Chapter 5

Seraphina POV

I stayed at a cheap motel for a night.

Early the next morning, I dragged my suitcase to my "Starlight" design studio, where I had poured countless hours of effort.

However, as I reached the entrance, I froze.

The "Starlight" sign that once hung there had been replaced by a brand new one: "Elara's Radiance."

The studio's glass doors were locked, and two burly security guards blocked the entrance.

"Ms. Clarke, Mr. Thorne has instructed that you've been dismissed from the studio. Everything here now belongs to Ms. Vance, and you are not allowed to enter." The security guard blocked me, his face expressionless.

I was furious, but I laughed. "Dismissed? I'm the founder of this studio, and I'm the legal representative. On what grounds can he dismiss me?"

"On the grounds that the initial funding for this studio came from Thorne Corp., and every client resource here was provided by Thorne Corp."

An arrogant female voice came from behind me.

Elara Vance, flanked by several socialite friends, strolled over on high heels. She was wearing the latest couture trench coat that I had rushed to finish over three sleepless nights, looking utterly condescending.

"Seraphina, Ethan said that since you left empty-handed, the studio naturally has to be reclaimed." Elara walked up to me, lowering her voice to a volume only we two could hear, mocking me. "Did you really think you were some genius designer? If Ethan hadn't promoted you, you wouldn't have achieved anything. Now, everything you had is mine."

A socialite nearby scoffed, loudly echoing, "Exactly! A fake, she actually thought she was Mrs. Thorne? Now that the real owner is back, shouldn't she hurry and leave?"

"She occupied the position of Mrs. Thorne for five years, truly shameless."

Facing their malicious taunts, I merely looked at Elara with cold eyes.

"Elara Vance, aren't you afraid of getting burned by stolen goods?"

"You!" Elara's face changed. She was about to erupt in anger but then, seeing past me, she instantly put on a wronged expression. "Ethan, look at her..."

Ethan stepped out of a black Maybach, his perfectly tailored suit making him look tall and imposing. He strode to Elara's side, shielding her, and his gaze swept over me, cold and sharp.

"Seraphina, what are you doing here, causing a scene?"

I looked at him, my voice clear and cold. "I've come to retrieve my design drafts."

"Those drafts are now assets of 'Elara's Radiance'." Ethan refused without mercy. "Since you signed the divorce agreement, you should know the rules. Everything here belongs to Elara. Leave immediately."

I took a deep breath, suppressing the surging pain in my chest.

"Fine, Ethan, you're truly ruthless."

I turned to leave, but my phone rang abruptly at that moment. It was an international call from the Paris International Jewelry Design Competition organizing committee.

I pressed the answer button. The person on the other end said, "Ms. Clarke, we regret to inform you that the committee has just received an anonymous complaint accusing your winning work, 'Starlight,' of plagiarizing Ms. Elara Vance's discarded sketches. After initial verification, we will temporarily revoke your gold award and issue a public reprimand across the industry. You will be banned from participating in any international competitions for the next five years."

My phone slipped from my ear.

I froze, all the blood in my body seemingly drained in an instant, as if I had fallen into an ice abyss.

Plagiarism?

'Starlight' was my brainchild, the culmination of countless hours, like a mother carrying a child for ten months. Every line, every gem setting, was the crystallization of my dedication over countless days and nights. Now, it was being tainted with accusations of plagiarism?

I suddenly turned my head, staring intently at Ethan.

"Was it you?" My voice trembled, raw with despair. "Ethan, did you report me to the committee?"

Ethan met my broken gaze, his eyes completely unfazed, chillingly calm.

"Yes," he said flatly. "Elara is about to negotiate a partnership with the international luxury brand V Group. She needs a prestigious international award to establish her status. The concept of 'Starlight' was originally inspired by her, so letting her have this award is what you owe her."

I felt my soul being completely torn apart at that moment.

I looked at the man before me, feeling he was more terrifying than any demon from hell. He not only wanted to strip me of my marriage and my dignity but also to personally destroy the career and dreams I valued more than my life!

"Ethan, you're not even human!" I screamed, my eyes brimming with intense hatred. "To promote her, you're willing to crush me into the mud, never to rise again?"

Ethan frowned, seeming annoyed by my loss of control.

"This is your own doing. If you had just behaved and not brought up divorce, things wouldn't have escalated to this point." He coldly delivered his final judgment. "Seraphina, in New York, if I say you're guilty, you're guilty. From today on, the design world will have no place for you."