Chapter 134

Chapter 134

This time she wasn't out in the open, taking hits passively. This time, she was in the shadows.

This time, she wasn't the one who needed to be afraid.

Her phone suddenly vibrated again. A screenshot from Sabrina.

Vivienne opened it, and her pupils contracted sharply.

It was the backend analytics panel for her anonymous account.

The follower count had broken seven figures.

One million.

Her account had been registered only a few days ago, and she'd already crossed a million followers.

Vivienne immediately exited the screenshot and opened the social media platform.

On the trending list, the hashtag "Who Is the Genius Designer?" sat at number three, marked with a deep red "EXPLODING" tag.

She clicked into the thread. A flood of comments poured in.

[The third set of sketches is absolutely incredible. That kind of line work isn't something an ordinary designer could produce. This has to be someone formally trained who's been through the industry trenches.]

[Someone dug up that her sketches match the style of a certain designer who was recently exposed for plagiarism—but her timeline is earlier. If these sketch dates are real, that plagiarism case has serious problems.]

[I compared her last three design releases with Dreamscape Studio's autumn-winter collection from two years ago. The detail handling is almost identical, but hers is clearly the more mature version. Who copied who? Those who know, know.]

[Three industry heavyweights have already shared her work. Last night, the former creative director of a major international luxury brand publicly praised her designs on his personal account, calling them rare in originality and emotional depth. That's a major endorsement. This isn't some internet celebrity design level.]

Vivienne scrolled through the comments one by one.

People in the comment section had already started doing frame-by-frame comparisons between her work and Allegra's Dreamscape Studio collections. Others had analyzed the paper quality and ink aging of her early sketches. Some had even dug up her award records from university design competitions.

All that evidence—evidence she and Sawyer had spent countless nights compiling—was now being unearthed spontaneously by complete strangers and laid bare for the public.

Vivienne no longer needed to speak up herself.

Once the machinery of public opinion started running, it no longer needed anyone to control it.

Sabrina's call came immediately after.

"Did you see it?" Sabrina's voice was electric with excitement. "One million! Vivi! One million! And Sawyer just told me that this morning, five major influencers simultaneously published in-depth analysis articles about you—two of them are people who never gave us the time of day before. You know what this means? It means people in the industry have figured out who you are, and they're backing you in their own way!"

Vivienne couldn't help but smile faintly. "I saw."

"And there's more!" Sabrina's excitement escalated. "Ryder just called me. He's received collaboration inquiries from three brands specifically asking for that anonymous designer to do a joint collection. Guess which three? One of them is at least ten times bigger than Dreamscape Studio! Brands Dreamscape Studio begged for and never got are now coming to you! If Allegra sees this news, she'll explode!"

Vivienne walked back to the bed and sat down, smiling as she listened to Sabrina's torrent of words.

But as she listened, her mind suddenly wandered.

She remembered those days in the small apartment, hunched over the coffee table sketching while Archibald sat behind her reading.

Back then, she'd said, "Someday, these drawings will become real pieces."

He'd said, "Then I'll be the witness to your beginning."

She hadn't let him be that witness. But she'd become her own witness.

"Vivi? Are you listening?"

"I'm listening." Vivienne snapped back. "Brina, help me with one more thing."

"Tell me."

"That final set of sketches we prepared—post them tonight. Along with the personal statement. It's time."

Sabrina agreed immediately. "Got it. I'll contact Sawyer right now to arrange the promotion resources. Eight p.m. tonight, on the dot."

After hanging up, Vivienne placed the phone on the nightstand and lay back down in bed.

She rested her hand on her belly, eyes closed, feeling the faint movements of the two little ones inside.

Allegra was in that estate in the neighboring city, waiting for one last chance to strike.

And her account had crossed a million followers. The entire internet was asking who the genius designer really was.

The answer was ready.

All she had to do was hit send.

After Lloyd received the news, he immediately returned to the detention center.

The iron door clanged open. Archibald was led inside.

He sat down in the metal chair and gave Lloyd a slight nod.

"Mr. Carnegie." Lloyd kept his voice low and got straight to the point. "Sawyer's team sent word. Allegra's hideout has been pinpointed. She hasn't left the country. She's in the neighboring city, hiding in a private estate registered under Gavin's name. There's a security team patrolling twenty-four-seven."

Archibald's gaze turned ice-cold.

"Is the intel solid?" Archibald asked.

"Solid. Sawyer's source got photos. Facial recognition confirmed it. The estate layout and security deployment will be ready by noon today." Lloyd paused, lowering his voice even further. "Sawyer's recommendation is to hand everything over to the police the moment we get the blueprints. File for a raid through official channels. They have an arrest warrant, plus evidence of harboring a fugitive. The police have no reason not to act."

"No." Archibald refused outright.

Lloyd froze. "Mr. Carnegie?"

"We can't spook her." Archibald shook his head. "Allegra's backed into a corner now. She doesn't care about anything anymore. If the police raid and she catches wind of it—even if it's just a few minutes' window—she could do something to Vivi in the chaos. What she has most right now is the nerve to take everyone down with her."

He thought for a moment, then instructed Lloyd. "Tell Sawyer this: Don't touch that estate until my wife's safety is one hundred percent guaranteed. He can stay in contact with the police. He can prepare all the evidence. He can set up a perimeter. But don't make a move. Vivi's safety is the top priority. Whether the case gets solved, whether Allegra gets caught—all of that comes after her."

Lloyd didn't know what to say for a moment.

Catching Allegra meant Archibald's liability would be reduced. It meant the case had a turning point. It meant the scales of justice would tip in their favor.

But Archibald was saying don't act.

Not because he didn't want her caught—but because catching her couldn't come at any risk to Vivienne.

Even if Allegra stayed free another day, even if he had to spend another day in this detention center, he didn't care.