Chapter 280 Wrongly Accused of Plagiarism
Ethan's suspicious grilling really stung Ryan. They'd been tight since they were kids, and he never thought their brotherly bond would hit a snag like this.
Ryan didn't feel like explaining. He just gave Ethan a serious look and asked, "What do you think?"
Ethan regretted his impulsiveness. Growing up, Ryan excelled while Ethan lagged behind, playing the rebel to hide his efforts to match Ryan's success. Exhausted and under pressure, Ethan failed to appreciate Ryan's kindness until later, when he truly admired him for his selflessness.
Ethan apologized, "Ryan, I'm sorry. I trust you."
Hearing Ethan say "I trust you," Ryan smiled, relieved. He wasn't one to hold grudges, believing nothing could break their brotherly bond.
Ethan also smiled, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders as he left The White Villa and headed straight to the office, only to find Lauren already there.
"Lauren," Ethan hesitated. He felt bad about the drama at home, but the office wasn't the place for personal stuff. He had to stay professional.
Lauren didn't seem awkward. She'd gotten a call from Elodie and rushed over when she heard something was up at the company.
She asked, clearly worried. "Ethan, Elodie said there's a big problem with the project she's handling. What's going on?"
Ethan's face turned serious. "I just found out too. While you were on break, the company took on a big project. Dylan Jones, this big-shot international house designer, had a killer design plan. He wanted to team up with a house design company in City A to boost his brand and find a top-notch designer to head his City A division."
Lauren nodded. She'd heard Joseph mention Dylan a few times and knew there was some connection between them. She was also really interested in the collaboration Ethan mentioned. If the company could pass Dylan's test, it would skyrocket in City A. Plus, it would be a huge break for the designers.
"I know we're in the running for this. What went wrong?" Lauren asked.
Ethan sighed, "Elodie is the best of the new grads. I wanted to give her a shot, so I had her work on this project with Richard. But I didn't expect Dylan's assistant to call and say we were disqualified because our design was suspected of plagiarism."
Lauren was stunned. Elodie had been crying earlier and hadn't explained the situation clearly. She didn't realize it was this serious.
"Richard and Elodie would never plagiarize!" Lauren was sure of it.
Ethan looked troubled. "I believe them too, but Dylan's already convinced that we plagiarized. We can't explain it."
"Ethan, are you just gonna roll over and take this? If we don't clear this mess up, we'll be the laughingstock of City A. Plus, our company will tank," Lauren said, fired up.
The company had just started to find its groove, and now this bombshell drops.
Was it really just bad luck? Why did everything line up so perfectly? Lauren's gut was telling her something was off.
"Ethan, let me ask you, why is Dylan so dead set on us plagiarizing?" Lauren pressed.
Ethan started to have his own doubts after hearing Lauren. "I haven't had the chance to dig into this yet. You got something on your mind?"
Lauren asked because she had a hunch this wasn't just a simple mix-up. She had a sneaking suspicion it might be tied to the trouble Ethan had stirred up with Robinson's Corporation recently.
Without evidence, Lauren couldn't make that assertion. She simply sighed to herself, wondering if she was overanalyzing the situation.
"Nothing, I just think we need to get to the bottom of this fast," said Lauren.
Ethan nodded. "Lauren, don't sweat it. I'll handle this personally. I won't let this mess up our designers' careers." His determined and responsible vibe was seriously impressive.
He then called Richard and Elodie to the office. They were both feeling wronged about the plagiarism accusation, swearing up and down they hadn't copied anything.
Elodie, fresh out of school, had never faced something this heavy. The weight of the consequences was too much, and she looked like she was about to break.
Elodie stated, "Mr. White, Lauren, please believe me and Mr. Hernandez. We know how serious plagiarism is, so we would never do it!"
From the moment she walked in until she finished talking, Elodie's tears didn't stop. Lauren felt genuinely sorry for her. Elodie, a hardworking and pure girl, shouldn't have to go through this.
"Elodie, don't worry. Mr. White and I will get to the bottom of this and clear our names," Lauren reassured her.
Richard had seen a lot in his career, but the thought of being blacklisted worldwide had him freaking out too.
"I'm sorry, Mr. White. We've caused you some trouble," Richard said, feeling guilty. Ethan had always been good to him, who just wanted to be genuine. He never saw things going down this path.
Ethan walked over, giving Richard a firm pat on the shoulder, "Richard, no need for apologies. You and Elodie have busted your butts these past few days. Go home and rest. Leave the company's issues to Lauren and me."
Given the situation, relaxing was easier said than done, but Richard nodded. Hanging around the office wouldn't help, so it was better to go home, chill out, and think about where things went wrong.
Lauren and Ethan headed to the hotel where Dylan was staying, hoping to talk to him face-to-face, but they were stopped by his assistant.
Dylan's assistant, Clara Adams, was from the same country as Dylan. She had a killer figure and a stunning face, with an aura that screamed she was a pro.
"Ms. Adams, could you kindly inform Mr. Jones that we need to discuss something important with him?" Ethan asked politely.
Clara was clearly disgusted by the plagiarism scandal involving Ethan's company. She didn't even try to hide her disdain, saying, "I'm sorry, Mr. White, Mr. Jones already has plans and can't see you."
