Chapter 464 The Submitted Design Draft
Seraphina stared at the necklace, feeling uneasy. The last time her agent had set her up to attend a party to secure some resources, she had met Rex Vaughan. Since then, he had been way too attentive, almost to the point of being creepy.
Seraphina had always been very cautious. Whenever she sensed something was off, she would either subtly or directly make it clear that she wasn't interested in any involvement with men. But after a day or two of backing off, Rex would start pursuing her again. She hadn't expected him to follow her to the hospital this time.
Now, she felt like she was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"Thanks for the gesture, Mr. Vaughan, but I..." Seraphina hesitated, trying to figure out how to politely refuse Rex. She glanced up and instinctively looked at Lyle.
Lyle frowned. He knew Rex and had even had a run-in with him before, because Rex had been inappropriate with an actress at a party where Lyle was also present.
But he hadn't expected Rex to bother Seraphina.
Catching Seraphina's gaze, Lyle strode forward and placed a hand on Rex's left shoulder. "Mr. Vaughan, Seraphina needs to rest, and this is a hospital room, not a place for your antics. You should leave before things get out of hand and everyone ends up looking bad."
Rex turned his head, full of irritation. Why did Lyle always show up like a pesky fly, buzzing around everywhere? It was infuriating.
He turned halfway, giving Lyle a disdainful once-over, and sneered, "Lyle, I don't get it. Why do you always show up wherever I go, like a fly? Besides, I'm here to visit Seraphina. What does that have to do with you? Are you her parent or her boyfriend? Mind your own business and get lost."
Seraphina frowned slightly, about to speak, when Lyle turned and said, "Escort Mr. Vaughan out. Not just anyone can enter a hospital room. Tell him to clean up his act before coming back."
"You!" Rex was furious, glaring at Lyle with clenched fists, looking like he wanted to punch him. But Lyle didn't care, meeting his gaze steadily.
Lyle's assistant, hearing the commotion, quickly walked over and grabbed Rex's arm, forcibly dragging him out. "Mr. Vaughan, Ms. Langston needs to rest. Please leave."
After finally getting Rex out, the assistant sighed in relief and stepped out to get some fresh air, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
Seraphina's troubled expression softened a bit. She smiled faintly and said gently, "Thank you, Mr. Pennington."
"No problem." Lyle also sighed in relief, sitting by the bed and looking at Seraphina. "This isn't a big deal, but I didn't expect Rex to bother you. I know it's common for new actors to attend parties to network, but you should keep your distance from him. He's wealthy and a notorious playboy."
Seraphina nodded, pursing her lips. She had been careful, but Rex's persistence was hard to fend off without being blunt.
Seraphina said, "Okay, I get it. I'll be extra careful. But, Lyle, sounds like you and Rex have some history?"
Lyle sighed, trying to downplay it. "It's nothing major. We just had a run-in at a party once because he was being inappropriate with a young actress."
Seraphina was momentarily stunned, blinking in surprise at Lyle before bursting into laughter. "I never thought you'd get into a fight, Lyle. I always pictured you as the perfect gentleman."
Her playful remarks lightened the previously tense atmosphere, and Lyle's eyes crinkled with a smile.
Meanwhile, Margaret had been meticulously revising her own designs and creating a fake one since learning that Susan and her team planned to tamper with the design sketches. The fake design matched exactly what she had told Camille, with no changes.
After finishing the sketch, Margaret printed it out and called Camille to come pick it up.
When Camille arrived, Margaret handed her the sketch in a clear plastic sleeve and instructed, "If Mia comes asking about the dress again, make sure this sketch is in plain sight so she can take it. Got it?"
Camille looked at the sketch, nodding firmly as if it were a top-secret document, holding it close to her chest. "Got it!"
As Margaret predicted, or perhaps because people tend to show up when talked about, Mia arrived at Leo's studio the next afternoon, using the excuse of checking on the dress design.
Camille was excited to see her, proudly showing her the sketch. "Look, this is my initial design. It includes cat's eye stones in matching colors for accents, and the cuffs are trimmed with gold thread. Let me know if you want any changes."
Mia pretended to be delighted, but her mind was elsewhere. As she held the sketch, her eyes wandered, and she noticed a sketch peeking out from a stand near Camille. It was a red dress.
It was Margaret's design.
Mia's excitement grew, but she couldn't be too obvious. She glanced at the sketch in her hand and nodded. "I love your design. Let's go with this."
After setting down the sketch, Mia paused, then acted as if she had just noticed the other sketch. She pulled it out, revealing a red vintage European-style dress, the one Camille had mentioned.
Mia's face lit up with a smile and she said, "Camille, is this Leo's competition design? It's beautiful!"
Camille was startled, quickly snatching the sketch back and giving Mia a wary look before locking it in a drawer.
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