are you worried about when we have the jewelry from Triton Studio? Even if Wendy wants Nicole’s dress, Mrs. Gardner is someone who takes the overall situation into consideration. She will definitely not agree to it.”
Queenie was confident in the words she said. She was determined to let Nicole have a taste of failure!
“I still can’t help being worried. It can’t show my face now. Queenie, come over to the Gardner Corporation and find out the reason Nicole is designing the dress,” Joanna requested as she squinted.
She couldn’t afford to gamble on possibilities now. She had to have a definite answer. There shouldn’t be any flaw in her plan.
Queenie couldn’t help laughing when she heard Joanna’s words. “This is not like you, Director Schmidt. What is the matter? Weren’t you uncomfortable working with me before?”
Joanna managed to keep her temper at bay even after hearing Queenie’s sarcasm. The most important thing now was that nothing should go wrong during Wendy’s 18th birthday’s banquet.
“We can cooperate on this.”
“Oh? And what good does this bring me?” Queenie asked. She was clever enough to let someone else use her.
“You don’t like Nicole, and you want to see her making a fool out of herself. I, on the other hand, want to emerge as the victor during the banquet.” She slowly added, “We are both in the same boat.”