Vincent noticed the exhaustion in her face and gave her a gentle smile.
“Don’t stress about it. Just take things one step at a time and stay safe.” Katelyn nodded again. For now, it was all she could do.
Vincent’s eyes drifted to the snacks on the table.
“Why haven’t you eaten these?”
Katelyn glanced at the food and let out a soft laugh.
“I already had some of the ones you had the manager bring earlier. I’m still full.” Was Vincent really trying to spoil her with food? The thought made her smile.
She quickly set aside the feeling and met his gaze.
“By the way, show me the Adams Group’s entry for the jewelry competition.”
She’d meant to look at it earlier but had gotten distracted by everything else.
Vincent didn’t hesitate. He handed her the laptop from beside him. Katelyn opened the document, scanning the photos of the finished pieces. As soon as she saw them, her eyes widened, and she turned to Vincent.
“This won’t do!!”
Vincent stopped for a moment, his gaze fixed on Katelyn, confusion flickering across his face.
“What’s going on?”
Katelyn didn’t respond. Without a word, she stood up quickly, grabbed her phone, and began typing rapidly, her fingers moving with purpose. She handed the phone to Vincent, her tone firm, and said, “Look at this.” The discovery was impossible to ignore.
Vincent took a moment to compare what Katelyn had found with the design made by the Adams Group’s designer. It didn’t take long for him to realize that the work was unmistakably stolen, and it was painfully obvious.
Katelyn turned to Vincent, her expression serious.
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“Do you know who the designer is this time?”
If this design was submitted to the jewelry competition, it would bring nothing but shame to the Adams Group. A company of that size caught submitting plagiarized work would be humiliated.
The original designer, though, was practically unknown—someone most people wouldn’t recognize. If Katelyn hadn’t been so well-versed in this field, the mistake might have slipped by unnoticed. That was probably why neither the Adams Group’s design review team nor the other designers had caught it.
Vincent’s face hardened, his anger sharp and immediate. How dare someone pull this off right under his nose? The air around him seemed to freeze, thick with tension as his fury grew stronger. Without a second thought, Vincent stood up and dialed Samuel’s number. Samuel had just reached the parking lot when his phone rang. Surprised, he answered, “Mr. Adams.”
Vincent’s voice was sharp and emotionless.
“The entry for the jewelry competition is stolen. I need you to look into it, and I need you to do it thoroughly.”
Vincent’s words made Samuel stiffen. It hit him hard, and he understood just how serious things were. Without missing a beat, he replied, “Got it. I’ll start right away.”
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