Chapter 34: Dealing with Sienna
On the day of the “Tears of the Stars” project presentation, the atmosphere in the Omni Group's top floor conference room was solemn.
Sienna stood before the projection screen, dressed in a finely tailored Chanel suit and exquisite makeup, looking like Omni's most dazzling representative. She confidently operated the presentation, displaying page after page of the design drafts that Evelyn had worked on for countless nights.
“We drew inspiration from the vast galaxy, adorning the midnight blue velvet with fragmented diamonds like stars, symbolizing the tenacious strength of women who shine independently in the dark night.” Sienna’s voice was clear and fluent. Every word sounded as if Laura had rehearsed it with her countless times.
The executives below nodded frequently. Even Damian’s frozen face showed a rare trace of approval.
The Director of Marketing, an old man known for his sharp eye, slowly posed a question. “Miss Sienna, this is an excellent proposal.”
“However, I am very curious about the asymmetrical shoulder strap design in the fifth proposal. What is its source of inspiration? It seems to break the calmness of the entire series, yet possesses a marvelous harmony.”
The smile on Sienna’s face froze. Her mind went blank. Source of inspiration? Laura had only given her the script, not the answer to this! She shot a panicked look at Laura in the corner for help, but could only stammer out a few meaningless words. “Uh... that... is for... a kind of... a kind of breakthrough...”
A wave of barely suppressed whispers swept through the conference room.
Just then, Evelyn, who had been sitting silently at the end of the table, stood up. She wore only a simple white shirt and black trousers today, yet she drew more attention than Sienna's showy attire.
“Because the curve of that shoulder strap originates from the natural droop of an iris petal.”
Her voice was not loud, but it clearly carried throughout the entire conference room. “Just like the subtle iris pattern I embroidered into the hidden seams of every design.”
She walked up to the projection screen and pointed her slender finger at an extremely inconspicuous crease in the design drawing. Magnified, an exquisite iris was clearly visible.
The entire room erupted. Sienna’s face instantly turned as white as paper.
“This is impossible! This is my design!” she shrieked.
“Is that so?” Evelyn took out her phone and pressed play.
“Miss Sienna, don’t worry... She does have a few creative highlights, especially that design involving fragmented starry diamonds... Don’t worry, I’ve already noted it down. By the time of the final presentation for ‘Tears of the Stars,’ I will incorporate this core concept into your proposal...”
When the recording finished playing, the conference room was deathly silent. Everyone's eyes darted between Sienna, Laura, and Damian, as if watching a spectacular farce.
Damian’s face was dark enough to drip water. He slammed his hand onto the table, producing a loud bang.
“Enough!” he roared. “Sienna, you are immediately suspended and will assist with the internal investigation! Laura, because you are handling an important project, you won't be fired for now, but three months' salary will be deducted.”
He used the lightweight phrase “assist with the investigation” to describe Sienna’s act of plagiarism. The favoritism was obvious to anyone with eyes.
That afternoon, Evelyn was cleaning up her desk, preparing to leave, when a shadow fell over her workstation. Sienna was glaring at her, eyes bloodshot.
“Evelyn, you slut, do you think you’ve won?”
She forcefully thrust her phone in front of Evelyn. The screen showed a candid photo. In the picture, Ethan was gently helping Evelyn into a car. The angle was tricky, making it look as if Ethan was holding her in his arms, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.
“Guess what Damian will think when I send this photo and tell him you two have been sleeping together for ages? He hates it when anyone touches his possessions. He’ll make you wish you were dead!”
Evelyn didn't even lift an eyelid. She calmly took out her own phone and pressed play. This time, it was Sienna’s own voice, sharp and arrogant.
“So what if I faked the pregnancy? So what if I fabricated the miscarriage? Damian believes me! You can't beat me, Evelyn!”
The color instantly drained from Sienna’s face.
“You... you recorded it?!” She lunged like a madwoman to grab the phone. Evelyn sidestepped. Sienna missed, lost her balance, and heavily collided with a bookshelf piled high with documents.
“Crash!”
With a tremendous noise, the bookshelf violently collapsed. Countless files and books cascaded down, burying Sienna beneath a humiliating pile. A passing employee, drawn by the commotion, stared dumbfounded at the scene. The usually haughty CEO's secretary was now disheveled, her expensive suit covered in dust, struggling like a madwoman in a heap of scrap paper. Evelyn, meanwhile, stood coldly to the side, phone in hand.
...
After Damian learned of the incident, he summoned Evelyn to his office. Damian did not look up. He said, “Give me the phone.”
Evelyn tightly gripped the phone in her hand.
“I’ve heard everything. Sienna will be suspended for a period of time, until this matter blows over.”
Blow over? Not punished? Evelyn’s heart sank, but she said nothing.
“The phone,” Damian repeated, his tone hardening.
Evelyn knew that if she didn't hand over the phone, Damian would resort to harsher means. She took a deep breath, walked up to the desk, and placed the phone in front of Damian.
He looked up. “I do not want to see these things again.”
“Now, format the phone,” he commanded.
“What?” Evelyn could not believe her ears.
“I said, format the phone. Delete everything that is detrimental to Sienna.”
Evelyn tightly bit her lip. She knew if she didn't comply, Damian would definitely not let her off the hook. She picked up the phone, her fingers trembling, and pressed the format button. Along with the recording played in the conference room, the audio of Sienna admitting she faked the pregnancy and miscarriage was also deleted. Watching the words “Data being erased” appear on the screen, her heart sank piece by piece.
“Also, I do not want any spread of personal grievances in the company. Evelyn, control your tongue.”
He paused. “The final signature on the ‘Tears of the Stars’ design must include Sienna’s name.”
Evelyn suddenly looked up, staring at him in disbelief.
Damian leaned back in his chair, fingers intertwined. “After all, she participated in the preliminary document organization. This is a company decision.”
His tone suggested he was doing her a favor. Evelyn looked at him, and suddenly smiled. She did not argue or resist, just nodded calmly.
“Fine.”
She turned and left, her back straight. Where Damian couldn't see, the smile instantly vanished from her face, replaced by a chilling coldness that cut to the bone.