Ruby was in a state of panic, and Erica, too, was taken aback.
Marina and Xavier, standing by the door, had heard enough to piece everything together. Marina was fuming with rage. "Xavier, take a good look at the kind of woman you've brought into your life. She’s a thief! She's stealing designs now, but what's next? Stealing men? Your money? Or even your precious influence?"
Influence was something Xavier valued above all else, something he'd never allow anyone to snatch away.
"Mom, let's get out of here." Xavier wanted nothing more to do with Ruby. She had deceived him thoroughly.
Without hesitation, Marina and Xavier left.
Ruby saw this scene and wanted to chase after, but Alex stopped her. "Ruby, don't you think you owe us an explanation?" Alex demanded, his voice laced with indignation.
Teeth clenched, Ruby glared at Josefina. "And how exactly can you prove that you're the creator of this design? For all we know, you could've stolen it from someone else, or bought someone else's work."
Josefina walked up to the array of designers' creations, took a pair of scissors, and swiftly transformed a long dress into a chic mini. She snipped away an out-of-place bow with a few deft cuts. Her hands moved with such speed and certainty, as if she knew each garment like the back of her hand.
She quickly altered five dresses, and each one elicited gasps and accolades from the designers.
"The dress, after her touch, is precisely what I was aiming for."
"I didn't expect that I could design such a promising dress."
"Oh please, it's clear she's the one with the magic touch. Can you even find a trace of your original work in there?"
Voices of awe and disbelief swirled around Josefina, not lost on Ruby either.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess