Every few seconds, he looked toward the backstage corridor.
Vanessa followed my gaze.
Then she leaned closer.
“Listen to me very carefully, Evelyn. You are going to walk onto that stage, say this was an unfortunate misunderstanding, and apologize for disrupting the show.””
I almost laughed.
“Why would I apologize?””
“Because I can make your life impossible.””
“You already tried.””
“I know people at every major fashion house in New York.””
“And I know how to sew.””
Her face twisted.
“You ungrateful little—”
“Vanessa!””
Daniel Price’s voice cut through the corridor.
He was approaching with Celeste Monroe beside him. Two security officers followed, along with a woman wearing a headset and carrying a thick black folder.
Vanessa immediately transformed.
Her shoulders straightened. Her lips softened into a professional smile.
“Daniel! I’m so glad you’re here. We’ve had a minor technical issue, but it’s all under control.””
Celeste glanced at Vanessa’s hand, which was still hovering near my arm.
“Is that so?”” she asked.
“Absolutely,” Vanessa replied.
“Our team is resolving a confusion involving a sample garment.””
Daniel looked directly at me.
“Ms. Hart?””
“Yes.””
“Did you design the crystal gown currently being worn by Miss Cole?””
“Yes.””
“Can you substantiate that claim?””
I handed him my phone.
“Everything is organized by date. The original sketches, pattern revisions, fabric purchases, construction photographs, and my submitted competition entry.””
Daniel scrolled through the files.
His expression grew more serious with every image.
Celeste leaned over his shoulder.
“Go back,” she said.
Daniel stopped at a photograph showing the gown laid across my worktable, its bodice half-finished. A paper calendar was visible in the background, and my handwritten design notes sat beside the fabric.
Celeste studied it closely.
“Is this your studio?””
“My workbench at Bellamy Atelier.””
“And the embroidery?””
“Mine.””
Celeste enlarged the photograph.
“That’s remarkable.””
Vanessa folded her arms.
“Photographs can be manipulated.””
“Of course they can,” Celeste replied.
“That’s why we’re not relying on one photograph.””
She turned to Daniel.
“Check the submission records.””
Daniel tapped his tablet, then frowned.
“There’s a problem.””
Vanessa’s eyes darted toward him.
“What problem?””
Daniel looked up.
“Ms. Hart’s original entry was received and timestamped eleven weeks ago. The gown’s design sketches are attached to the submission.””
He swiped to another screen.
“But the designer listed on the final Bellamy Atelier show program is Brianna Cole.””
“That was an administrative correction,” Vanessa said quickly.
“Authorized by whom?”” Daniel asked.
Vanessa hesitated.
“I approved the change.””
“Did Ms. Hart consent to it?””
“She was an assistant on the project.””
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“That’s not what I asked.””
Vanessa looked at Celeste, hoping for support.
Instead, Celeste stepped closer to the folder in the headset woman’s hands.
“There’s something else we should examine.””
The woman opened it and removed a printed document.
“An anonymous complaint was submitted to the competition office this afternoon,” she explained.
“It alleges that the winning design was stolen from a junior employee.””
Vanessa went still.
Celeste looked from the document to me.
“Ms. Hart, did you submit this complaint?””
“No.””
“Then who did?””
I shook my head.
Daniel examined the page.
“The sender requested an investigation into unauthorized design transfers. They included a reference number for an internal Bellamy Atelier file.””
Vanessa’s lips parted.
For a moment, she looked genuinely frightened.
Then she recovered.
“This is ridiculous. Anyone could have sent that.””
“That’s true,” Daniel replied.
“Which is why we’re investigating.””
He handed the document to the woman beside him.
“Please preserve the original submission records and all correspondence related to this gown.””
She nodded and stepped away.
Vanessa grabbed Daniel’s sleeve.
“You can’t suspend the show over an anonymous accusation!””
“I’m not suspending the show,” he said.
“I’m suspending the award decision until we establish who created the garment.””
Celeste turned toward the runway.
“Where is Brianna?””
A stage assistant hurried over.
“She went into the dressing room. She says she won’t come out until the lighting crew explains what happened.””
Celeste sighed.
“Tell her the lighting crew did exactly what they were instructed to do.””
Then she faced me.
“Ms. Hart, I’d like to speak with you privately.””
Vanessa stepped between us.
“She is an employee of Bellamy Atelier. Any discussion about our collection must go through me.””
Celeste looked at her for a long moment.
“Mrs. Vale, if your company has nothing to hide, you shouldn’t be afraid of an independent conversation.””
Vanessa’s smile disappeared.
Celeste gestured for me to follow her.
I took one step.
Then another.
For the first time that night, I wasn’t being escorted away from the stage.
I was being invited toward it.
But as I passed Vanessa, she caught my sleeve and whispered a final threat.
“You have no idea what you’re about to uncover.””
I stopped.
“What does that mean?””
