Chapter 159 Not Father and Daughter
Even though Emma didn't make it inside, the other guests started trickling in. They were all chatting away, buzzing about the hottest brand at the show, Miss Lady. Actually, Miss Lady wasn't the typical old-school brand; it was a fresh face in the fashion world, only around for a couple of years. But with its killer designs, it had already made a big splash.
Word on the street was that Miss Lady's chief designer was gonna kick things off with a speech.
As time went on, everyone's eyes were glued to the stage, as they waited for that big moment.
Sophia was off to the side, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. She knew how crucial this speech was. It would set the vibe for the whole event and draw in more buzz. She kept glancing at the stage, silently pleading, 'Come on, everyone's waiting!'
But as the minutes ticked by, the tension in the room started to rise. People began to murmur, and some were getting pretty annoyed. "Why hasn't it started yet? Where's Miss Lady's chief designer?"
Sophia's anxiety was through the roof. If things didn't get rolling soon, it could throw off the whole event.
She decided to call Raymond Carter, Miss Lady's brand director, to get the lowdown on the designer's whereabouts.
When he picked up, Sophia didn't waste any time. "Mr. Carter, where's your chief designer? The exhibition's already started, and she's a no-show!"
Raymond sounded a bit exasperated. "Sorry, Mrs. Stuart. Our designer stepped out for a bit, but it looks like she ran into some trouble and might be late."
"What kind of trouble?" Sophia's heart sank.
"I'm not sure, but I heard she's at the venue but hasn't come in yet. Maybe someone stopped her at the entrance." Raymond's voice had an odd hint of amusement.
The tension in the room was getting thicker. The guests, all big shots in Lakeside Haven, weren't used to being kept waiting. It felt like a slap in the face.
People started grumbling louder, looking disappointed. Some were mad at the designer, but most were ticked off at the organizers, feeling duped.
If they couldn't get Miss Lady's chief designer, they shouldn't have pretended they could. Many were already skeptical about the Stuart family's jewelry because of Anna, and this just made things worse.
Just then, a staff member stepped onto the stage, trying to calm everyone down. "Ladies and gentlemen, please bear with us. We're doing everything we can to get in touch with Miss Lady's chief designer. She'll be here soon."
But that only made things worse.
"You haven't contacted her yet?"
"Is she coming or not? If not, we're outta here."
"Anna's a fraud, and Sophia's no better. Like mother, like daughter."
The crowd was getting restless, and Sophia, needing to keep things under control, quickly sent Anna to the entrance to be ready to welcome Miss Lady's chief designer.
Anna headed to the entrance. By now, all the guests were inside, and the entrance was deserted. She looked around and saw just one car parked out front.
She recognized it as Isabella's car and was surprised she hadn't left yet. How shameless. Anna walked over and knocked on the car window. The tinted glass slowly rolled down, revealing Isabella's delicate face. Anna's irritation with Isabella hit a new high.
"Ms. Taylor, still here?" Anna asked, trying to keep her cool.
"Why should I leave?" Isabella shot back.
"If you don't have an invitation, why are you still hanging around?"
"You know very well whether I have an invitation or not," Isabella retorted.
"Ms. Taylor, I know you're the manager of the Miss Lady store in Lakeside Haven, but that doesn't give you a pass to our exhibition. So, before things get messy, you should leave."
Isabella frowned slightly, clearly annoyed by Anna's attitude. She didn't respond, just sitting quietly in the car, waiting for her backup.
"Still not leaving? You are desperate to get in?" Anna paused, realizing George hadn't shown up today. Letting Isabella in might actually work in her favor. Once inside, it would be easier to set her up and humiliate her. So she continued, "If you really want to get in, there's a way. But it'll cost you."
"What cost?" Isabella showed some interest.
"First, apologize to me. Then promise never to go after George again."
"Ms. Stuart, you still don't get it. I never went after Mr. Russell. He's the one who keeps bothering me. So instead of warning me, you should tell him to back off."
"How ridiculous! A mistress trying to lecture me. Who gave you that confidence?" Anna sneered.
Just then, a familiar voice came from outside the car window. Isabella turned to see Raymond walking towards her, looking anxious and apologetic.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Raymond walked up to the car and asked, "Mrs. Stuart called me earlier, saying you hadn't entered yet. Did you run into any problems?"
Isabella smiled slightly and nodded towards Anna, "You should ask Ms. Stuart about that."
Raymond turned to Anna, already suspecting she was the cause of the trouble.
He didn't hold back, "Ms. Stuart, if the Stuart Group doesn't want to work with us, you don't have to pull stunts like this. Instead of these shady tactics, you could just cancel the contract."
Anna didn't recognize Raymond and assumed he was another one of Isabella's admirers. She sneered, "Who the hell are you? Trying to defend Isabella on our turf? You've got the wrong place. I'm telling you, this venue doesn't welcome you. Now get lost!"
Raymond frowned. Isabella knew he was angry. Raymond rarely lost his temper, and Anna had managed to push his buttons with just a few words.
Raymond's face darkened, and he said angrily, "Ms. Stuart, what gives you the right to stop us from entering?"
"Because I'm the daughter of the Stuart family, and she's just a lowly mistress. She can't enter without my permission!"
"Ms. Stuart, you're being too arrogant," Raymond said, his anger evident. "I don't think you have the authority to make that call. Let's see what Mrs. Stuart has to say about it."
"Get my mother to meet you? Are you dreaming? What makes you think you can see her? I'm telling you, if you don't want to make a scene, you better leave now!"
"If you insist, then there's no other way." Raymond took out his phone and dialed a number. Anna then heard Sophia's anxious voice on the other end.
"Mr. Carter, when will Miss Lady's chief designer arrive? Everyone is getting impatient."
Raymond coldly replied, "Mrs. Stuart, if you have any issues with us, you can say so directly. We won't participate in your exhibition."
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