"Mr. Holt, someone as skilled as Lolly wouldn't copy any person's designs. There's only one possibility. Since we've copied her designs, we need to ask the designer about the situation.""Mr. Holt, we don't condone plagiarism. Holt Jewelry has risen to the top because of the excellent jewelry that designers make. We can't discredit their hard work. In so many years, we've never had such a scandal.Thaddeus became angrier as he listened to their words. Of course, he couldn't tolerate plagiarism. Plagiarizing would only invite trouble. However, these people decisively believed that Amy had copied Lolly's designs before they even heard her explanation. He was a little disappointed in them for not trusting the designer he had hired.Everyone started talking again until they heard a voice that made them go quiet. "Mr. Holt, Holt Jewelry's stock market has a limit-down drop."Everyone was stunned hearing the news.Holt Jewelry had more than 100 shares of their stock. If they had a li
Amy returned to her workstation and immediately found the design draft she had hidden. She was glad she hadn't thrown it away. When she presented this design to Holt Jewelry, she never expected anything like this to happen.Since she had the design draft, there was no way anyone else could accuse her of plagiarism. No plagiarist would have the original design draft with them. She was full of confidence, and she wanted to take revenge on those who wanted to watch her suffer.Amy took a photo of the design draft from several angles and posted it on Twitter. Then, she posted the documents and manuscript and declared that she would investigate the rumors against her.She mentioned Holt Jewelry's official account, jewelry appraisers, and Swan's official account in her post. After that, she exited Twitter, satisfied with her work. She never took this little misunderstanding seriously.Her post quickly attracted the attention of many people. Initially, this scandal hadn't spread so quickl
Moreover, Amy unwittingly found this draft in Thaddeus' files and thought the design was amazing. She didn't believe that Lolly designed this pendant.Everyone knew that Thaddeus tried to get Lolly into his employ. He tried tons of methods to find her but to no avail. He had never even met Lolly, proving he had zero connection to her.Therefore, the design draft in his folder couldn't be Lolly's. Swan simply held a press conference to give such an announcement because they were jealous of Amy's work and wanted to shove her into a corner.Amy was fearless. She clocked out of work as usual, feeling even more energetic. Now, she just had to wait for the truth to be revealed and make everyone shoot themselves in the foot. She wanted them to know that this outstanding design was hers. Lolly wasn't the only one who could make such exquisite designs.She strode out of the building, carrying the LV bag she bought last month with her father's money. Her high heels clicked on the ground as
Jordan brought the police and broke up the troublemakers downstairs.Thaddeus didn't go home that night and slept in the lounge in his office. He was alone in the building, destined to spend a restless night.On the other side of the world, it was daytime in Marita. A new press conference was in full swing.Thaddeus couldn't even sleep after receiving the video Jordan shared. Now, all his hopes of sleeping were gone.In the video, the people from Swan took out Lolly's previous design drafts and explained them in detail. In each of Lolly's designs, there was a symbol on the ring of the chain. No one could see it if they didn't pay close attention.The staff showed the symbols to everyone with a magnifying glass. An "L" symbol was clearly shown.After they showed off Lolly's previous works, they took a printed copy of the draft Amy had posted on Twitter and enlarged it. The same symbol was on it. Everyone asked sarcastically, "Is the chief designer of Holt Jewelry trying to shoot
"We hereby declare that Amy Quilton, our chief designer, had committed plagiarism on her own initiative. We have no knowledge of her bad behavior. Since she has violated our company regulations, she has been fired. "Amy Quilton's actions have nothing to do with our company. We ask that you not slander Holt Jewelry's reputation, throw rotten food at our employees, or leave hate messages due to her foolish behavior. If you do, we will take legal measures. Thank you for your time."Everyone agreed with Thaddeus' course of action after reading this apology letter. Those shareholders had long disliked that plagiarist Amy. However, due to her connection with Thaddeus, they dared not voice their dissatisfaction.They were overjoyed when they saw the official statement saying that she had been fired and Holt Jewelry had removed themselves from the scandal. It was a delight to watch. It was heartbreaking to see their stock prices drop, but everyone was happy to see that bitch fired. See
The employee elevator opened, and the people waiting outside the door went inside. In just a few seconds, the elevator was packed.Amy looked at the crowded elevator unhappily. She had shown her authority in the company, and everyone always made way for her. It was bad enough that they didn't greet her now, but they actually left her standing outside the elevator door without letting her in.She waited by the elevators for almost ten minutes before she managed to squeeze into one, holding the lunch box in her hand. She first arrived at the design department. Yvonne walked in with a cup of coffee, brushing past Amy as she walked to her workstation.Amy and Yvonne were usually close. Therefore, she was confused about why Yvonne didn't greet her."Yvonne, get me a cup of coffee with less sugar and no ice," Amy instructed, following behind Yvonne.Unexpectedly, Yvonne put her coffee at her desk and chuckled, "Amy, you can pack your cups and go home. You can't have the company's coff
The announcement detailing Andromeda's release was now replaced with an apology letter.As Amy read the apology letter carefully, she felt suffocated. It took her a while to realize she had been fired from the company. What hurt her the most was that Thaddeus didn't notify her or send her an email to terminate the contract. Instead, he simply released a statement on the official website.The apology letter even stated that she had plagiarized. By doing this, the entire design industry would know about her scandal. In other words, her career was over.Amy tightly gripped her mouse with her right hand. She was stunned, as if her soul had left her body.She didn't believe that Thaddeus would do this to her. He was the one who recruited her to Holt Jewelry and handed her the employment contract. He even told her, "Amy, Holt Jewelry will be even better with you joining us."However, now that a scandal had befallen them, he had abandoned her. Why? Why did he change his tune?Amy wa
Amy's tearful rant didn't phase Thaddeus in the slightest. "Amy, you should be asking yourself if you've worked so hard just to give me a plagiarized design. Holt Jewelry doesn't need a plagiarist, and we don't resort to such despicable means. "Ask yourself this. How would you feel if someone took credit for something you made before you even published it?"Amy cried even more. She didn't think she was at fault. "Ted, why are you taking someone else's side? We've been childhood friends for over a decade!""Amy, be reasonable. I'm talking about your act of plagiarism. Your actions have upset me. Why did you plagiarize?""Do you hate me now? I've dragged Holt Jewelry's name through the mud. I'm sorry…"Thaddeus was speechless. They weren't on the same wavelength at all.Amy's face was wet with tears. Her eyeliner was also smudged, making her look like a panda.Thaddeus didn't dare to say anything harsh. He kept reasoning with her and advising her, fearing that she would try to ki
Thaddeus was dumbfounded. Why hadn't he considered using blood types to eliminate the possibility first?"My dad has type O blood."Jessamine's stroked his Adam's apple softly and deliberately. "My mom has type B blood, and I have type AB blood. Do you think it's possible that we could be long-lost siblings?"Thaddeus thought for some time and couldn't help but burst out in hearty laughter. It was impossible for someone with type B blood and someone with type O blood to have a child with AB type blood. What was he worrying about?At that moment, he couldn't believe how foolish he'd been. Biology was his best subject in school, yet he didn't think about this until Jessamine reminded him. His biology teacher would be furious if they knew."Why didn't you say so earlier, Jessie?" He regretted not talking to her about it sooner and ended up suffering in prolonged silence by himself.After Jessamine got bored touching his Adam's apple, she started playing with his rough chin. "I just
Jessamine lay still for a long time, aware that Thaddeus was also awake, battling insomnia just like her.This visit to Zenville to solve one mystery ended up bringing her an even bigger one.The gathering took place years ago in the restaurant owned by Benji's family. She had even asked Benji about it. The surveillance footage from over 20 years ago wouldn't be around now, and even the staff had changed several times. The restaurant's manager from back then had left the job many years ago.It wasn't easy to uncover the truth from back then unless they found the people who were directly involved. The closer they got to the truth, the more pressure she felt.By investigating this matter now, she was essentially peeling back the layers that had been hiding a much deeper issue. As she confronted the dark side of human nature, the ultimate victim ended up being her beloved mother.If Jessamine didn't look into this matter, she felt like she would be letting Elizabeth down. She wanted
Thaddeus frowned immensely at his request. "Don't be ridiculous!""I'm serious. You could help me rent one too. You know, the kind that charges by the day. I'll fool my dad first. We'll deal with everything else once he gets better," Benji said.Thaddeus cursed inwardly, "Dude, don't drag me into this, especially with my wife watching. It sounds like you're implying I have ways to get or rent women."Thaddeus glanced back at Jessamine and said, "I don't know about this. You should ask someone else. If you're at your wits end, go ask one of the assistants in your company to help you out."Benji seemed to come to a realization. He said, "It's getting late. You all should go back and rest. There are doctors here. I'll stay and keep watch."Jessamine asked, "Can you handle this on your own, Mr. Moore?""Sure, thank you… all of you," Benji replied.After saying a few more words of comfort, Jessamine and Thaddeus went downstairs to the car. Thaddeus' phone started ringing again."Mr.
Maya also knelt by the bed and started crying."Dad, don't speak for now. Please be okay."Benji zoned out. Seeing Carmen and Maya crying, his mind was in a mess. He realized that he couldn't continue to live aimlessly—his family needed him now."A girlfriend, a girlfriend..." he mumbled, not even sure of what he was saying.The doctor hurried to the room upon hearing the call, checked on Jonathan again, and then sent the family away."The patient needs rest and should avoid additional emotional stress. You all can wait outside for now. There's no need for everyone to be here, one would be enough. The room can be stuffy if there's too many people here, too."They then left the room. Benji was holding the X-ray images of Jonathan's brain, but he couldn't make any sense of it. He felt completely lost.Shane quietly slipped away from the crowd after watching from afar. He went to an empty hallway and called his father. "Dad, are you free to analyze some X-ray images? It's for a fri
Benji had always lived a smooth and pleasant life. It hit him hard after hearing what the doctor said, leaving him in a state of shock and bewilderment."Mom, hasn't Dad always been in good health? How did he suddenly..."Carmen's eyes were red and swollen from crying."He mentioned feeling dizzy a few times recently and said he'd go for a check-up but actually never did. Plus, he's been swamped with work lately and hasn't got any time. Today, he suddenly fainted at the office. His assistant called an ambulance right away and brought him to the hospital. By the time I got the call, he was already being examined inside."Benji's face turned pale. With Jonathan down, the burden of supporting his family fell on him. He had been free from responsibility for the past 20 years, and now, suddenly having to shoulder this heavy load, he felt completely lost.His father had been asking him to get familiar with the company's operations a long time ago. However, he was too lazy to bother abou
Benji never had any grand ambitions. From the day he was born, people always told him that he didn't need to worry about anything since most problems in this world could be solved with money, and his family had plenty of it. He just wanted to drift through life."I don't need to surpass him. As long as I can cover my daily expenses and not have to ask him for money, that's enough," Benji replied.As they were talking, Shane had prepared a table full of dishes. He set out four sets of plates and cutleries before calling everyone over to eat. "It's time to eat."The four of them hadn't seen each other in a long time, so they had to have a drink.Jessamine looked at the beautifully prepared dishes on the table and couldn't help but offer a compliment. "Shane, your cooking skills have gotten so good."Shane opened a bottle of red wine and poured some for everyone. "What can I do? There's a glutton at home."Benji was not happy with Shane's comment. What did he mean by saying there wa
"It's great that you came by today, Jessie. I'll pay you back the money. Friends who are willing to lend money these days are rare, so I want to thank you again," Benji said.He hadn't repaid the money he borrowed last time yet. Coincidentally, he received some money today, so he decided to settle the debt in person. With that, he picked up his phone to make the transfer.Jessamine's phone chimed, indicating that a payment had been received. The amount was a bit more than what she had lent out."Mr. Moore, I'm not here to ask you to settle your debt. You can keep it for now. I won't need the money for the time being," Jessamine said."If one borrows and returns promptly, borrowing again won't be difficult. You're much easier to talk to than Thaddeus. Despite knowing him for so many years, borrowing money from him is such a hassle. You saw it last time yourself. That scoundrel's attitude was terrible!" Benji complained.At this point in the conversation, Thaddeus happened to arrive
Thaddeus tightened his grip on Jessamine's slender waist. "What am I going to do with you, Jessie?"He thought to himself that if things really were just that coincidental, he would rather play the fool and pretend to know nothing at all. He just couldn't leave her.Jessamine asked softly, "How about you ask your dad?"Thaddeus paused for a moment and took out his phone to call Corey. He couldn't calm his mind at all.After a few seconds of hearing the dial tone, the call was answered."Dad," Thaddeus said.On the other end of the phone, Corey was about to go to sleep. He had been adjusting his routine lately, aiming to go to bed early and wake up early."What’s up?" Corey asked."Do you remember the gathering over 20 years ago with Mr. Hardy, Jacob Langston, Leon Lincoln, Paxton Loomis, and a few others?"After that, Thaddeus added, "That night, a beautiful woman came over. She drank some alcohol and was drugged."There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the ph
On the other side, Jessamine and Thaddeus got into the car.Jessamine and Beatrice were quite familiar with each other. However, it was Jessamine's first time meeting Sabastian. Surprisingly, she had a pretty good impression of him."Do the Hardy and Holt families have business dealings with each other?"Thaddeus drove as he answered her question, "We don't have much interaction. We would occasionally invest in small projects and conduct some charity work in Zenville together."Mr. Hardy is an upright and trustworthy person. He has a good relationship with Grandpa. Hayden would often come to my house with him when I was young."Jessamine paused for a moment and asked, "Does he have a wife?""Hayden's mother passed away from an amniotic fluid embolism during childbirth. Since then, Mr. Hardy has remained single and never remarried."Jessamine was deeply moved. In this era, who would remain loyal for a lifetime to their deceased wives? Most men like Sabastian, who had both power a