Shattered Vows: Call Me Auntie Now novel Chapter 43

"Quinn, I just got back from vacationing in the Maldives! I brought you a gift and wanted to come see you."

Ignoring the entire team working around her, Vivienne walked straight over to the drafting table. She pulled a delicate velvet box from her gift bag and placed it gently on the surface.

Quinn rolled up the sketch in her hands and handed it to her assistant.

"We aren't nearly close enough to be exchanging gifts."

Vivienne's sugary smile didn't falter in the slightest. She opened the box herself.

Resting on the snow-white velvet was a massive, ostentatious pearl necklace. It was flashy, exaggerated, and incredibly gaudy.

One look made it obvious that it completely clashed with Quinn's understated, elegant aesthetic.

"Don't always shut me out, Quinn. I picked this bold design specifically because I thought it would perfectly suit your vibe."

Sarah, who had never been one to mince words, shot the necklace a dirty look and scoffed, "That thing is tacky and over-the-top. How does that suit Quinn?"

Quinn reached out and pushed the velvet box right back toward Vivienne. "Thank you, but as my assistant just said, this necklace isn't my style. You should keep it for yourself."

Vivienne feigned hurt. "Quinn, Dante and I picked this out together just for you. Rejecting it like this is so ungracious."

Quinn gave her an icy glare. "Since when do I owe you any grace?"

"Quinn..."

"My studio is extremely busy right now. We are all rushing to meet deadlines, and we don't have time for visitors."

Seeing her boss being 'wronged', Maya immediately stepped up. "Vivienne, is this the same Quinn Yates who plagiarized your graduation design?"

Quinn frowned, her gaze locked coldly onto Vivienne.

The plagiarism scandal regarding her graduation design had been plastered all over the university forums back in the day.

Even though Quinn had presented her complete original drafts, early hand-drawn sketches, and timestamps to publicly clear her name...

The rumors had already spread like a wildfire, poisoning the entire design department.

Nobody cared to actually look at the evidence. Everyone just remembered the headline: 'Quinn Yates plagiarized Vivienne Ambrose.'

"Me being here today is your notification." The landlord was ruthlessly practical. "Ms. Ambrose is very eager to secure the space. She offered ten percent more than what you pay, and she already paid three years of rent upfront in cash."

"Naturally, I'm going to prioritize a tenant like that. I hope you understand, Ms. Yates."

This studio was something Quinn had poured her heart into, painstakingly building up the foot traffic and client base in the area step by step.

Over the past few years, she had won several rising star design awards and made a real name for herself. Clients sought her out, and competitors, seeing the market she had cultivated, followed her lead to set up their own studios nearby.

But that was all healthy competition. Quinn never minded that in the slightest.

Only Vivienne would resort to such dirty, underhanded tactics, trying to rip the rug out from under her and steal her hard-earned foundation.

While Quinn was still seething, another set of footsteps sounded at the door.

Looking up, she saw Dante walking in, silhouetted against the daylight in an impeccably tailored high-end suit. He radiated a chilling, commanding presence that instantly drew every eye in the room.

Seeing him, Vivienne's face lit up with joy. "Dante! What are you doing here?"