Chapter 387 Franicis's Help
Harper was just about to click on the juicy details when the webpage refreshed and hit her with a big ol' "Not Found."
She tried refreshing again, but poof, everything vanished. Someone was definitely messing with them.
Jessica found it weird too and pulled up the article from her photos, saying, "Good thing I took a screenshot. Check this out."
Harper saw that the accuser was some no-name small studio. They whipped out a comparison chart and pointed out that these were their studio's designs from way back.
Elodie Studios was straight-up ripping them off, thinking the small studio was too tiny to fight back.
Harper's eyes lit up when she saw the clothes in the comparison chart.
It was a super vintage piece, but the studio had kept it in mint condition. Totally hand-stitched.
The details and patterns were almost a dead ringer for the stuff Harper used at the gala.
The only difference was the fabric and color. With this comparison chart and the small studio's old footage, it was clear who was copying who.
Harper thought for a sec, "Go and call this studio."
"What?" Jessica was shocked. Most people would steer clear of this mess, but Harper wanted to reach out.
Harper said, "Tell them I want to buy that piece and ask them how much they want."
"Are you serious about calling them?" Jessica couldn't believe Harper would plagiarize.
But before clearing things up, contacting the other party to buy the piece seemed like giving them ammo.
Jessica reminded, "Even though the news is not longer trending on social media, a lot of clients are already canceling orders."
Since the CelestialGlow Entertainment mid-year gala was a hit, the studio had been swamped with orders.
They even turned down some that didn't fit their style.
Harper didn't want to sacrifice quality just to make a quick buck.
But now, even though the news was gone, those who saw it had already seen it.
The folks who could afford custom pieces from Elodie Studios were all rich socialites. They came to Elodie Studios because of CelestialGlow Entertainment's stellar rep.
These were high-status people; no one wanted to be caught dead in plagiarized stuff.
"It’s cool. We’ll make it right and prove we don’t plagiarize."
Harper stared at the photo on the tablet, her eyes getting misty, "No matter the cost, buy it."
Jessica didn't argue. She trusted Harper's gut and nodded.
After Harper calmed down, she called Jeffrey, who picked up fast. "Mr. Campbell, I'm sorry. I'll fix this ASAP and take full responsibility for any losses."
The biggest loser here was CelestialGlow Entertainment. They threw the gala but ended up with a designer accused of copying. Even though it wasn't their fault, having their artists wear knock-offs was a bad look.
CelestialGlow Entertainment had quickly put out an apology, promising to sort it out within twenty-four hours.
"Tell me straight. Is that news legit?" Jeffrey was fuming. If Francis hadn't given him a heads-up about taking care of Harper, he wouldn't have been so chill.
Plus, several brands were already asking about the situation, threatening to cut ties with their artists. It wasn't just one; almost all the artists at the gala were caught up in this mess.
Luckily, Francis said he'd take full responsibility, which calmed Jeffrey down a bit, but some losses couldn't be fixed with cash.
Like, the artists' reputations might take a hit because of this whole mess.
"Mr. Campbell, the news is bogus. Trust me, I'll have an explanation for you within twenty-four hours." Harper's confident reply took the edge off Jeffrey's anger. As long as it wasn't true, the situation was salvageable.
Harper added, "And about the news, don't bother taking it down. Let it spread; it's fine."
Jeffrey raised an eyebrow, "You got it twisted. I didn't take down the news; Mr. Getty did."
This was definitely something for the person involved to clean up. He wasn't about to clean up someone else's mess.
Harper was momentarily stunned and then said, "Mr. Campbell, can you give me all the surveillance footage from the days I was at your company for fittings?"
Jeffrey, being sharp, immediately got it. "You think there's a mole?"
"I'm not sure, but it's possible," Harper said.
"Alright, I can't show you, but I'll have someone look into it. If we find anything, I'll let you know."
"Okay, thanks." Harper replied.
After hanging up, Harper touched the photo on the tablet, her eyes heating up.
Meanwhile, in a study.
Audrey, dressed in a sharp suit with a high ponytail, looked super stylish.
Jonathan came in and reported, "Ms. Hernandez, Elodie Studios contacted the small studio and offered a high price to buy back the exhibit."
Audrey sneered, "So this is the woman Francis likes. Turns out she's just a fake, a plagiarist."
The more Audrey thought about it, the angrier she got. What was so great about Harper? She was a nobody, yet Francis treated her like gold.
Audrey, on the other hand, was an alpha female in business. During her time as VP of the Getty Group, she brought in tons of profitable projects.
Sure, the Hernandez family benefited the most, but she also made bank for the Getty Group!
How could Francis dump her like trash after all she had done?
A cold light flashed in her eyes as she instructed Jonathan, "Have that studio accept her offer, sell it at a high price, and then leak the news, including CelestialGlow Entertainment. No matter what, make sure the news stays up for at least half an hour."
Audrey's plan was tight. As long as CelestialGlow Entertainment was dragged into it, with so many artists involved, the company would have to explain.
In that case, no matter how much Francis tried to clean up the news, it would be useless.
Jonathan nodded in agreement.
Audrey got up from her chair. A head rush almost made her faint.
A shadow darted over, and Jonathan caught her in his arms.
His face was stern as he said worriedly, "Ms. Hernandez, you should rest for a bit."
Jonathan's muscular build made Audrey feel very secure.
She wrapped her hands around his neck, her head indeed feeling dizzy, and nodded.
Jonathan carefully carried Audrey to the bedroom upstairs like she was precious cargo.
During the whole process, Jonathan acted properly. In his eyes, Audrey was his boss, and without her orders, no matter how much he wanted to make a move on her, he wouldn't step out of line.
He wouldn't even show a hint of his desire.
Jonathan looked at Audrey's thigh, his groin heating up, his face flushed. He said, "Ms. Hernandez, I'll head out."
"Wait." Audrey stopped him.
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