Chapter 108
Mitchell didn't know why he always ran into Gianna. 'But how did Gianna know Eugene?' He was confused. As he pondered, the secretary approached. "Mr. Lisa, the business partner has arrived."
"Okay." Without much thought, Mitchell turned and entered the Private Room.
In the lobby, Faith stood up and saw Gianna and Eugene in a lively conversation. "I'll leave you two to catch up. Just remembered I have something to attend to back at the office."
After Faith left, Gianna turned to Eugene. "Eugene, I don't know if Faith has explained it to you that I'm looking for someone to pretend to be my boyfriend."
Eugene nodded. "Yes, Faith already told me." From their conversation, Gianna had a basic understanding of Eugene's situation. Eugene was Faith's cousin, involved in real estate, and had a place in Dawnridge, a typical second-generation wealthy individual.
'Would someone like him agree to be her boyfriend?' she pondered.
Sensing Gianna's doubt, Eugene spoke up, "Our company is planning to invest in the fashion industry this year. We know that Miss Redstone is quite skilled in this area, so we may need Miss Redstone's help in the future."
Finally relieved, Gianna said, "I'm more than willing to assist Mr. Walton in any way I can."
Eugene raised his glass. "Here's to a successful collaboration!"
After the meal, Gianna bid farewell to Eugene and returned to the company. As soon as she reached the top floor, Faith came to find her. "So, how was it? My cousin is quite eligible, isn't he?"
"We had a good time."
"That's great. By the way, Orb Design Studio and LR Design Studio have already issued statements, firing Wayne and Vernon. They're like pariahs now, and it'll probably be difficult for them to find good jobs in Dawnridge."
Gianna remained calm. "This outcome was expected. Not dismissing them would have had a detrimental impact on the brand's reputation."
"You're amazing. You took them down without breaking a sweat."
"Their methods weren't that clever; it was easy to expose them."
Faith sighed, as not everyone could handle things as effectively as Gianna. "There's something else. I heard that Felix had taken direct control of LR Design Studio and even injected a billion dollars into it. Is he planning to make a big push in the fashion industry?"
A look of surprise flashed in Gianna's eyes. The Clinton Group had other larger fashion subsidiaries besides LR Design Studio. Considering LR wasn't the top earner in the group, why was Felix suddenly pouring so much attention into this smaller subsidiary? Before she could ponder further, her phone rang abruptly.
"Miss Redstone, this is the Dawnridge Police Station. We need you to come in and make a statement about the assault yesterday."
In less than half an hour, Gianna arrived at the police station. After giving her statement, the officer said, "Since this incident didn't have a severe impact, the punishment will likely be a seven-day detention. The matter of plagiarizing someone else's work is not under our jurisdiction."
Gianna had already guessed this outcome. "All right, I understand. Thank you!"
Before leaving the police station, Gianna went to see Trinity, mainly to ask about the USB drive. Unexpectedly, Trinity behaved differently from yesterday, pretending to be clueless and even sounding a bit flustered, as if someone was watching her. Gianna knew she wouldn't get any answers, so she got up and left.
Back to MY FASHION, Gianna immediately called for a shareholders' meeting. "After this plagiarism issue, our company has temporarily stabilized. Let's take advantage of the momentum and relaunch the autumn collection."
Faith lowered her head to look at the documents in her hands and said, "We've already arranged for the relaunch this morning, and the initial market response seems promising."
Gianna nodded. "Good, but we can't stop here. MY FASHION still has many issues to address. Have you found any fabric manufacturers that offer both quality and affordable prices?"
The shareholders shook their heads, and Hayden spoke up, "Gianna, raw material prices have risen significantly, and it's hard to find something suitable within the prices we're offering."
Gianna raised an eyebrow and smiled. "According to Mr. Walton, how much should we increase our budget?"
"Not much. I happen to have a friend in the fabric business. If you're willing, I can negotiate a price with him."
Gianna remained silent for a few seconds before speaking. "All right, go ahead and discuss it, then provide me with a quote."
A smile appeared on Hayden's face. "Sure, I'll contact him later!"
After discussing the recent developments of MY FASHION, Gianna announced the end of the meeting. Just as she returned to her office, Faith approached her. "Gianna, please don't agree to what Hayden proposed. Over the years, he has taken advantage of being a shareholder and often collaborated with external parties, selling poor-quality materials to the company at high prices. After the marketing department discovered the increase in negative reviews for the company's stores, I found new partners, and only then did he restrain himself!"
Faith was angry as she spoke. If Hayden had the company's best interests at heart, he wouldn't miss out on his share of the year-end bonuses. But he was greedy and wanted more.
Gianna remained calm. "All right, I understand. I'll keep that in mind."
Faith nodded. "Also, that new designer you hired seems to be quite talented. I heard from the design director that she already submitted two design sketches this morning."
"She's always been exceptional." Naomi wouldn't have chosen to be Trinity's pawn if it weren't for her mother's illness. The first time Gianna met her, she saw determination and persistence in her eyes, which is why she decided to help her. As for how far she could go, it would depend on her efforts.
After Faith left, Gianna began to work on some documents. Just as she finished a few, King called. Gianna was somewhat puzzled as King rarely contacted her. As soon as she answered, she heard Lauren's voice, sounding somewhat distressed.
"Gianna, are you really going to push me to my limits? Do you know that if we don't secure the Clinton Group project this time, your father will divorce me!"
Gianna was surprised. Julian and Lauren's relationship wasn't great, but it shouldn't have reached the point of divorce over a project. However, it had nothing to do with her.
"Lauren, you've got the wrong number. If you want to fight for the project, you should call Felix."
Lauren choked up. "Do you think I haven't tried? He refused to see Belle as he chose to support you, claiming that if you don't forgive us, he won't give the project to the Redstone family!"
Gianna furrowed her brow. 'As we were already divorced, why would he refuse to see Bella and make things difficult for the Redstone family?' she pondered.
"Do you honestly believe I hold that much sway over Felix's choices? He's simply using this as an excuse to avoid working with the Redstone family. Please, don't involve me in this again. I lack the authority to sway his decisions!" With that, Gianna abruptly ended the call.
Lauren called again, but it didn't get through. Lauren was so angry that she threw her phone to the ground and exclaimed, "I'm so infuriated! This unfilial and rebellious daughter! I wish I had never given birth to her!"
King, who saw her phone fall to the ground and go black, quickly picked it up and tried to turn it on. Bella glanced at King and said, "King, you can go first. I'll transfer $700 to you later as compensation for the phone."
King was a little dissatisfied as the phone contained photos of her and their grandson. If the phone malfunctioned, those photos would be lost. She remained silent for a moment but ultimately left without saying anything.
After King left the living room, only Bella and Lauren were there. Bella took Lauren's hand and said, "Mom, don't be angry. It seems that it's impossible to get the project back."
Tears immediately welled up in Lauren's eyes. "What should we do? Does that mean I will really divorce your father?"
