Samantha couldn't believe her eyes as she looked at Suzy. In a place where Ellena couldn't see, Suzy gave her a triumphant look.
Samantha's blood ran cold. She angrily slammed the design drafts onto the table and questioned loudly, "Suzy, you plagiarized my design!"
Suzy deliberately put on an innocent expression, pretending to be wronged, "Samantha, what are you talking about? How could I plagiarize your design?"
Saying that, she casually picked up both design drafts and glanced at them.
Then, with a surprised look, she widened her eyes, "Oh, Samantha, why is your design exactly the same as mine?"
Flames of anger burned within Samantha. She picked up the coffee on the table and poured it unmercifully onto Suzy's face.
Suzy didn't dodge; she closed her eyes and endured it.
The black coffee instantly stained her white clothes with small flowers blossoming all over, making her look extremely miserable.
Samantha, furious, exclaimed, "Suzy, you're truly shameless to commit such plagiarism!"
Suzy, with red eyes, looked at Samantha with grievances, "Samantha, when did I plagiarize? How could you accuse me? Clearly, my design is the original."
Saying that, she opened both design drafts and placed them in front of Ellena, pointing to them, "Ellena, look, these are the traces of my dissatisfaction during the design process. Look at her drafts; it's obvious she copied them from mine. All designers know that a design draft can't be completed in one go; revisions are common."
Samantha looked at the traces on the drafts, and her face turned deathly pale.
Like being in the Arctic, her body couldn't stop trembling.
Her design drafts were stolen.
After completing the drafts yesterday, besides going out once to pick up Alexander and Charlotte from school, she had been at home the entire time.
This person not only managed to steal her design drafts but also copied an identical set and placed it in the drawer.
Apart from an inside thief, she couldn't think of anyone else with such incredible skills.
Alexander and Charlotte were definitely not the culprits.
So, it could only be Karen and Yurika.
Thinking that one of them might be responsible, her body uncontrollably trembled.
Cold.
As if covered by ice and snow.
A bone-chilling cold enveloped her.
In Ellena's eyes, her reaction seemed like guilt.
Ellena's expression turned extremely ugly.
Taking advantage of the situation, Suzy shed a few tears and said pitifully, "Ellena, maybe you don't know, she's my half-sister from the same father but different mother! Four years ago, she got pregnant before marriage and was kicked out by my father. We thought she would turn over a new leaf and start anew. We never expected her to become even worse! It's truly disappointing."
Samantha didn't defend herself; her mind was roaring, a blank void.
She didn't care about Suzy's false accusations.
What she cared about was finding out who conspired with Suzy to steal her design.
Regardless of whether it was Karen or Yurika, she couldn't accept it.
They were the people she trusted and loved the most.
Seeing Samantha not defending herself, Ellena believed Suzy's words. She felt angry and fooled, sneered, and said, "I never expected the renowned Lila to be a copycat and a thief. It's truly eye-opening. Our collaboration ends here. Sorry, I have other matters to attend to. Goodbye!"
After speaking, she got up and left, even insultingly paying for her own order at the counter.
Watching Ellena's figure disappear from the café's entrance, Suzy used a tissue to wipe away a few imaginary tears, smiling arrogantly and triumphantly.
"Samantha, I've said it before. You are not my match. I will crush you like I would crush an ant—it's that simple."
Samantha stared at Suzy with a fierce and malevolent gaze, as if she were Hades from under world.
"Who? Who stole my design drafts for you?"
Suzy raised an eyebrow, "Do you think I'm stupid enough to tell you?"
After speaking, she leisurely stood up, smashed Samantha's design drafts onto her head, and taunted, "Get ready to receive a letter from my lawyer! This time, I'll make Sky Group and you collapse in both reputation and reality."
With that, she left.
Watching her triumphant figure, Samantha's blood boiled with anger.
She immediately caught up, intending to get some clarity.
However, as she reached the entrance, she saw Suzy talking on the phone while getting into a Bentley parked there.
"Yurika, I've already left the café. Yes... the plan was very successful. Samantha, that fool, didn't realize that the design drafts were stolen by you. She..."
The conversation abruptly ended as the car door closed.
Standing at the café entrance, Samantha felt as if struck by lightning. Her body seemed laden with lead, immobile.
Yurika.
It was Yurika all along.
She had already colluded with Suzy, and she had been played like a fool.
Tears blurred her vision.
Her heart throbbed painfully.
The feeling of being betrayed by the most trusted person made it hard for her to breathe.
Sitting in the Bentley, Suzy saw Samantha turning into a tiny figure. She coldly curled her lips, saying to the person on the other end of the phone, "That idiot believed it! It's up to you next..."
...
After Ellena left the cafe, she headed straight to the CEO's office of Emperor Group.
Out of nowhere, she said, "Ethan, I can't agree to the task you gave me. Can you change it?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow, looking at her, not immediately understanding the meaning behind her words.
Ellena sat across from him, pouted, and said, "That Lila is too lame! I can't trust her with the design for the wedding jewelry. I can't believe she's such a plagiarizing thief. How can I entrust her with such an important task!"
Ethan furrowed his brow, "Plagiarism?"
Ellena nodded, slowly explaining the cause and effect of the situation.
"She's a disgrace to the industry. If I wear jewelry designed by her, I'll definitely become the laughingstock. Ethan, stay away from such people in the future. Don't let her deceive you."
The more she spoke, the angrier she became.
She couldn't believe that her big brother had previously given her an order. That jewelry design matter was entrusted solely to Lila.
She initially thought that Lila had the competence to make her big brother value her.
But unexpectedly, she turned out to be a plagiarizing thief.
What she hated most in her life was deception.
And Lila dared to deceive her.
Absolutely unforgivable.
After listening to the whole story, Ethan's narrow eyes slightly squinted, his face seemingly coated with frost.
"Alright, I understand. You can go now. Decide on the designer issue yourself."
If it were before, he would definitely trust her.
However, after what happened yesterday, he had to reassess her character.
Seeing Ethan's chilly expression, Ellena, feeling helpless, got up and left.
The office was now left with only Ethan.
He tried to concentrate on work, but his mind was filled with Ellena's words. Unable to control himself, he picked up his phone and found Samantha's WhatsApp. His finger hesitated on the screen.
In the end, he tossed the phone back onto the table, frustrated and distracted.
Since that woman didn't know what's good for her, he didn't need to invite trouble.
Let her deal with her own mess.
After all, it had nothing to do with him.
***