"It's better to handle this as soon as possible. Otherwise, if Matthew were to find out, he'd definitely skin us alive. The most important thing now is to calm Lucy and Lacee. We have to let them reconcile and find out the details of this matter," Koven said to Hudson."By the way, is there a surveillance camera in Lucy's office?" Koven only remembered this at this time, so he immediately turned his head and asked Hudson.Hudson thought for a while and said, "Lucy's office has no surveillance cameras. Lucy came here just after the renovation, and the cameras were not yet connected. But there are cameras in Lacee's office, including in the corridor outside.""Then why don't we go back with Lucy to check it out first in case there are any clues? There are only six hours left before the Hype and Elegance Fashion Show. We have to hurry up and try not to make any mistakes."Hudson nodded, then pushed the door open and went into the side hall with Koven.Lucy raised his head when she he
"Is this search taking too long?" Hudson peered at the surveillance screen until his eyes began to tear up without him even realizing it.Hearing that, Koven, not wanting to be asked to help, quickly reassured him, "No way. Just trust me, this search will work out. It's the only option we've got, and it'll be over before you know it. Keep it up!""If you really want to help me, why don't you come here and give me a break? My eyes are tearing up like crazy," Hudson said, glaring at Koven."Oh man, I'm nearsighted, and your eyesight is better than mine. Do you really want me to wear my super thick glasses?" Koven protested.Hudson just rolled his eyes and went back to watching the surveillance footage."Hold up, pause that!" Koven suddenly said, spotting something on the screen."What is it? Did you find something?" Hudson asked, thinking Koven had noticed an issue.Koven paused, then turned to Lucy and asked, "Remember the other day when we went to eat, just the two of us? Did yo
"Stephen came back in such a rush that day that I could barely get a word out of him. When I asked what was wrong, he wouldn't tell me a thing."Koven's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Did he mention anything? What did he say?""Oh, that's right! He did say something." The security guard tried to recall. "He told me if anyone asked why the security camera was crooked, I shouldn't tell them. But since it's the boss asking, I think I should be honest.""You did the right thing," Koven said quickly. "Stephen might be working with Lacee. Call him now. Tell him there's a company reward and everyone needs to be there. Don't say anything else."The security guard grabbed his phone and dialed right away.After the call, he turned to Koven. "All done. He sounded really happy. He'll be here in 15 minutes, tops."Koven nodded and glanced at Hudson.Hudson looked worried. "Are we sure it's him? If we're wrong about Stephen, it's going to be pretty embarrassing. We don't have any proof. Isn't
Stephen stopped talking as soon as he heard what was said."But if you admit that Lacee told you to do this, maybe I could let you off easy. Just promise to work here without causing any more trouble," Koven offered Stephen a chance to come clean.If Stephen told the truth, Koven would keep his promise. However, if Stephen kept denying it, Koven would have no choice but to follow the law."I'll spill the beans! I'll tell you everything!"Koven gave Hudson a quick nod, showing off how tough he could be."I was on duty that day when Lacee came in out of nowhere. She wore a tight skirt and sat right on my lap. She asked me to do her a favor. I was shocked, wondering why such a glamorous lady would need me. She wanted me to mess with the security camera, pretend to fix it, and then tilt it toward the left wall. I didn't think it was a big deal at the time."She left me a pile of cash, like three months' worth of my pay. So later that afternoon, I grabbed a ladder and headed to the co
"So, what do we do now? Since the truth is out, should we go talk to Lacee?" Lucy asked."We can't just go talk to Lacee now. We've done our homework, and if we confront her now, she'll just keep denying everything. We don't have any solid proof because we don't have any surveillance footage. It's not like we're just gonna bring the guy over and have him confess in front of Lacy, right?" Koven explained.Hudson looked a bit taken aback and then asked, "Why not just bring the guy to Lacee? If we have him point her out in front of everyone, wouldn't that solve the problem? Why overcomplicate things?"Koven could not help but worry about Lucy's and Hudson's critical thinking."Guys, think about it, will you? There's no sign of Lacee on the surveillance footage, so what good would it do to drag Stephen in front of them and have him accuse her? Plus, if Lacee says we made it all up, everyone will believe her over us. "Use your heads, guys," Koven said, shooting Hudson a look of frustr
Lucy heard him and quickly hopped along behind him.Hudson watched the two with a shake of his head, not sure what else to do.…Once they got to Lucy's apartment building, Hudson and Koven stayed in the car while Lucy dashed upstairs to get the necklace.Koven was surprised to see Lucy come back with a box so big he blurted out, "Are you sure that's a box for a necklace and not for shoes?"Lucy rolled her eyes at him and said, "Ever seen a shoe box this pretty, this fancy, this upscale? This box was made just for this necklace, and it's as special as the necklace itself.""Let me see the necklace, then!" Koven said.Lucy passed the box to him, and when he opened it, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. Was this how rich people were?"Wow, this necklace is stunning! No wonder it's one-of-a-kind. I get why you'd copy this one. It's absolutely beautiful. I'd fall for it too if it were mine. It's crazy, Lucy! Why don't you wear it more often when it's this gorgeous?" Koven gaze
"Come on, it's time to get some answers. If we wait any longer, we'll miss our chance at the Hype and Elegance Fashion Show," Koven said before stepping out of the car.Lucy, with a big box in her arms, and Hudson, following close behind, headed for the venue's entrance.Lacee turned and saw the three at the entrance. She was completely caught off guard. A shiver shot up her spine, her face scrunched up in worry, and her hands would not stop shaking.She knew she had to face whatever was coming. She would just take it one step at a time.Right then, there was a knock at the door.Lacee inhaled deeply, plastered on a fake smile, and faced the door where Lucy, Hudson, and Koven stood."Can I help you with something? If not, please leave. I need to rest," Lacee said emotionlessly.However, Koven did not say a word. He just walked in, sat down, and stared at Lacee. "I'm really curious. Do you want to know what we've found out?" he asked and watched her closely, waiting for her to re
"What are you trying to say? You think I'd lie to you?" Lacee was sweating from nerves as she looked at Koven.Koven stared back calmly. "Don't you understand what I'm saying? If your necklace means so much, then tell us about it. Hudson, Lucy, and all the designers are here, ready to listen. Let's hear what you've got to say."Hudson spoke up when she did not respond right away, "Lacee, I've given you a chance. I hope you'll do the right thing. If you made a mistake, admit it now. If not, then please tell us the truth about what happened."Lacee's face turned ashen when she heard that. Her legs shook, and cold sweat appeared on her forehead."I would never plagiarize. That necklace was just an inspiration I happened upon. Don't accuse an innocent person!" Lacee was determined and ignored their words."If you're not ready to talk, let's give Lucy a chance to speak up. Everyone, what do you think?" Koven noticed the eager looks on the faces around him. These people were ready for s