Chapter 7
I glanced briefly at her hand, then let my gaze fall on the red dress she was wearing. A faint curve tugged at the corner of my lips.
“Designer Moore, this gown looks far more rushed than the final draft I saw in the magazine last time.”
“The fabric seems awfully coarse-must have been a last-minute job.”
I said it deliberately, to remind her that a thief should at least learn to stay quiet.
Sophia Moore’s smug smile froze, and she instinctively smoothed her skirt. Her voice, however, grew sharper.
“You’re joking, Lily. This is my highlight piece, crafted especially for the press conference. Naturally, the workmanship is exquisite.”
“But you-after being away from Cole Enterprises for so long-why suddenly come back? To see me shine? Or is it because you regret leaving and want back in? Let me tell you, that’s impossible.”
She emphasized her baby bump, as if it were her ultimate trump card.
Adrian West stepped forward, draping an arm naturally over my shoulder, his eyes cold.
“Shine? Using discarded drafts from someone else? That’s what you call shining?”
“You’re nothing but a thief. What right do you have to stand here smugly?”
His words struck deep. Sophia’s face turned pale, though she stubbornly argued back.
“You’re lying! This is my original work!”
“Deep down, you know the truth,” Adrian shot back.
As the tension escalated, Ethan Cole walked out. The moment his eyes landed on me, there was a flicker of joy, like he had found something lost.
He hurried toward me, instinctively trying to push Sophia aside, but she clung tightly to his arm.
‘Ethan, look at her! Lily Evans came here just to ruin everything!”
Ethan pulled her hand away with a frown, his voice tinged with urgency.
‘Lily, are you… are you coming back to me?”
‘Mr. Cole.” I cut him off, my tone flat. “It’s been a while.”
That distant address dimmed the joy on his face. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his gaze dropped to my hand intertwined with Adrian’s. His face darkened.
“Who are you? Let go of Lily’s hand-she’s my wife!”
He reached for me, but Adrian’s fist landed squarely on his face, sending him crashing to the floor with blood streaming from his nose.
Adrian wiped his hand with disdain. “Wife? You’re not worthy.”
Sophia gasped in shock and rushed to help Ethan, but he shoved her away so roughly she nearly stumbled.
“How dare you hit me!” Ethan snarled, swinging back, but just then an usher from the Banquet
Hall interrupted.
“Mr. Cole, the press conference is starting.”
Ethan had no choice but to wipe the blood from his face and storm inside angrily.
I turned to Adrian. “The real show is only just beginning.”
Inside, Sophia began her presentation.
“This design was inspired by an unexpected encounter, so I named the gown First Meeting.
believe a first meeting should be passionate and beautiful-that’s why I chose red.”
From the audience, I clapped slowly. “Well said!”
‘But how pitiful that Designer Moore’s First Meeting was stolen from someone else.”
All eyes turned toward me. Ethan leaned over, whispering urgently for me to stop.
But the media had already sniffed out gossip and jumped in.
‘Ms. Evans, we heard you were once a designer at Cole Enterprises. What did you mean jus now?”
paused, fixing my gaze on Sophia’s red dress.
Her so-called signature gown was made from one of my old drafts. I thought it fitting to attend and watch my discarded work paraded as hers.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Sophia’s face drained of all color.
