Chapter 111

Chapter 111

Because it was her very first design commission, Cordelia remembered it with crystal clarity.

Back then, she'd been nowhere near as well-known as she was today. Her work had earned a decent reputation on campus, and the fashion designs that Xander brokered and sold for production had performed reasonably well — but nothing that could be called a hit.

She'd never understood why someone in the jewelry business would seek her out.

Still, it was an opportunity worth taking. Even though the pay wasn't great, Cordelia threw herself into studying jewelry design, pulled several all-nighters, and ultimately delivered a complete set of drafts.

To her surprise, the designs were approved on the first pass, and she collected her fee without a hitch.

It wasn't a lot of money, but it gave her confidence.

So she could do jewelry design after all.

What Cordelia hadn't anticipated back then was that six months later, she would choose to marry Ellington without looking back — severing her own career in the process. Jewelry design was simply never revisited.

"Mr. White, how long has this collection been on the market?"

Cordelia's expression shifted only slightly before she smoothed it back to neutral. Maurice caught it, and something darkened behind his eyes.

"Less than three years."

The timeline matched perfectly.

Cordelia hesitated, unsure whether she should bring up the design work.

Clearly, Maurice had no idea the collection had come from her hand. Otherwise, he would have mentioned it when he presented the jewelry as a gift.

"Is Ms. Sinclair curious about when this collection launched?"

When she remained silent for too long, Maurice ventured carefully, "This is a line from my own jewelry brand's in-house design team. If you have questions, feel free to ask. Since we're going to be partners, I'm happy to answer anything that doesn't involve trade secrets."

It seemed he genuinely didn't know she was the designer.

Cordelia didn't ask directly.

To be safe, she picked up each piece one by one, examining them closely. Then she pulled up the design sketches saved on her phone and compared them.

They were identical.

Could it be a coincidence?

Similar designs happened all the time. Maybe the designer had simply arrived at the same concept independently.

After a long internal debate, Cordelia finally spoke. "Mr. White, would it be possible for me to see the original design drafts for this collection?"

The request sounded abrupt — there was no guarantee Maurice would agree.

The moment the words left her mouth, Cordelia regretted her impulsiveness.

Too reckless.

Maurice had every right to refuse, and she would probably come across as presumptuous.

It had been too long. Many things were impossible to trace back now. Even if she saw the originals, what good would it do?

Maurice hadn't expected such a bold request.

Original design drafts were, in a sense, proprietary information.

"Why do you want to see them?"

It was only because Cordelia was the one asking that he still had any patience. Anyone else, and the conversation would have ended right there.

"I…"

Cordelia handed her phone over. "This jewelry collection looks remarkably similar to a design commission I took on before."

One glance at the sketches, and Maurice knew. These were the original designs for this collection.

He checked the date the images had been saved.

Four years ago — a full two weeks before his team had even submitted the finished designs for review.

"You designed this?"

Maurice understood Cordelia's reaction immediately.

Jewelry she had designed with her own hands, given back to her as a welcome gift. He felt a flush of embarrassment he couldn't quite suppress.

"These drafts are mine. Someone contacted me at the time, asking me to try my hand at jewelry design. I…" Cordelia chose her words carefully, stopping short of being too blunt. "Given how similar the designs are, it might be wise to look into it, Mr. White — just to avoid any unnecessary disputes."

If it was simply a coincidence, fine. But if there was actual plagiarism involved, someone needed to determine who had copied whom.

"There's no plagiarism."

Something seemed to click in Maurice's mind, and his expression grew increasingly grim. "I will get to the bottom of this, Ms. Sinclair. You have my word."

Four years ago, he had just taken over the company. The White Group had been riddled with problems, and plenty of people were pulling stunts right under his nose.

The design department had been plagued by one particularly serious issue.

Designers hired at premium salaries weren't actually doing the work themselves. Instead, they outsourced their assignments and pocketed the difference.

The practice was impossible to stamp out entirely, so Maurice had devised a countermeasure. At every design review, he required designers to submit documented records of their entire creative process as backup — insurance against copyright disputes.

Those who'd gotten caught up in disputes over outsourced work were fired. Those who hadn't been caught stayed on, and he couldn't justify digging further.

No dispute, no investigation. He'd let it slide.

But now — this bestselling jewelry collection hadn't come from his own people at all. Yet another designer had quietly outsourced the work and submitted it as their own.

He was lucky the real designer was Cordelia, and that she hadn't pursued legal action. Otherwise, for a collection that had sold well for years, the damages would have been staggering.

"As long as there's no plagiarism, that's what matters." Cordelia's voice was steady now. "As for the explanation you mentioned — even if you believe me, others may not."

"This collection has been on the market for over three years. It's been too long." She paused. "There's no need to make a big production out of it."

Even if the truth came out, the remedy would be monetary compensation at best.

And she didn't need the money.

Maurice quickly regained his composure and studied the woman before him again.

She was the one who'd been wronged, yet she was volunteering to let it go.

He understood her reasoning. Uncovering the truth wouldn't put more money in her pocket. There was no immediate, tangible benefit.

The only person who stood to gain anything was Cordelia herself.

And she was choosing not to pursue it.

Maurice considered for a moment. "The White Group has strict policies against unauthorized outsourcing. I will investigate this — not just for your sake."

He needed to clean house and root out the rot within his company.

As for the rest, Cordelia was right. Too much time had passed to justify a spectacle.

But he couldn't shake the feeling that he owed her. And she was, after all, the woman Ellington treasured above all others. There was no way he could let her walk away shortchanged.