I stepped forward with a polite smile and greeted Bruce in Fostrauian, “Mr. Collins, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“This beautiful lady is … ?” Bruce’s blue eyes sparkled with admiration as he looked at me.
Caden gave me a brief glance before introducing me to Bruce. “This is Ms. Sinclair, the project lead for our collaboration.”
Bruce spread his arms wide, as if ready to embrace me. “Ms. Sinclair is stunning! Have we met before?”
I extended my hand and shook his firmly. “Mr. Collins, you’re too kind. We probably just look similar to people around here, that’s why I seem familiar.”
Actually, I had met Bruce years ago, when I was 15. My grandfather and I had attended a gathering in Fostrau, where I briefly encountered Bruce. Thankfully, he didn’t recognize me now. Otherwise, my carefully hidden identity would be at risk.
We escorted Bruce and his assistant back to the Eclipse Group, and right at 2 p.m., the Lady Couture’s project meeting began.
I had prepared an impressive presentation.
Although Bruce is able to speak Estragan, I chose to present in Fostrauean, covering the project’s progress. The representatives, including Bruce, nodded in approval, their expressions full of admiration.
Once I finished, I was met with enthusiastic applause.
Even Caden, who was usually so composed, clapped for me.
I glanced deliberately at Stella. She forced a smile, but her eyes blazed with jealousy
I smiled faintly. “Now, let’s take a look at the specific design plans for this phase.”
I reached for a folder and pulled out the sketches.
The moment the papers were exposed, everyone in the room gasped in shock.
Because the pages I held were completely blank!
I stood there, holding several blank sheets of paper, not saying a word.
It was clear something had gone wrong, but this was not what I had imagined.
As everyone around me stared in disbelief, Stella immediately spoke up, her voice sharp with accusation, “Rosaline, what is this? You’re the project leader – what’s with the blank paper? Are you trying to pull a fast one? Don’t tell me you grabbed the wrong ones by accident?”
All eyes quickly shifted to Caden.
His handsome face darkened with anger, and his lips pressed into a tight line, showing just how upset he was.
Caden was always known for his precision, and as the head of the project, making such a critical mistake in a moment like this was unforgivable.
Stella’s eyes sparkled with triumph and disbelief as she raised her voice and continued questioning me, “How could you, in your position, lose the sketches? We cannot allow someone this irresponsible to keep their place!”
Caden’s expression stiffened, and he cast a quick glance at me before coolly asking, “What’s going on?”
I didn’t plan on offering any explanations just yet, my mind quickly running through ways to fix the problem. “Let’s set this issue aside for now.”
I turned to Sabrina and asked, “Do we have backup copies of the designs?”
Sabrina shot me a disdainful look and said, “Ms. Sinclair, you do realize our jewelry designs are all hand-drawn, don’t you? There’s no backup for hand-drawn work. Do you not understand something as basic as that?”
I nodded, understanding the situation, then asked, “How long would it take to redraw the designs?”
Without missing a beat, Sabrina replied, “At least two days.”
“Rosaline, what are you up to?” Stella shot me a furious glare, sneering. “You plan on delaying the whole meeting? You’re really going to make the design department redo everything in two days? You want Mr. Collins to wait for two more days because of your mistake?”
“Who said it would take two days?” I replied calmly. “Just give me an hour, and I’ll be done.”
“An hour? Are you serious? Didn’t you hear Sabrina say it would take at least two days?” Stella laughed mockingly.
“Just because she needs two days doesn’t mean I do. If she can’t, it doesn’t mean I can’t,” I said confidently. “One hour is all I need.”
I paused for a moment, then turned to Bruce with a more serious tone. “Mr. Collins, would you be willing to give me an hour?”
“Of course, no problem at all,” Bruce responded quickly. “As a guest, I’m actually curious to see how Ms. Sinclair will handle this.”
“Well, I’ll just redraw the designs, of course,” I said with a calm smile.
Everyone stared at me, their faces full of disbelief, Caden included.
“Rosaline, are you joking?” Stella sneered as if I’d said something completely out of line. “A design that complex,and you think you can finish it in an hour? That’s impossible!”
“Well, you’ll see soon enough,” I replied, standing up and opening my laptop.
With all eyes on me, I smoothly launched the design software I had developed myself.
Hand-drawing the designs in just an hour would’ve been impossible, but with my software, I knew I could make it work.
I projected my screen, quickly guiding the mouse with precision, my fingers moving rapidly.
As I worked, intricate patterns began to form on the screen.
The room fell silent, everyone staring at the projected design, their faces a mixture of shock and amazement.
“All done!” I finally released the mouse.
I glanced at the clock – five minutes to spare.
In less than an hour, I had accomplished what even the most skilled designers would need two full days to complete.
The designs for the ring, necklace, and bracelet were flawless.
Not only had I replicated the designs, but I had also made several minor adjustments that enhanced the entire “Ice and Fire” collection, taking it to a new level of elegance.
Even the head designer of the jewelry department couldn’t have done better.
Caden and Bruce examined the designs with admiration, their expressions full of praise.
But Stella, staring at the work I had just completed, went pale, her shock leaving her speechless for a long time.
I looked at her and couldn’t help but think, another victory, another moment to put Stella in her place.
As the room fell silent and everyone stared at me in shock, I cleared my throat, flashed a smile, and let my gaze settle on Bruce. “I am sorry, Mr. Collins. There was a small issue earlier, but I have since redrawn the design.”
I aimed the laser pointer at the screen and began explaining. “This is our ‘Ice and Fire’ collection. The white symbolizes ice, and the red stands for fire – this is the theme of this project.”
“Very good,” Bruce said, giving me a thumbs up and complimenting the design. “I really like Ms. Sinclair’s work, especially the double-helix concept. It is brilliant!”
The double-helix concept was my idea. I had suggested it to Sabrina earlier, but she seemed to have a personal grudge against me. Behind the scenes, she ignored my suggestions and went her own way.
That’s why I never intended to show Bruce the sketches from the design department. I had already expected Stella to try something underhanded during this meeting, so I had prepared to reveal my own design to impress everyone.
“Mr. Collins, do you see any issues? Is there anything that needs to be changed?” I asked, maintaining a polite and composed expression.
Bruce shook his head, repeatedly saying, “No problems at all. Everything looks great!”
“Since there’s nothing to adjust, we’ll proceed with production based on this design and launch the ‘Ice and Fire’ series as soon as possible. I’m confident it will exceed expectations,” I said with a smile.
“Of course. With Ms. Sinclair leading this, I’m looking forward to it,” Bruce replied, clearly impressed. The meeting ended on a high note.
Bruce gathered his belongings and prepared to leave for his hotel, accompanied by his assistant.
As I watched Bruce leave, I noticed Stella and Sabrina both seemed irritated, also preparing to leave.
Suddenly, I raised my voice. “Hold on!”
“What is it?” Stella and Sabrina paused and looked at me, confusion in their eyes.
I grabbed the blank sheet I’d taken from the folder earlier and waved it in the air. “Now, it’s time to address this.”
Did they think I would let this go once they had framed me? The real drama was just beginning.
Stella’s eyes darted for a moment. “What are you trying to say?”
I walked over to Caden and handed him the paper. “This design draft was mysteriously replaced with a blank sheet. Mr. Holbrook, don’t you find that strange?”
Caden took the paper, placed it on the table, and casually tapped his long fingers on it as his cold gaze swept across the room.
After a brief silence, he spoke slowly. “I’ll have Yale look into this.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Yale answered respectfully.
Caden’s calm demeanor suggested he didn’t want this to escalate. The project was already in progress, and he likely hoped to keep things moving smoothly.
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