Chapter 373

"Evelyn, look at this. It's the user's Instagram account."

Olivia handed her phone to Evelyn, who immediately saw the damning post.

The account had used their real identity to accuse the boutique of plagiarism. Side-by-side comparisons of original sketches and the boutique's designs were displayed like evidence in a courtroom.

Multiple signature pieces were flagged as stolen, all pointing directly to Evelyn as the culprit.

Her fingers trembled as she scrolled through the images. These were her designs—every stitch, every silhouette conceived in late-night bursts of inspiration. Two of them had even been her senior thesis pieces.

"This is absurd. Completely absurd." She set the phone down, her mind racing.

Harrison slid a tablet toward her, his expression grim. "We dug deeper. You're being accused of copying Juliette Blackwood. She's a heavyweight in the design world with a massive following. She just reposted the allegations on her official page, vowing legal action."

"Juliette?"

Evelyn let out a disbelieving laugh. "She's claiming I stole from her? Is she delusional?"

Harrison pulled up Juliette's profile. The accusation post was pinned at the top, already racking up thousands of likes and shares.

"Don't panic. Something's off here," Harrison said, his voice steady. "My team found out someone paid to push this to the top of trending lists—and keep it there for days."

"I suppressed it temporarily, but we need the truth. Otherwise—"

He didn’t need to finish. For a designer, plagiarism was career suicide.

If she couldn’t clear her name, the boutique would collapse. Worse, her reputation would be ashes.

"We have to get to the bottom of this."

Harrison tapped the screen. "If your designs are original, how did she fabricate this? The answer lies with her."

Their eyes met, the same realization dawning. "We need to talk to Juliette."

Evelyn remembered the business card Juliette had slipped her at their first meeting. She dialed the number without hesitation. "Ms. Blackwood, it's Evelyn. We need to talk."

Juliette’s voice was eerily calm. "I've been expecting your call. Meet me at Suite 2202, the Sterling Tower."

The line went dead.

Evelyn exhaled sharply. Her instincts had been right—Juliette had a vendetta.

But why? They’d never even crossed paths before this.

"Harrison, we’re going to the Sterling Tower."

He nodded. "I'm coming with you."

Olivia grabbed her bag. "Me too."

The Sterling Tower loomed over downtown’s financial district. After parking, they rode the elevator in tense silence to the 22nd floor.

Before the doors fully opened, a familiar silhouette came into view.

Juliette’s voice cut through the quiet.

"Ms. Carter. We meet again."