Damian handed me the results of the investigation.
I stared at the name on the document.
“Sable? I don’t understand,” I blinked, stunned. “I mean… I left. She should’ve had a free shot at Vincent. Why is she still trying to destroy me?”
Damian didn’t sugarcoat it. “Because Vincent’s a goddamn psycho.”
I frowned, confused.
He went on to explain the rest of the findings.
Turns out, after I left, Vincent practically forced Sable to stay at Crystal Pointe.
She kept trying to see him, but he refused every time. After a while, he even stopped taking her calls.
Desperate for attention, she showed up at Blackthorne’s headquarters, trying to confront him.
They had a heated argument in his office and after that, Vincent assigned bodyguards to keep her at Crystal Pointe like some kind of house arrest.
Months passed and Vincent never once came to see her.
Pregnancy alone is already an emotional roller coaster. And for someone like Sable, who was banking everything on securing her place, being locked up like that was pure torture.
Then, just as she was panicking about being tossed aside after giving birth, Vincent suddenly went all out looking for me – creating a scene big enough to catch even Eddie Blackthorne’s
attention.
The old man specifically requested to meet Sable and when he learned she was pregnant, he made it very clear: they would keep the child, but not necessarily the mother.
Sable didn’t dare go against the old man, but the resentment inside her kept growing like a weed
And then I blew up in the International Design Competition – famous overnight, winning praise, stealing the spotlight. Meanwhile, she was stuck giving birth in isolation, completely powerless.
She couldn’t take it. She wanted to ruin me.
And she almost did. The International Design Competition had worldwide attention. The second the plagiarism accusations came out, the internet exploded with hate.
Some of the eliminated contestants even posted long statements, slamming and smearing me online.
Things got so ugly that a few crazies even threatened to show up at my office and my house.
In just a few hours, I went from a rising star to public enemy number one.
Damian stated flatly, “The design draft she used probably came from Vincent.”
I agreed.
Back when Vincent doted on her, she had full access to his study. It wouldn’t have been hard for her to get her hands on it.
I looked at Damian. “Can you get me the original copy?”
Chapter 15
212 18.1
5:38 pm DDDX.
He nodded. “Of course.”
“She’s being guarded by Vincent’s men at Crystal Pointe though. You won’t get in easily.”
Damian scoffed. “Please… they’re nothing but overweigh men in suit.”
I laughed. “Well then, I’ll leave it to you, Mr. Whitlock.”
He grinned and took the chance to tease. “And what do I get in return for this favor?”
I played dumb. “I’m Whitlock Jewelry’s design director. Clearing my name restores the company’s reputation.”
Damian clicked his tongue. “Who cares about that!”
I added, “Didn’t you go on live international TV saying you believed in me? Isn’t your reputation on the line too?”
Damian groaned and ruffled my hair. “Keep pretending you don’t get it, Andrea.”
I just smiled, saying nothing.
When he finally got tired of bickering, I said softly, “I’ll grant you one wish.”
His eyes lit up instantly, a pleased grin spreading across his face. “Wait, seriously?”
I shrugged. “Don’t believe me? Forget it then.”
“No, no! I believe you! Of course I do!” he quickly replied. “You promised – no take–backs!”
I could tell how much he loved this little deal.
Loved it so much, in fact, that he flew straight back home that very night to handle it personally.
And I, relieved, focused entirely on work.
But what I didn’t expect
wanted to see: Vincent.
–
was to get ambushed the very next day by the last person I ever
