CHAPTER 174: CHAPTER 174 THE EVIDENCE

Serena’s POV

"Give me a moment to handle this. It can’t wait," I said, my eyes still fixed on the altered designs.

"Of course," Ryan nodded, his expression grave.

We settled back onto the sofa as I quickly texted Lucy to join us. Within moments, there was a knock at the door.

"You wanted to see me?" Lucy appeared, looking slightly nervous as she glanced between me and Ryan.

I placed the sketches on the desk and asked coldly, "Lucy, were you the one who delivered these designs to LUXE Jewelry?"

Lucy nodded, sensing the tension but answering honestly. "Yes, I delivered them. Maya was busy that day. Is something wrong?"

I tapped the desk impatiently. "Come look at these. Are these the designs you delivered?"

Lucy approached, studying the papers with growing confusion. After a long pause, she frowned.

"Something doesn’t seem right... the colors are definitely off," she finally admitted, chewing her lip.

"Who accepted the delivery at LUXE Jewelry?" I pressed.

Lucy squinted, trying to remember. "I think it was an assistant who came with you from London—a woman. Maya asked me to pass along some information about the production timeline too, but she barely seemed to be listening. Just nodded and walked away."

"Her attitude was definitely dismissive," Lucy added, wrinkling her nose in obvious dislike.

"And who picked up the rejected designs?" I continued my interrogation.

"I did that too."

I frowned, disappointment evident in my voice. "And you didn’t check them carefully when you received them?"

Lucy’s face froze, guilt washing over her features as she lowered her head. "I... I did look at them, Ms. Quinn, but honestly, I can’t really tell much difference in designers’ sketches..."

I took a deep breath, trying to control my frustration. "In the future, when something like this happens, you need to examine everything thoroughly and ask for clear explanations. That way our designers can actually address real issues."

"Just be more careful next time," I added, softening my tone slightly.

Lucy nodded emphatically. "I’m so sorry, Ms. Quinn. I’ve created problems for the studio."

"Maya’s in a meeting, right? Come with me—we’re going to LUXE Jewelry," I decided, standing up.

"Yes, I’ll grab my bag," Lucy replied quickly.

After she left, Ryan looked at me with obvious displeasure. "Do you really need to go right now?"

"Ryan, first there were obstacles to the collaboration, now our designs are being rejected. This isn’t coincidence," I explained, determination hardening my voice. "If I don’t sort this out immediately, the partnership between our companies might end before it even begins."

My expression grew more serious. "That’s why I have to go."

Ryan nodded in understanding. "Then I’m coming with you. It’s the perfect opportunity to clear up the previous misunderstanding too."

The three of us arrived at LUXE Jewelry’ temporary workspace shortly after. Though it was a provisional setup, it looked impressively professional. This was my first visit, and I took a moment to observe the environment before approaching the reception desk to introduce myself.

The receptionist’s eyes widened in recognition. "Please wait in the meeting room. I’ll inform Mr. Quinn right away."

I sat down, and within minutes, Ethan walked through the door. His eyes narrowed slightly when he spotted Ryan, his expression cooling noticeably. The tension from our previous misunderstanding still lingered, and he merely offered a curt greeting.

"Serena, what brings you here in person?" he asked, focusing his attention on me.

Not one to waste time, I pulled out the sketches from my bag. "Have you looked at the designs my team submitted?"

Ethan took them, glancing briefly at the pages. "Not yet. These typically go through preliminary screening before reaching me. Is there a problem?"

I nodded gravely. "There is. These rejected sketches don’t match our original submissions. There are discrepancies."

I kept my explanation diplomatic, carefully watching his reaction.

Ethan looked genuinely surprised, clearly unaware of what had happened. He flipped through the rejected designs, noting the substantial quantity.

"All these designs were rejected? That’s impossible," he said, his brow furrowing.

Dreamland Studio’s reputation in New York was well-established—having most of our designs rejected in one go simply didn’t make sense.

Ethan’s expression turned serious. "Wait here, Serena. I need to find out what’s happening."

He strode out of the meeting room while a secretary entered to serve us tea.

Author’s POV

Ethan clutched the designs tightly as he headed straight for his assistant’s desk, slamming the sketches down in front of her.

"What the hell is this?" he demanded.

Eliza looked at the designs nervously, her discomfort obvious.

"Mr. Quinn, these are the rejected drafts. I noticed some issues, so I..." her voice trailed off unconvincingly.

"Dreamland Studio claims these aren’t their original submissions," Ethan said sharply. "You’ve worked at LUXE Jewelry long enough—can’t you tell these are AI-generated designs?"

His anger was barely contained. He trusted that Serena would never submit such subpar work. Unless, of course, she wanted to sabotage the collaboration deliberately.

But that made no sense. This was a matter of professional reputation—why would she risk it?

"Sir, that’s precisely why I rejected them," Eliza blinked rapidly, her face a picture of innocence. "I was wondering if perhaps they made some kind of mistake?"

"A mistake?" Ethan narrowed his eyes. "Are you suggesting these are the actual designs they submitted to us?"

Eliza nodded firmly. "Absolutely."

Growing more suspicious, Ethan continued his questioning. "Did anyone else see these designs besides you?"

"No," Eliza shook her head. "After reviewing them, I noticed the problems and sent them all back. I thought it was a minor issue, not worth bothering you about."

"Is that really the case?" Ethan’s voice dripped with skepticism.

"Mr. Quinn, don’t you trust me?" Eliza’s eyes widened. "What would I possibly gain from doing something like this?"

Ethan had to admit she had a point, yet something felt terribly wrong. He gathered up the sketches and returned to the meeting room.

"Serena, my assistant claims these are exactly what she received," he said, setting the papers down on the table.

Lucy immediately jumped in, her voice rising. "That’s impossible! I delivered the originals myself. Maya organized everything perfectly—there’s no way there could be a mistake."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room.

Ethan wasn’t doubting Serena, but with both sides sticking to their stories and no evidence either way, it was difficult to determine the truth.

Ryan let out a soft, knowing laugh. "Designs don’t just vanish into thin air," he said, breaking the tension. "Serena, doesn’t Dreamland Studio have any identifying marks on your submissions?"

His question hit the mark perfectly. Lucy’s eyes lit up with realization.

"Yes! Every design has the designer’s personal signature—each with their unique style," she exclaimed. "Those would be nearly impossible to forge."