Chapter 400 Accused Of Plagiarism
“How… How is this possible?” Vivi mused out loud. “Her piece is completely different from the one before!”
“What the hell is going on?” Kyla exclaimed, just as bewildered by this unexpected turn of events.
They had both assumed that Sadie would present the stolen design.
But here she was, showcasing a whole new creation, catching Vivi and Kyla off–guard and effectively ruining their plans.
“Sadie, you… You actually…” Vivi pointed a trembling finger at Sadie, too furious to complete her sentence.
Sadie smirked at her. “Are you disappointed, Miss Quinn?” she asked, her voice calm yet mocking at the same time. “Did you really think I’d be foolish enough to fall into your trap?”
Vivi’s face turned ashen.
Not only had Sadie discovered their scheme, but she had managed to thwart it altogether.
“Don’t get too smug, Sadie!” Vivi spat out. “So what if you made another design? That’s not a guarantee that you would win against me!”
“Is that so?” Sadie raised an eyebrow. “Like I kept saying, let’s wait for the results and see.”
Then she turned away from Vivi and faced the panel of judges. She proceeded to explain her design, down to the last detail.
As Sadie spoke passionately about her inspiration, a staff member suddenly rushed over to Garrett Schultz, the main judge, and whispered something in his ear.
Garrett’s brows immediately furrowed, and his expression turned grim.
The judges, who had previously been quiet and stern, were now abuzz with hushed discussions.
This did not escape the audience’s attention, and they began to exchange speculations on what might have occurred.
“What’s happening? Something seems off with the judges.”
“I have no idea. Perhaps there’s been a change in the competition results?”
“No way. The participants haven’t even finished presenting their designs. How could there be results already?”
“He’s right. Don’t be ridiculous.”
The conversation continued, everyone putting forth their opinions.
Vivi had also noticed the strange behavior of the judges. An inexplicable sense of foreboding welled up inside her.
“Did something happen?” she murmured to herself.
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20:02
Chapter 400 Accused Of Plagiarism
Just then, the same staff member stepped forward. He spoke into the microphone, his voice booming throughout the venue. “Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the interruption.” His voice was thick with tension. “We have just received an anonymous tip accusing Miss Vivi Quinn of plagiarism, which disqualifies her from the competition.”
This, of course, caused an uproar among the crowd.
All heads turned to Vivi, their face ranging from astonishment to tage.
Vivi’s eyes were wide with horror and disbelief as she stared at the staff member.
“What–What did you say?” she asked, her voice hoarse and shaky. “Say that again!”
“Miss Quinn, we received an allegation that you have plagiarized another designer’s work. That makes you ineligible for this competition,” the staff remember repeated without batting an eye.
“That’s absolutely impossible!” Vivi screamed. “All my pieces are original! How dare you say I plagiarized? This is plain slander!”
Before anyone could react, she suddenly lunged at the staff member, shouting, “How dare you accuse me of such a thing? What evidence do you have?”
The man was unfazed, even in the face of Vivi’s furious questioning.
“Miss Quinn,” he replied calmly, “we are merely acting on a report we received. An investigation is still needed to verify the truth. In the meantime, we hope that you will cooperate as we go through the investigation.”
Garrett chose to speak up as well. “Please calm down, Miss Quinn. We will uncover the truth and provide you with a fair
response.”
Vivi noted his grave expression and grew even more panicked. She knew she couldn’t get out of this one easily.
“But–but…” Vivi tried to argue, only to be interrupted by Garrett.
“I’m afraid this is not the time to plead your case, Miss Quinn. To ensure fairness in the competition, we have decided to
pause the event for thirty minutes as we investigate the matter.”
He paused to let his words sink in, then added, “Please accompany us backstage to assist with the investigation.”
“I…” Vivi tried to protest again, but two staff members had already appeared on either side of her.
“Miss Quinn, please come this way,” one of them said as they took hold of each of her arms.
Vivi had no choice but to follow them backstage.
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