"These are the teams that made it to the next stage; a round of applause for their beautiful performance, please," the host announced with an excited tone as all the qualifying teams stood to the side. "Leading the team are the representatives from Wilson Fashion School, and currently they are leading with a total of 60 points!" The host announced, and the audience cheered as Shannon and Xavier bowed their heads. "Following them is the black ship of this competition, the Lily' fashion. A group that only started less than six months ago. They first showed their prowess in the Paris show, and even now they continue to break ground!" The host announced, his voice raising as the audience's cheering increased."I know you all are excited. I am, too. Lily's fashion has 59.9, marking just a 0.1 difference between them and the leading place. The competition is quite fierce, despite both groups having varying opinions on fashion." "The next group is the representative from the Fairies fashi
The hall erupted into whispers as Yellow Hill's model and Funray Fashion's model walked onto the stage, both dressed in the same attire with a slight difference in colour matching and embroidery placements. The attire looked so similar that it would have been mistaken to have been made by the same designer if they were not in the opposing team.Just one glance at the model and the audience, along with the judges, could tell that one of the contestants had copied the other."Do they think in the same direction to make the same design?""Obviously, one of them cheated! This thing happens a lot in the world of fashion, so I'm not surprised.""Is this a coincidence or someone played a foul?""I'm finding it hard to believe this is a coincidence! They have the same design, the same patterns, and just some minor changes. It's obvious one of them plagiarised!""They are really bold! Even if you want to plagiarise a work, how can you go for one that is going to be displayed at the same time
Sinful: Whatcha up to? Got some minutes to spare?Mark read the message over and over while looking from his computer to the mountain of files he had to work on, courtesy of Federick and his father who had begun stirring troubles in the group after their one-time success.After their last meeting at the tea house, Mark was able to confirm one of his suspicions. And that is that Sinful is a lady hiding under the disguise of a man. Having an understanding of how their business world works, he could understand why she needed to hide her identity, especially her gender. Females are easily ostracised in the kind of work she does.However, one thing he could find an answer to, no matter how much he asked, is why his mind randomly drifts to her as of late. ‘I am indeed in awe of her intelligence but why do I get curious about her personal life?’ That's been one of the questions bugging him without anyone to answer.His hands hovered over the keyboard as he thought about the response to giv
"We haven't been able to decide which one of you owns the last design, we will have to hold a competition between both of you." The host announced this as Merissa and Daisy sat side by side amongst the judges and tutors."Did you not go through the evidence I sent to you? That's enough to prove that the design is mine!" Merrisa remarked, her voice sounding as haughty as the expression on her face."Well, you aren't the only one who provided evidence. She did too, and in such cases, that evidence isn't enough to prove that you both own it. Except you have video evidence of it," the hostess joined in while trying to keep the glare away from her eyes."There is no need to throw tantrums. Whether or not you own the design will be revealed in this segment. And like other stages, this will be broadcast live for everyone to see," the host announced.Hearing his words, Merissa felt a bad premonition in her heart as her hands began to fidget with the belt of her dress."So this stage is going
"BREAKING NEWS.""The Smith Corporation, a leading provider of consumer goods, is currently under investigation by federal authorities for allegedly selling products with questionable sources to the public."'According to our sources, the investigation was launched after multiple consumer complaints and whistleblowers came forward, raising concerns about the origin and authenticity of certain products being sold by the company."Investigators are analysing the corporation's supply chain, seeking to uncover any potential links to unethical or illegal practices. The company's business operations, financial transactions, and internal communications are also being thoroughly examined to determine if any wrongdoing has occurred by a report submitted by an ex-worker of the corporation,”"The Smith Corporation has stated in response to the allegations, asserting that they have always prioritised transparency and ethical practices in their business dealings. They claim to be fully cooperating
"Hello, Lily, can I have a word with you?" Mrs Smith, who had been standing around the backstage area of the competition in disguise, asked as Lily walked out to get some fresh air.Hearing the voice, Lily groaned inwardly, already dreading the conversation they would have. She could already imagine how the whole thing would play out.Her week had been so stressful. Being a victim of Merrisa Smith's plagiarism and assault case, she had to travel back and forth from the competition venue to the police station almost every day to give her statements and provide evidence to help the case progress smoothly.Although the major reason why she decided to go every day was to rile Merissa up. But that is just by the way.Meeting one of the Smiths right now would only add to her stress. However, she could tell there was no way she'd be getting out of the whole situation without having to meet them. "Hello, Mrs Smith. How can I help you?" She replied curtly, startling Mrs Smith."Do you have a
"I can't believe she has the nerve to threaten the victim in this situation. How shameless!""I've long heard about how unreasonable and selfish rich people are; this is taking it to another level! How can you tell her she's ruining your daughter's career when your daughter pushed her down the goddamn stairs? Both mother and daughter deserve to rot in jail!""@Upstairs, this is the wrong representation of the aristocrats. On behalf of all aristocrats, we deny ever knowing them!""Oh, bless my heart! Where are these people from? The daughter is crazy, and the mother is an asylum escapee! They need therapy behind bars!""Why is murder a crime? For this, should we remove murder as a crime? The only reason I haven't gone on a human hunt is because I'm scared my pretty ass will have to go to jail! Boycott this family!""Poor little Lily was probably too scared to speak up against the Smith family. Who knows how long she has been bullied by that scum family? #Justice for Lily""Justice for
Despite the ongoing scandal in the fashion world, the national competitions continued as planned; however, the semi-finals of the competition were redone, with one of the losing teams brought back to the game. It was the one closest to the Merissa team's marks. All four groups were reshuffled. Wilson still maintained first place, with Lily in second, Fairies in third, Funray in fourth, and GV Fashion, who had replaced Yellow Hills, in fifth. According to the previous arrangements, Wilson gets a pass to the finals, while the rest of the team competes against each other. This time, Lily's was matched with Fairies Fashion School, and both will have to compete for a spot in the finals. The host walked onto the stage with a bright smile, almost as bright as the light in the hall. "Hello everyone!" He greeted me with a wave of his hands and a cheer. "As you all know, due to some circumstances, we have to replace a team in the semi-finals so that we all can have a fair competition." He
"Is that Mark's private car?" Lily asked with a frown as she watched the video gotten from the camera close to the factory address sent to her.{The plate number index matches that of Mark's private car. However, this video was made about three weeks ago.}Frowning, Lily replayed the video again. It was a car driving on a highway in the middle of the night. Seeing the date, she recalled she had a date with Mark that night and after he had hurried off. All through their time together, it was even more restless than usual. "Is this all you found?" {There is a similar video of him returning back to the city. But he hasn't gone back to the factory after that.}She jumped off her chair, got changed into a comfortable sweatshirt and pants, and a black sneaker. She picked a small hiking backpack from the closet and her wallet as she exited her apartment.{You are going to the factory?}"Yes," Lily replied calmly. "I at least need to figure out why they sent the note even if I don't know w
"Can you arrange a meeting with Annabelle Wilson?" As she sent the message, Bryan replied almost immediately. Lily glanced at Bryan's text and smirked. "De Ox tonight, between 8 PM and 9 PM. Perfect."She quickly tapped out a reply: Thanks. It's such perfect timing.Bryan: Need help?Lily: I'll be fine on my own. With her plan in motion, Lily pulled up the files containing Henry's promiscuity, one she had meticulously prepared for Henry’s misdeeds. Photos, text messages, and financial transactions—everything she needed to plant the seed of doubt in Annabelle’s mind was compiled neatly in a folder.At exactly 8:15, Lily walked into the dimly lit lounge, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor. She gave off an air of confidence, dressed in a sleek black dress that hinted at authority and poise. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on Annabelle Wilson—a striking woman in her early forties, elegantly dressed in a champagne-coloured gown.Annabelle looked up as Lily a
"I think now is the perfect time to get the computer," Lily announced over the phone. "Given the news about his wife's scandal, Henry and William will be too busy to guard the company like a guard dog." "You want me to send people in there pretending to be electricians to retrieve the computer?" Bryan asked, and Lily hummed. "It will be a bit difficult for me to retrieve it at the moment." Lily replied. "Heard you've not been out of your apartment since the announcement. That's a week ago; that's unhealthy." Bryan sighed. "I'll come pick you up later today, and then we can discuss whatever your plans are." "There won't be a need for that," Lily gritted out as she worked away on her laptop. "I can't afford to be distracted right now.""Is this about Mark's engagement to Roseline?" Bryan asked, making Lily pause as her eyes narrowed at the screen of her laptop. "This has nothing to do with Mark or his engagement." She breathed out, massaging her forehead as she felt her eyes stingi
Lily walked into the living room with an extra sway in her hips as she remembered the event from the previous night. A small smile played on her lips, feeling giddy and excited about the news from the previous night's banquet. She picked up the remote and turned on the TV while waiting for the news with a warm cup of tea in hand. However, instead of the scandal she was expecting, she was met with Mark and Roseline's red carpet photos. Frowning, she turned up the volume just in time for the reporter to announce:"Next on the line of news is Mark Watson, the newly appointed CEO of the Watson Group. The genius businessman has finally announced his engagement with Roseline Anderson, the popular A-list actress."Lily’s smile froze, the warmth from her tea doing little to quell the chill that spread through her chest. Her hand tightened around the cup as she stared at the screen, unable to believe what she was hearing.“Engaged?” She whispered, her voice shaky. “That’s not possible.”The
{Now we wait.} "Can you hack into the security cameras around here?" Lily asked as she returned to the main banquet, still holding the glass of wine in hand. As she walked in, she noticed Henry looking around the hall with a furrowed brow. His shoulders tense and his fingers tightly wrapped around the wine glass. She scowled, her eyes narrowing as she lifted the new wine glass to her lips just in time for Henry to look her way. He visibly breathed out a sigh of relief while his eyes held expectations at seeing her take the drink. {You should know that's a piece of cake. You want me to monitor Kate's movement?} "Yes, get the recordings and send them to the media. I want it to be the first news tomorrow morning."{Consider it done, my lady.}"How long will it take you to hack it?" Lily asked as she began walking towards the toilet area, where she could easily escape the crowd and get out of the banquet.{By the time you make it out, I'll be done.}"I need to pretend I'm affected by
"We got an invite from Hamilton to attend their end of the year banquet," Mr. Wallace reported as he gave the invite to Lily. Lily accepted the invitation, her eyes scanning the elegant gold-embossed card. The Hamilton End-of-Year Banquet—a perfect stage for her next move. She set the card down on her desk and looked up at Mr. Wallace, her expression neutral but calculating."Who else from the company received an invitation?" she asked."Just you, Miss Turner. It’s marked as a ‘personal guest’ invite," Wallace replied. "Of course it is. Henry wouldn’t miss the chance to match me with his son." Lily snickered as she read the details of the invite. Wallace hesitated, his expression full of worry. "Do you plan on attending? It’s bound to be a huge event, and given the recent public opinion about them, it may affect the image of our company if you are seen mingling with them." Lily chuckled softly at Wallace's concern, leaning back in her chair. "The Hamiltons love theatrics. If Henry
"Can you arrange a meeting with Annabelle Wilson?" As she sent the message, Bryan replied almost immediately. Lily glanced at Bryan's text and smirked. "De Ox tonight, between 8 PM and 9 PM. Perfect."She quickly tapped out a reply: Thanks. It's such perfect timing.Bryan: Need help?Lily: I'll be fine on my own. With her plan in motion, Lily pulled up the files containing Henry's promiscuity, one she had meticulously prepared for Henry’s misdeeds. Photos, text messages, and financial transactions—everything she needed to plant the seed of doubt in Annabelle’s mind was compiled neatly in a folder.At exactly 8:15, Lily walked into the dimly lit lounge, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor. She gave off an air of confidence, dressed in a sleek black dress that hinted at authority and poise. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on Annabelle Wilson—a striking woman in her early forties, elegantly dressed in a champagne-coloured gown.Annabelle looked up as Lily a
"All the traces of the investigation and the clue we've gotten so far lead towards the Andersons," Dexter announced, his voice muffled over the shuffling of documents on the phone. "But we haven't gotten any conclusive evidence that will have them legally checked yet which is why I am saying we are in a dead end." "There should be something you are missing," Mark replied as he shrugged off his jacket, his eyes narrowing on the opened file on his laptop. Despite staring at it, none of the words registered in his mind. After his altercation with his mother, the one that landed her in the hospital, he had been focusing his attention on the investigation. And as if a higher power was involved and supporting them, they were able to have several breakthroughs. However, despite the evidence they've gathered, none of it was solid enough for them to point fingers. Dexter let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, Mark, I’ve tried hacking into their financials, their private communications, even th
"I'll advise you to let go of your stubbornness and pay the money for the costume," David breathed out, his voice strained as he messaged his temple, trying to ease out the build up tension from the past few days. It's been three days of constant back and forth with Lily's Fashion team and his PR team about the issue of the costume, and despite knowing Roseline had been the one at fault, he had tried to play the game in the way that would benefit them. Who would have known that the person behind Lily was someone strong enough to throw his crap back in his face. His eye twitched in annoyance as he noticed there is another topic about the issue trending on almost all special media. To make matters worse, the other side didn't even hire internet trolls to boost the popularity of the whole fiasco. Instead, the situation had attracted enough audience purely based on Roseline's and Lily's reputation. One is the award winning actress from a wealthy family and the other is the winner of