Chapter 5
“I believe she moved back to her old place,” Irving replied uncertainly. “I heard it from Ms. Mooney.”
Then, thinking perhaps Kendrick didn’t recognize the name, he added, “Ms. Mooney is a friend of Ms. Mendoza.”
Kendrick lifted his gaze and shot him a cold look, as though the
explanation were entirely unnecessary.
Irving immediately closed his mouth.
Silvana didn’t reach out to Kendrick again–exactly as Christina had hoped. In the days that followed, she immersed herself in work, finally completing the client’s draft. The client, still hoping to push for more, found Silvana’s attitude had hardened. “I’m sorry,” Silvana said firmly, “but this is the final version. There’s only so much I can deliver within the agreed budget. Any further revisions will cost extra.”
Hearing that, her client immediately dropped the request and reluctantly paid the final balance.
Still displeased, the client remarked sarcastically, “You may not be a famous designer, but you certainly charge like one.”
Silvana wasn’t offended. She patiently explained that this was how bespoke jewelry design was charged. However, the client still grumbled about the price and lingered in the studio a while longer to complain before finally leaving.
Silvana and her friend, Felicia Kaiser, co–founded the studio. However, since Felicia’s marriage and decision to focus on raising her child, she had taken a step back from the business, so Silvana had been taking care of
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the studio.
That evening, Silvana attended a dinner gathering organized by a former client, Julianne Maxwell. She normally declined such events–socializing didn’t come naturally to her–but Julianne had been so insistent that she felt she had no choice but to accept.
As she stepped into the private room, her eyes fell on Christina.
Their gazes met, and a faint, contemptuous smile instantly touched Christina’s lips. “Júlianne, you invited her here?”
Julianne said, “Yes. Let me introduce you. This is Silvana, the incredibly talented jewelry designer who created my wedding set. Silvana, this is my cousin, Christina.”
“Oh, that set,” Christina remarked. “I thought it looked familiar.” She pointed at Silvana in front of everyone. “You copied it from a major brand, didn’t you? The style is practically identical.”
Silvana didn’t want to have a conflict with Christina. Had she known Christina would be here, nothing could have persuaded her to come. This was her first time seeing Christina in person.
“What? That can’t be right,” Julianne said, though uncertainty had already crept into her voice. “Silvana is well–regarded. She… wouldn’t do something like that.”
Despite her words, the look she gave Silvana was now shadowed with doubt.
Silvana clenched her fingers. “Mrs. Maxwell, I didn’t plagiarize. I would never stoop so low.”
Someone immediately pulled out their phone, scrolling through photos before whispering.
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“No wonder it looked familiar… I’ve definitely seen something like it before. Christina is right. The designs are almost the same.”
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“Anyone can call themselves a designer these days. Julianne, are you sure you weren’t fooled? Why would you trust someone like her? She looks… so unreliable. You should’ve stuck with a major brand–at least their reputation is guaranteed.”
Every gaze turned toward Silvana, sharp and judgmental. They all believed Christina. Not a single person took Silvana’s side.
Silvana knew Christina was deliberately giving her a hard time by fabricating accusations. She said calmly, “If you believe I plagiarized, feel free to gather evidence or seek authentication from a professional institution.”
Seeing no reason to remain, she turned to Julianne and said, “Mrs. Maxwell, I apologize that tonight took such an unpleasant turn. If you have doubts, you can always have the jewelry authenticated or pursue legal action. If there is any evidence proving that I plagiarized, I will accept full responsibility. But I will not admit to something I did not do.
“I apologize once again for what happened here. Goodbye.” With that, she turned to leave.
Christina caught up with her just around the corner.
“Silvana,” she said sharply, “did I say you could leave?”
Silvana stopped and looked back coldly. “What do you want?”
Christina let out a dismissive laugh. “Is that your attitude?”
“What do you mean?”
“Julianne paid a significant amount for that jewelry. Do you really think a simple apology is enough?”
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Silvana studied Christina closely. Her makeup was flawless, highlighting her striking features. Her hair was perfectly styled, her skin smooth and radiant. Every item she wore–from her clothes to her accessories–spoke of luxury, and she seemed to almost shimmer under the light.
MAA
In terms of appearance, Christina certainly possessed the kind of beauty that could captivate any man.
But…
Suddenly, a soft chuckle escaped Silvana’s lips. “Are you jealous of me?”
“Jealous? Of what?” Christina looked as though she had just heard the most absurd joke.
“Otherwise, why did you slander me?” Silvana pressed.
“I didn’t slander you,” Christina retorted, biting her lip. “I only stated the truth. You certainly have some nerve, still clinging to-
“Kendrick?” Silvana cut her off. “We’re already divorced. I won’t cling to
him.”
“Who knows what you’re really thinking? I’m warning you again–stay away from him!” Christina’s tone was sharp.
Silvana had no interest in further explanation. She turned to leave, but Christina persisted, “Silvana, stop pretending you don’t care. However reluctant you are, you need to let go. Kendrick will never be yours.”
“I’m not reluctant. Believe it or not, now that the divorce is final, I won’t cling to him.” A faint, dismissive laugh escaped Silvana’s lips. “Ms. Walter, giving me a hard time is pointless. So are those photos and videos you keep sending me to prove how in love you two are.”
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