Chapter 71 The Best Proof
William strutted into the studio, his tall, lean frame making that suit look like it was made just for him. He was walking with such confidence, and people could almost hear the suit whispering, "Yeah, I know I look good."
His face? Total heartthrob material, but with this icy vibe that made people think twice about messing with him. Those eyes of his? Sharp enough to cut glass, and they were locked straight ahead, making everyone feel like they should probably just get out of his way.
The guy had this royal aura that made folks wanna bow down. Seriously, the room went dead silent the second he walked in, and all eyes were on him.
"Mr. Fisher, perfect timing," Annie called out, clicking her way over to him in her high heels.
Even though William's presence was like a tidal wave, Annie knew she had to step up and make him think everything that went wrong today was all on Margaret; Margaret lost the button, screwed up the ad shoot, and then had the nerve to blame Annie for it.
If William bought her story, Margaret was toast.
Annie turned around, showing off her back to William, and put on her best sad face. "Check out this dress Margaret gave me."
William's icy stare landed on the dress, and sure enough, there was a diamond button missing right in the middle. He frowned a bit; Margaret wasn't the type to mess up like that.
Seeing William's silence, Annie kept up her act, pouting like a pro. "How am I supposed to shoot in this? Leo's buttons are custom-made, and who knows how long it'll take to get a new one? Her screw-up delayed everything. And then she had the nerve to say I cut it off. Why would I do that and waste my own time? It's ridiculous!"
"Why not?" Margaret's eyes flashed cold as she stared Annie down.
Annie felt a shiver run down her spine but rolled her eyes at Margaret. "Don't talk nonsense. Got any proof I cut off the button?"
Margaret stayed cool. "Before I handed you the dress, I checked it—ten buttons, all there. After you went to the fitting room, one was gone. It was clearly cut off. If it had just fallen off, there'd be a thread left behind. But it's smooth, so it was definitely on purpose."
She paused, then added, "And who else could've done it? Only you and your agent were in the fitting room."
"Don't slander me," Annie snapped. "If I cut it off in the fitting room, why wasn't it found there?"
Margaret shot back, "That's your problem. Where'd you toss the button?"
Annie snorted. "Cut the crap. You lost the button yourself. Just because you say you checked it doesn't mean squat. It's just your word. You're just trying to cover your own mistake."
"Of course, it's not just my word," Margaret said, cool as a cucumber, her eyes locked on Annie. "If I can prove you cut off that button and ditched it, what then?"
Annie's face twisted. "How can you prove it?"
No cameras in the fitting room, and she had already tossed the button down the drain. Margaret had to be bluffing.
Margaret stepped closer, her voice steady. "Annie, there's something you don't know."
Annie couldn't help but ask, "What is it?"
"The dress you're wearing? Custom-made by the Fisher Group from Leo studio, designed to nail the 'Ice and Fire' theme," Margaret said, still calm.
Annie blinked. "So what?"
Margaret went on. "To make the shoot pop, the designer did something special with the diamond buttons. They’re coated with a substance that changes color under different lights to highlight the 'Ice and Fire' theme."
Margaret had designed those buttons to switch colors with the lighting, creating a killer effect.
Annie's face darkened. "What does that prove?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Margaret's eyes dropped to Annie's hands, a smirk playing on her lips. "When cold light hits the buttons, they turn ice white; under warm light, they turn fiery red. If you cut off the button and tossed it, your hands would have touched that substance. So, if we get the lighting tech to shine different lights on your hands, the truth will come out."
Annie's heart pounded.
Could Margaret be telling the truth? No way. There was no such magical substance. Margaret had to be bluffing to rattle her. Margaret wanted her to freak out and slip up. She couldn't fall for it!
Annie took a few deep breaths, trying to keep her voice steady, and looked at Margaret mockingly. "That's nuts. There's no such substance. It's ridiculous!"
Margaret's smile turned icy. "Just because you don't know about it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. If you've got nothing to hide, let's test it. The truth will come out. Scared to try?"
Annie gritted her teeth, glaring at Margaret. "I didn't do it, so why would I be scared?"
She reminded herself to stay calm, not to panic, and not to fall into Margaret's trap.
"If you're willing to try, that's great," Margaret said, grabbing Annie's arm and raising her hand high, then signaling to the lighting tech. "Please, shine the light on the diamond buttons on Annie's dress and then on her hands."
The lighting tech looked at William for the go-ahead. William, his face like stone, nodded and said in a deep voice, "Do as Margaret says."
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