Chapter 242

Chapter 242

Thalia snorted, her tone softening: "I wouldn't say it was hard work, just disgusted by someone like Veda."

"But don't get too excited yet. Even though Liam agreed, the Gonzalez family still has Hayden, and that troublemaker Veda. Whether things go smoothly tomorrow is still up in the air. We need to prepare a backup plan."

"I know."

Victoria's voice remained calm and steady. "If they back out, worst case I'll go back and handle it myself. Don't worry, just rest well at the hotel."

After chatting a bit more about the situation in Avalonia and possible next steps, Victoria urged Thalia to get some rest, since she must be tired after rushing to the negotiation right after getting off the plane.

After hanging up, Victoria gazed at Avalonia's night scenery through the window, her eyes deep in thought.

Liam's attitude had indeed surprised her somewhat.

Liam seemed different from the somewhat spoiled image she remembered, someone controlled by Hayden.

However, as Thalia said, the real test would come tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Liam drove back to the Gonzalez Villa with heavy and complicated feelings.

It was almost ten at night, but the villa was brightly lit, clearly someone was still up.

Sure enough, as soon as Liam walked into the living room, he saw Hayden still sitting in that rosewood armchair, drinking tea with a displeased expression.

Veda was pacing back and forth in the living room like an ant on a hot pan. The moment she saw him come in, she rushed over like he was her savior.

"Liam! You're finally back!"

Veda grabbed his arm, saying urgently, "Quick, think of something! The competition committee sent another email demanding an explanation! Can you use your connections to restore my competition eligibility? Or just say it was a misunderstanding? My design really was just inspired by the style!"

She rambled on, trying once again to get away with that excuse full of holes.

Looking at Veda before him, anxious but showing no remorse, Liam thought about how her stupid actions had nearly destroyed the Gonzalez Jewelry Company's reputation and deeply hurt Victoria, whose amazing identity he had just learned. A surge of anger shot up inside him.

He violently shook off Veda's hand with such force that she staggered and nearly fell.

Liam's face darkened, his eyes cold as he looked at Veda, his voice like ice, each word hitting the silent living room:

"Stop making excuses, Veda. I've confirmed that your competition entry was plagiarized!"

"I never imagined you could do something so dirty as stealing someone else's design and entering the competition under false pretenses!"

"You've disappointed me so much!"

Shaken off by Liam, Veda stumbled before steadying herself. Hearing these words, what little color remained on her anxious face instantly drained away, leaving her pale as paper.

She shrieked in protest, trying to cover her inner panic and guilt by raising her voice: "I didn't! Liam! How can you not believe me? That design was my own idea! I just drew inspiration from the style! Why call it plagiarism? Evidence? What evidence do you have?"

Veda stubbornly denied it, but her hands hanging at her sides involuntarily clenched her clothes tightly, her nails almost digging into her palms.

Watching her refuse to admit it, the last trace of sympathy Liam felt from years of acquaintance completely vanished, replaced by deep disgust and coldness.

He stepped forward, looking down at Veda, his gaze sharp as a knife, as if to strip away all her pretenses.

"Evidence?"

Liam laughed coldly, his voice not loud but carrying unquestionable certainty. "Since I'm saying this, naturally I've already obtained solid evidence! Veda, you still want to deny it? Do you think you plagiarized from some unknown small-time designer?"

He paused, then clearly threw that name at Veda and Hayden, whose face also looked terrible: "What you stole and plagiarized was an unpublished discarded draft by the internationally famous jewelry designer, Vico!"

"Vico?"

Veda screamed, her pupils dilating with extreme fear. "No! That's impossible! Absolutely impossible! She's abroad! How could I possibly—"

Hayden beside them couldn't sit still either. He abruptly put down his cup, the porcelain making a crisp sound against the saucer.

He frowned tightly, his tone carrying doubt and a barely noticeable panic: "Liam, you can't just say things like that! Vico is an international master, her whereabouts are mysterious. Veda has been in the country the whole time, barely left the country at all. Where would she plagiarize Vico's original work? This is complete nonsense! Did you get it wrong?"

Looking at Hayden and Veda, who were still in the dark or choosing to ignore the truth, Liam felt a surge of absurd helplessness.

He took a deep breath, deciding not to hesitate any longer, and directly revealed the answer to shatter their self-deception.

"Got it wrong?"

Liam's lips curved into a mocking smile, his gaze sweeping over Veda's pale face before finally settling on Hayden's shocked face. "Dad, Veda, you think Vico is far away? Let me tell you, Vico may seem far away, but she's right here!"

He emphasized each word like a hammer blow: "That Victoria you've looked down on, who was sent to the countryside for twenty years without care, who was only brought back two months ago—she is the internationally famous jewelry designer Vico! And she's also one of the major shareholders behind Victrix Luxury Goods Company abroad!"

"What?"

"Victoria? How is that possible?"

Two exclamations rang out simultaneously. One came from Veda, who seemed to have all her strength drained instantly. Her legs went weak and she nearly collapsed, barely managing to support herself on the sofa armrest with trembling hands, her face filled with extreme shock, disbelief, and fear.

Victoria? That country bumpkin? She was actually Vico? She had stolen from the original creator herself?

The other exclamation came from the staircase. Scarlett, who should have been resting upstairs, was now rushing down in her pajamas, her face full of disbelief. She had clearly been eavesdropping upstairs for a while and could no longer contain herself.

She rushed to Liam, her voice shrill with shock: "Liam! What are you talking about? Victoria? How could she be Vico? That famous jewelry designer? This is ridiculous! Didn't she grow up in the countryside? How could she—"

Liam coldly interrupted her, asking back: "Why not? Scarlett, have you forgotten how she defeated you with her own abilities in front of everyone and got into the Starlight Project Team? That so-called 'genius girl' title of yours—don't you know how problematic it is?"