Chapter 119
Megan crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at Sabrina. “What are you doing here?”
Sabrina’s lips curled into a slight smile, “Nothing much. Just checking out the actors‘ costumes.”
Really? Since Stephanie is responsible for all of Madeline’s costumes, your excuse for being here to check out the outfits doesn’t quite add up.”
Feeling uneasy under Megan’s penetrating gaze, Sabrina bit her lip. “I wanted to see Stephanie, hoping she might forgive me.”
Megan tilted her chin up. “Have you come up with some brilliant new plan?”
Sabrina replied, “No, I haven’t. But I wanted to give it another shot at making things right.”
“So you planned to steal her sketchbook to win her forgiveness?”
“No!” Sabrina’s voice rose sharply in her defense. “I did not take any photos!”
Observing Sabrina’s trembling hands clutching her phone, Megan prodded further, “Alright then, show me the photos. I need to check them.”
“You have no right to order me around or to inspect my belongings.”
Megan pretended to dial a number on her phone. “Fine, I don’t have that right, so I’ll just call the owner of the sketches.”
Sabrina pleaded desperately, “Ms. Jimenez, please don’t tell Stephanie, okay?”
Megan nodded. “So, about the favor, I asked last time, are you willing to do it?”
Sabrina realized she was
s in too deep to back out, but she quickly caught on. “So you sent someone to dangle the carrot in front of me, saying Stephanie’s new designs were irresistible, huh? You set me up, didn’t you?”
Asly smile crossed Megan’s face. “I’m not sure whether Stephanie sketched anything, but I know for a fact you took the photos. That’s enough for me.”
Sabrina pieced it all together. Two people had casually mentioned in her presence how extraordinary Stephanie’s new designs were, and that everyone else had gone to the riverbank, so she had rushed to the dressing room to get a glimpse of Stephanie’s work
She needed money badly, her boyfriend was deep in debt due to some high–interest loans. She thought if she could sell the sketches, she could pay the debt and have money left over. So, she rummaged through Stephanie’s bag, found the sketches, and quickly snapped some photos. She hadn’t anticipated that it was all a trap set by Megan
Megan whispered, “They’ll be back soon, do you want to be exposed and barred from the design world forever?”
Leaning closer, so her breath brushed Sabrina’s ear, she said, “Pull it off, and I’ll give you 400 thousand dollars.”
ina’s eyes lit up. “Make it 1 million dollars!”
Megan straightened up and p
Ipatted Sabrina’s cheek. “Greed can lead to your downfall”
Waving her phone, Megan added, “I have footage of you coming out of the dressing room. I’m offering money out of kindness.”
Resigned that she was out of options, Sabrina agreed.
After Megan left, Sabrina also made her exit as if nothing had happened. Finding a secluded spot, Sabrina called Ivy and inquired if she was interested in buying the designs.
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“No!” Sabrina’s voice rose sharply in her defense. “I did not take any photos!”
Observing Sabrina’s trembling hands clutching her phone, Megan prodded further, “Alright then, show me the photos. I need to check them.”
“You have no right to order me around or to inspect my belongings.”
Megan pretended to dial a number on her phone. “Fine, I don’t have that right, so I’ll just call the owner of the sketches.”
Sabrina pleaded desperately, “Ms. Jimenez, please don’t tell Stephanie, okay?”
Megan nodded. “So, about the favor, I asked last time, are you willing to do it?”
Sabrina realized she was
s in too deep to back out, but she quickly caught on. “So you sent someone to dangle the carrot in front of me, saying Stephanie’s new designs were irresistible, huh? You set me up, didn’t you?”
Asly smile crossed Megan’s face. “I’m not sure whether Stephanie sketched anything, but I know for a fact you took the photos. That’s enough for me.”
Sabrina pieced it all together. Two people had casually mentioned in her presence how extraordinary Stephanie’s new designs were, and that everyone else had gone to the riverbank, so she had rushed to the dressing room to get a glimpse of Stephanie’s work
She needed money badly, her boyfriend was deep in debt due to some high–interest loans. She thought if she could sell the sketches, she could pay the debt and have money left over. So, she rummaged through Stephanie’s bag, found the sketches, and quickly snapped some photos. She hadn’t anticipated that it was all a trap set by Megan
Megan whispered, “They’ll be back soon, do you want to be exposed and barred from the design world forever?”
Leaning closer, so her breath brushed Sabrina’s ear, she said, “Pull it off, and I’ll give you 400 thousand dollars.”
ina’s eyes lit up. “Make it 1 million dollars!”
Megan straightened up and p
Ipatted Sabrina’s cheek. “Greed can lead to your downfall”
Waving her phone, Megan added, “I have footage of you coming out of the dressing room. I’m offering money out of kindness.”
Resigned that she was out of options, Sabrina agreed.
After Megan left, Sabrina also made her exit as if nothing had happened. Finding a secluded spot, Sabrina called Ivy and inquired if she was interested in buying the designs.
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Chapter 119
Ivy asked to see a sample first, and upon seeing the designs, immediately agreed to purchase them for 400 thousand dollars.
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by didn’t have the money, but her cousin, Alicia, did. Alicia used to be the head designer at Fantasy Boutique. She had tarnished her reputation by copying designs, which led her to kowtow to Stephanie thirty times in public. It seemed impossible for her to re–enter the design world, but luck was on her side. She was distantly related to Flora, a designer at Dream Design Studio.
After some cosmetic surgery and a name change, Alicia became Flora’s assistant. She couldn’t be a designer since Dream Design Studio was strict about checking designers‘ education. But being an assistant was less strict, it was enough to have a designer’s approval.
At the product launch, Dream Design Studio’s brand, Stardust Elegance, snagged second place, securing an opportunity to compete in the prestigious International Golden Finger Contest.
Ivy bid 600 thousand dollars, asking Alicia if she was interested in buying, For Alicia, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get back at Stephanie, so she quickly called Flora and sent over the draft of the painting, asking if she would be willing to offer 800 thousand dollars for it
Of course, Alicia let Flora know that the artwork was Stephanie’s creation. Although Flora was aware that it could be considered plagiarism, the design captivated her so much that she agreed to the deal rationalizing that she’d only draw inspiration from parts of it.
With an annual salary of 400 thousand dollars at the Dream Design Studio, 800 thousand dollars was an easy sum for Sabrina to muster. In Flora’s eyes, spending 800 thousand dollars to skyrocket her fame was an absolute bargain. What she didn’t realize, though, was that she had just been played for a 400–thousand–dollar markup.
The transaction, money exchanged for the painting draft, was swift. Flora and Alicia wasted no time in beginning to draw inspiration from it. However, once they applied those elements to their design, it just didn’t mesh well. So, they ended up adding and removing elements right on the original draft.
Meanwhile, Stephanie was blissfully unaware of all this as she continued refining the drafts down to the finest details like selecting the perfect buttons.
After a week of diligent corrections, Stephanie and Julianna held a selection meeting for the upcoming competition’s designs.
The designers presented their best work but none quite matched up to Stephanie’s caliber. They couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed next to her
talents.
Stephanie picked one design from each participant. “These are all great, We’ll use them for the first and second rounds of the competition so we can breeze into the finals. My drahs will be for the final round. Any objections?”
Of course, the designers were all on board and grateful. Stephanie had thirty designs, seven for the first round, seven for the second, and sixteen for the showdown. Their choice meant that fourteen of Stephanie’s drafts would go unused, and each of them was a show–stopper that far exceeded the others.
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Feeling everybody’s appreciation, Stephanie chuckled, “You’re all incredible designers. Any of you could outshine the rest from the other studios easily. Julia and I are proud and honored to have you. We’re a team aiming to take Starlight Design Studio to greater heights, so every one of you counts! I don’t need your gratitude, I need your passion for design. Once the competition is over, I’m taking us all on a trip to Crescent Cove Island.”
The designers cheered, proud to be part of such a top–notch studio and acknowledging the leadership of Stephanie and Julianna. With the designs locked in, it was time to produce, Stephanie and Julianna got down to picking who would help bring the clothes to life.
Tearing her throat, Julianna spoke up. “So, Stephie, let me handle things from here. You’ve spent the past week working overnights, and if you don’t get
we home time soon, I’m afraid Vincent might have a meltdown and I don’t want to be an accessory to that!”
Stephanie had been crashing with Julianna in the studio, sleeping surprisingly well, but Vincent and Graham were chomping at the bit.
Tonight, she would make it up to Vincent. As for Graham, with Julianna putting in extra hours at the studio, he was in for a bit of a tough time.
After leaving the studio, Stephanie shopped for some candles, and elegant dinnerware, and picked up fresh ingredients for a special candlelit dinner she planned to prepare for Vincent.
Stephanie got some prepping done before Vincent’s return and then set the mood in their living room and bedroom before pampering herself with a rose
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Chapter 119
oil bath.
Vincent arrived home to a warm glow and a trail of rose petals leading him to the bedroom, where a heart of petals awaited him on the bed. He followed the sound of running water to the bathroom, where he found Stephanie in front of the mirror, applying lotion.
Their eyes met, and without a word, he drew Stephanie into his arms, Vincent’s voice husky, “Did you wait for me on purpose, looking like this? Why bother with clothes then?”
As Vincent’s embrace tightened, a soft moan escaped Stephanie, igniting a spark that was impossible to ignore. In the steamy reflection, their intertwined silhouettes blurred in the misting mirror.
Vincent pulled Stephanie in closer, whispering, “Babe, open your eyes and see how gorgeous you are.”
But Stephanie kept her eyes shut, too shy to see her flushed reflection.
With a soft chuckle, Vincent urged, “Then how about you open those eyes and take a good look at me?”
Stephanie’s lashes, dark and lush as crow feathers, fluttered before slowly lifting, her pupils reflecting the handsome features of the man before her. So irresistibly sexy.
With a firm grip, Stephanie clung to Vincent’s shoulders, her fingertips digging into his muscles. And in that moment, Vincent held her tightly, both of
them attuned to the wild pounding of each other’s hearts.
“Stephie?” Vincent whispered.
“Mmm?” she responded
“I’ve missed you so much,” he said.
Curious, Stephanie asked, “Missed me how?”
“Every single way,” he replied, his desire evident.
With a teasing smile, Stephanie said, “You’re so annoying.”
Vincent playfully nuzzled her nose, “Then let me annoy you even more.
Stephanie gently pushed on Vincent’s shoulder, “I’m hungry.”
“Weren’t you
full from earlier?”
Eventually, after they both showered and dried their hair, they went out to eat. Exhausted, Stephanie didn’t want to move, yet it was Vincent who cooked
steak and stir–fried the vegetables.
They sat side by side, Vincent meticulously cutting the steak for her. When it was ready, he placed it in front of Stephanie.
Unable to resist teasing him, Stephanie began, “Vincent, for the next week, I want…” Upon hearing her, Vincent’s face suddenly fell, his expression turning unhappy.