Bailey left the headquarters under the accusations of everyone in the hall.
When she finally came to the alfresco fountain, she ran into Edmund, who seemed to have come in a rush.
“Are you okay, Bay? Did they do anything to you?” he asked.
Bailey's heart warmed seeing the man, and she wiped the sweat on his forehead with her sleeve. “I'm okay. You don't have to worry. I can handle this.”
Edmund smiled at her in resignation. “I don't know why I just can't seem to keep my cool whenever something happens to you. Everyone says I'm calm and composed, but I'm really not when I'm with you. I'll go crazy if anything happens to you,” he said.
Bailey moved closer and held his arm. “Let's go home. The children haven't had lunch.”
“Sure.”
Back in the CEO's office, Artemis finally looked away from the screen he had been staring at when the video stopped at the retreating figures of a man and a woman.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and Dwayne entered.
“Ms. Jefferson refused to admit to anything. Neither did she agree to destroy the design. She even said that she is willing to face legal consequences. Mrs. Luther is incensed and is very insistent. She went to the public relations department when I came up. I suppose she went to ask Quentin to contact Snowflake to press charges against Ms. Jefferson.”
Artemis rubbed his brows in annoyance. “Stop Snowflake from returning to Hallsbay at all costs. I want you to call Quentin. Ask him to give me the designer's contact. I'll talk to her on my own,” he said lightly.
“Snowflake is very low-profile. She has only submitted one design over the past four years. No one has ever seen her. She didn't even attend the prize-giving ceremony. She said she was not interested in attending because she wanted to sleep in when the organizer called her. Given her attitude, I doubt it's easy talking to her,” Dwayne replied with a sigh, but Artemis just waved his hand dismissively in return.
“Just get in touch with her first. She's never appeared in person over the years, so we might not even find her. I'm just worried that she might suddenly come to Hallsbay. It'll be too late to help Bailey if Snowflake sues her.”
“All right. I'll call Quentin right away to get Snowflake's number.”
“Good.”
Over in the car, Edmund was driving when he said, “Bay, your design looks a lot like Snowflake's from four years ago. What is going on exactly? I don't think you're so ambitious as to copy someone else's design, though.”
Bailey was resting with her eyes closed in the passenger seat when she heard his question. “I've been going through her work a lot recently, so maybe I drew something similar to hers unknowingly, but there are actually differences if you take a closer look. I just didn't expect things to take such a turn. I guess I can't hide forever.”
Edmund sensed there was something unusual about her answer, and a thought budded in his mind.
“Okay. I know you're not a rash person, so I trust you to do what is best. You must have your reason for doing so, but Aunt Felicity is not letting you off the hook this easily. I'm partially at fault for what is happening. Aunt Felicity wouldn't have hated you so much if I cared less about your performance.”
Bailey shrugged in nonchalance. “Don't let it bother you. She loves you. That's why she's so worked up. I know what I'm doing, so you don't have to worry. I won't let you end up in a difficult position.”
Edmund narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean by 'I won't let you end up in a difficult position?' Does this mean you'll keep a distance from me?”
“You're overthinking,” Bailey answered with a faint smile. “She's just your aunt. What she thinks about me will not affect my decision to accept you or not.”
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