Chapter 232

Chapter 232

Hannah's face turned ashen, like she'd been struck by lightning. True, she had stolen a design.

She thought Mia, a designer who kept a low profile and was unknown in the industry, wouldn't know any big shots like William, let alone have any connection with the famous designer LOLLY. If she had those connections, why would she even bother running a studio and doing all the hard work herself?

Plagiarism was the most despised thing in the design world, and she had stolen someone's design for an interview, only to be called out on the spot.

Hannah lowered her head and said quietly,

"The design isn't really mine, but it's not LOLLY's either. It's the work of Mia Davis from SereneShine Studio."

Hannah came clean with the truth.

William's eyes narrowed. Well, well!

No wonder he thought SereneShine Studio's design style seemed a bit like Ava's. Turns out they really were plagiarized designs. They opened a studio by stealing Ava's work, and over these four years, they had grown so much they needed to move to a new office.

They must have made a fortune by now, right?

Over four years—how many of Ava's designs must that plagiarist have stolen? What was their relationship before that they could get hold of so many of Ava's works?

William's eyes narrowed dangerously. This time he wouldn't just stand by and do nothing.

He would definitely punish the plagiarist severely on her behalf and never let her be wronged again.

Back at the hotel, William first called Terry.

"Stop looking for SereneShine Studio. Its main designer is a plagiarist. They'll be out of business in a few days."

Terry sounded confused on the other end.

"How are they going out of business? I checked online and they seem to be doing really well. Whose work did they copy to get this successful?"

"I've seen their original designs. They're LOLLY's work."

Terry was stunned.

"Well, that explains it. They've copied for so many years without being reported, this... William, try to let it go."

Terry could already imagine William's face must be dark as thunder right now. With his personality, he'd definitely destroy SereneShine Studio. There was no way he'd commission jewelry from SereneShine Studio now.

After hanging up, William immediately had his lawyer draft documents to sue SereneShine Studio. The design Hannah had handed him was the evidence.

Ava had no idea about the approaching danger, but her eyelids kept twitching.

She'd had many orders these past few days, and worrying about her two kids, she hadn't rested well. The dark circles under her eyes were obvious.

That nearly finished design she'd been looking for all day was nowhere to be found. Near closing time, she called her assistant Stella in.

"Has anyone been in my office?"

Stella was Ava's personal assistant. She thought back—during her shifts, she hadn't seen anyone go into the office alone, but after hours was hard to say.

"Ms. Davis, did you lose something important? Should I go check the security footage?"

"Go check. Bring me the results when you have them."

Ava rubbed her temples, looking worn out.

A cup of bubble tea appeared on her desk. Ava thought Stella had brought it and said without looking up,

"Thanks."

"You're so tired, why don't you take a few days off? You can't earn all the money in the world."

Ava looked up at the voice and saw Lewis standing in front of her desk in a well-tailored suit.

"Lewis, it's you?"

Lewis couldn't bear to see his goddess looking so exhausted. He gathered up the files on her desk and closed her laptop.

"Why work yourself so hard? Come on, let me take you to relax."

Ava rubbed her temples.

"Lewis, I haven't finished my work yet, you..."

Before she could finish, Lewis had already grabbed her bag from the coat rack.

"Coming or not?"

Ava stood up and followed, walking glumly toward the elevator.

The elevator doors opened and they both stepped in. Ava saw herself in the mirror—she looked terrible. Even with makeup, she couldn't hide her exhaustion.

Lewis stood behind her, his heart aching at the sight of her. He thought if he were lucky enough to marry his goddess, he definitely wouldn't let her work this hard.

Ava's phone rang. She answered it in front of Lewis, and after just a few words, her expression changed dramatically.

"I'll be right there."

Ava replied and hung up.

"Lewis, I'm sorry I can't go to dinner with you. Another time."

Lewis: "What happened?"

"Samuel and Sophia got into a fight with another kid at kindergarten. I need to go."

Lewis's eyes fell on the dark circles under her eyes.

"Can you even drive like this? Let me take you."

Ava really did feel exhausted and overwhelmed.

"Then I'll have to trouble you. I'll treat you to dinner later."

Lewis grinned back.

"Deal, don't forget."

At the kindergarten.

Samuel and Sophia stood against the wall in the teacher's office, heads down, looking tearful.

Inside the teacher's office, the other child's parents had already arrived. The kid they'd fought with was named Echo. Being outnumbered two to one, Echo lost the fight and had scratches on her arm.

Echo was now crying her head off, being held and comforted by both her parents.

With their child beaten at kindergarten and her hand showing several bite marks, Echo's parents' attitude was understandably terrible. The principal and teachers were carefully apologizing.

"We're very sorry for our negligence in watching the children. I apologize on behalf of the kindergarten to you and your child."

Echo's mother shot a vicious look at the siblings against the wall and snorted.

"What good is an apology? My daughter's hand was bitten by two wild dogs. We don't know if she'll get rabies. Can your kindergarten take responsibility for that?"

Principal: "Kids fighting is unavoidable. We've already notified Samuel and Sophia's mother about this. If you agree to settle, how about we waive one year of childcare fees?"

Echo's father, who had been silent, finally spoke up.

"Are you saying we can't afford it or what?"

Echo's mother: "Right, my daughter was abused at your kindergarten today and the other parents need to give us an explanation. If anyone dares bully my daughter again, I'll beat them senseless!"

...

Ava and Lewis arrived at the office door just in time to hear these vicious words from the other parents.

She knocked twice at the door, and seeing her two poor children standing against the wall, holding back tears, she couldn't care about anything else. She went straight in to hug them.

Echo's mother perked up when she saw Ava enter.

"You must be Samuel and Sophia's mother. Your twins bit my daughter's arm. What are you going to do about it?"

With her parents there, Echo cried even harder, as if she'd suffered the greatest injustice imaginable—the kind that could only be settled by destroying the other party.

Echo's father held his child, heartbroken, his eyes sweeping over the three people by the wall as if he wanted to devour them.