After Prison I Rushed into Marriage with a Comatose Tycoon-Chapter 28: Identical Design Drawings

"That’s enough!"

Eliza Sutton grabbed Amelia Sutton’s wrist, her expression icing over. "If you keep making a scene," she said coldly, "don’t blame me for getting rough."

"Eliza Sutton, so you were just putting on an act! Deep down, you’re a cunning, vicious schemer!"

"Cunning and vicious?" Eliza Sutton laughed. ’I really don’t know how Amelia has the gall to say that.’ Her eyes were glacial. "Having an affair, using her husband’s money to keep a gigolo—that was all Mrs. Sutton’s choice. It’s not like I sent the man to her bed. Now that it’s all been exposed, you come rushing over to take it out on me. Why? You think venting your anger on me will clear Mrs. Sutton’s name as a slut?"

Eliza Sutton’s words were incredibly harsh, and Amelia Sutton looked ready to explode. She started screaming like a woman possessed.

Impatient, Eliza Sutton called security to have her removed.

As Amelia Sutton was being dragged away, Shane Lockwood was just getting out of his car.

She was completely stunned the moment she saw Shane Lockwood.

Although Shane Lockwood was famous throughout Seabourne, he had always kept a low profile. Even his newspaper photos were just of his profile. Amelia Sutton’s social standing wasn’t high enough for her to have met him, so this was the first time she had ever truly seen his face.

Shane Lockwood wore a sharp, well-fitted suit. Even sitting in a wheelchair, it was obvious he was tall with long legs. His impossibly handsome face drew the eye, and he exuded an air of nobility, projecting an even more powerful aura.

’This... this is Shane Lockwood?’

’I always thought that even after waking up, he’d be some sickly invalid. I never imagined he’d be this handsome.’

’Eliza is so damn lucky. To think her good-luck marriage was to such an exceptional man.’

Amelia Sutton was incredibly jealous. But then she remembered Shane Lockwood’s physical condition, and her expression eased slightly.

’Good thing he’s useless now—and a cripple. Otherwise, I’d die of anger seeing Eliza marry so well!’

Eliza Sutton stepped into the design department right on the dot. Mr. Walker was waiting by the door. When he saw Eliza clock in at exactly nine o’clock, he couldn’t help but say snidely, "Some people are just so calculating, acting like they’d suffer a huge loss by coming in even one minute early." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Eliza Sutton ignored him. Mr. Walker let out a cold huff and walked away.

Crystal Harrison leaned toward Eliza and said, "Don’t mind Mr. Walker. He’s just a bit strict."

"I won’t take it to heart."

"How’s your design sketch coming along? The review will be starting any minute."

"It’s finished."

"When I first joined the department and had my first group review, I was so nervous I could barely draw. The deadline was so short this time, yet you still finished it. That’s amazing." Crystal Harrison gave Eliza a thumbs-up.

Seeing the kindness in Crystal’s eyes, Eliza quietly thanked her.

Crystal Harrison waved her hand dismissively. "You should get ready. The review usually starts at nine-thirty, so it’ll be any minute now."

This time, however, Crystal was wrong. The review had been moved to the afternoon.

「Three in the afternoon.」

Eliza Sutton took the folder containing her design sketch and went to the conference room with the others.

When she entered, she saw that in addition to the design department staff, Shane Lockwood’s assistant, Erik Irvine, was also present.

The Lockwood Group had originally been built on apparel. Even though the company had long since diversified and the design department was no longer its top-performing division, Shane Lockwood still sent Erik Irvine to preside over every review.

For major competitions or the quarterly collection reviews, Shane Lockwood would even show up in person.

Erik Irvine looked at Eliza and gave her an almost imperceptible nod.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Brenda Preston spoke. "You’re all veterans here, so I’ll skip the pleasantries. Let’s have you submit your designs in order. This time, we’ll start with Group B, led by Dulcie Vaughn."

Dulcie Vaughn nodded and submitted her design first.

Dulcie Vaughn’s piece this time was particularly striking. She had chosen to incorporate the highly popular feather element.

It was a long white gown with a figure-flattering mermaid skirt. A ring of feathers adorned the bust, making the design both sexy and elegantly luxurious.

"Designer Vaughn’s work is brilliant this time."

"Yes, it’s gorgeous. It makes me want to buy one myself."

Brenda Preston nodded at Dulcie Vaughn as well. "Nicely done."

Dulcie Vaughn said, "Thank you," and went on to present the other designers’ work.

Overall, everyone’s designs were decent, but they played it safe, lacking a certain wow factor.

"Next, we have the design from Eliza Sutton." Dulcie Vaughn picked up the folder Eliza had submitted.

Just as she took out the design and was about to display it, someone suddenly stopped her.

"Wait."

Dulcie Vaughn looked at Reina Miles. "Designer Miles, do you have something to add?"

Reina Miles said, "Presenting the designs one by one is a waste of time. I think we should do two at once. Let’s display my design and Eliza Sutton’s design together now."

Brenda Preston replied, "That’s a fine idea."

Since Brenda Preston had agreed, Dulcie couldn’t object. She just had to step aside and place her design under the projector at the same time as Reina Miles.

When the two sketches appeared on the large screen simultaneously, the room erupted in a commotion.

"What’s going on?"

"Are my eyes playing tricks on me?"

"I think mine are, too! Otherwise, how could I be seeing two identical designs!"

Hearing the murmurs, Eliza looked up at the screen. Sure enough, the two designs displayed side-by-side were completely identical.

The only difference was the name in the corner: one bore her own, Eliza Sutton.

The other bore the flamboyant signature of Reina Miles.

This turn of events shocked everyone, including Eliza herself.

Reina Miles had produced a design identical to her own.

Reina Miles shot to her feet, pointed at Eliza, and roared, "Eliza Sutton, you have some nerve! To plagiarize my design and then dare to present it so brazenly! You’ve gone too far!"

After her tirade, Reina turned to Brenda Preston with a pitiable look. "Manager Preston, you have to do something! I can’t let someone just steal my design! If this goes unpunished, the Lockwood design department will become a haven for plagiarists!"

"Calm down. I will get to the bottom of this."

Brenda Preston turned to Eliza, her voice suddenly stern. "Do you have an explanation?"

Eliza drew her gaze back and said calmly, "The design is mine. I didn’t plagiarize."

The words had barely left her mouth when Reina shrieked, "You didn’t plagiarize? Are you accusing *me* of plagiarizing, then? Eliza Sutton, how dare you! You’re just some high-school-educated punk! You stole my design, and now that you’ve been caught in front of everyone, you still refuse to admit it!"

Eliza glanced at Reina and said calmly, "I said I didn’t plagiarize because, of course, I have proof. As a veteran designer, Designer Miles surely knows that for every final sketch, there are preliminary drafts outlining the design process. And right now, they’re in my folder."