Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 201

"That's impossible!" Meredith Miller shook with rage. "Phoenix handed me these design drafts herself. There is no way this is plagiarism!"

"If you're so confident, Meredith, how about a bet?" Sebastian Prescott dropped his act, pressing the attack. "If I can prove that Phoenix plagiarized my work, you hand Lumina Jewelry over to me. How does that sound?"

Meredith's eyes widened in shock. The man's greed knew no bounds.

But her trust in Phoenix was absolute. Blinded by fury, she snapped, "You're on. But what if you lose?"

"If I can't prove it, or if it turns out I'm the one who plagiarized, I'll give you my entire studio along with every overseas contract I have." Sebastian's voice rang with absolute certainty.

The crowd broke into a stunned uproar.

This was a gamble with everything on the line. Whoever lost would be ruined, left with absolutely nothing.

"You said it yourself, Sebastian! Mr. Vane is our witness." Meredith rolled up her sleeves, looking ready for a physical brawl. "Go ahead, show us your so-called evidence. I'd love to see what kind of garbage you've fabricated."

Sebastian scoffed inwardly. What a gullible idiot.

Taking his time, he pulled out his phone and cast the pre-prepared design sketches onto the main display.

"Everyone, take a look. This is the evolution of my early drafts. Each one has a system-generated timestamp dating back well before last week. The evidence is irrefutable. I am the original creator."

Meredith stared at the familiar sketches, her heart plummeting. Those were the exact drafts Phoenix had given her.

"Merry."

A cool, calming hand rested on Meredith's shoulder. Phoenix stepped forward, halting her friend's impending outburst. A reassuring smile touched her lips. "Don't panic. The show is just getting started."

Meredith paused, taking in Phoenix's composed demeanor before it clicked. "Is this the 'show' you mentioned? You knew they were going to pull this plagiarism stunt?"

"I did." Phoenix gave a subtle nod. "Let me handle the rest."

Still slightly dazed, Meredith obediently stepped back to stand beside Macy Monroe.

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