Chapter 285 Deep in Trouble
Miles and Desmond got called in right away. Lauren didn't waste any time and cut straight to the chase.
Desmond was fuming. "What the heck! These designs are totally ours. How could we have copied someone else? Mr. White, you gotta believe us. We'd never do anything to hurt the company."
Lauren felt a bit relieved hearing Desmond. She kinda expected this, but it was good to hear it straight from them.
Ethan was scratching his head. "But why do your designs look just like Robinson Conglomerate's? Did they copy us and then turn around and accuse us?"
Ethan's guess wasn't crazy. Lauren didn't want to entertain the thought, but she had to give it some serious consideration.
She was sure her team didn't plagiarize, so maybe Robinson Conglomerate was up to something shady.
She went quiet, dreading the thought that Quentin might've set them up. What would she do if that were true?
Elodie couldn't hold back. "Mr. White, what do we do now?"
Richard was worried too. "Should we go talk to Mr. Jones and explain?"
Ethan shot that down. "Lauren and I tried to see Mr. Jones yesterday, but we couldn't even get in. Without proof, how can we change his mind?"
"Are we screwed then?" Desmond said, looking defeated.
Ethan turned to Lauren. "Lauren, what do you think?"
Everyone looked at Lauren. She was always the one with the ideas, the one who guided them.
Lauren looked up. "Me? I don't know what to do either; this looks pretty bad."
She started thinking hard. Was there really no way out? She didn't want to give up!
Miles, frustrated, blurted out, "Why don't we just go to Robinson Conglomerate and raise hell? If we're getting blackballed, we can't let them get away with it. Our reputations are already trashed. Let's go down swinging!"
Lauren's icy stare shut him up. "Mr. Young, acting rashly will only make things worse. We need to stay calm and think this through."
Her stern words brought everyone back to their senses. Lauren was usually so gentle; her sudden firmness took them by surprise.
The meeting wrapped up. After everyone left, Ethan called out to Lauren.
Lauren looked at him calmly. "Mr. White, is there something else?"
Ethan, looking serious, took her hand. "You drank a lot last night. You should be resting. Why are you here stressing over this?"
"I can't just sit around. I know how everyone feels being accused like this," Lauren said softly.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "And what else?"
Lauren was confused. "What else?"
"Do you have any other reasons for being so dedicated to solving this?" Ethan asked.
Lauren's vision suddenly blurred, and Ethan's face morphed into Quentin's. She was startled and quickly looked away, not wanting to see Quentin's face.
What was her motive? She asked herself, 'What's my motive?'
It seemed her reasons weren't entirely pure. Did she still have some lingering feelings for Quentin?
Lauren shut her eyes tight, refusing to think about it.
Ethan's voice snapped her back to reality. "How are you, Lauren?"
When Ethan's voice reached her ears, Lauren jolted back to reality, understanding that her lingering intoxication had triggered the illusion of the one person she dreaded encountering or even imagining—Quentin's visage."It's nothing, just a bit dizzy," she replied.
Ethan supported her arm, affirming, "You've worked so hard. I know everything you do is for me. Lauren, I'm really touched. I promise I'll treat you and Matthew even better from now on."
Lauren smiled. "It's nothing."
"I'll take you home. Don't worry, I'll handle the plagiarism issue," Ethan said, helping her out.
Lauren wanted to say something but decided against it, seeing Ethan's concern.
After all, it was his company. Whatever he chose to do, she, as an outsider, should respect it.
Back at the villa, Lauren went straight upstairs to rest. Ethan was about to head back to the company but was stopped by Kimberly.
Kimberly, usually warm, looked at Ethan coldly and asked, "Mr. White, don't you think you owe me an explanation about Lauren going to The White Villa?"
"Mr. White" showed Kimberly's anger. Usually, she saw Ethan as Lauren's future husband, admiring him more and more. She couldn't wait for them to get married.
But now, her hopes were dashed, and she couldn't accept it. She felt Ethan had betrayed her trust.
Ethan smiled at Kimberly. "I wanted to find a formal occasion to explain. Please don't be mad!"
"No need for a formal occasion. Tell me now. You promised me you'd marry Lauren, but she was kicked out of The White Villa! You've really broken my heart!" Kimberly said, tears streaming down her face. She felt more aggrieved for Lauren.
Ethan, knowing he was in the wrong, didn't argue. He listened to Kimberly's scolding with his head down and then slowly spoke. "Please believe me and give me a little more time. Regardless of my parents' attitude, I will marry Lauren. I've made up my mind. Sooner or later, my parents will agree, and I'll work hard to persuade them."
Kimberly still looked worried. "But how long can Lauren wait? She's had such a hard life. When will she finally be happy?"
Ethan knelt down on one knee and made a promise, saying, "I swear to you now, as long as I can escape Quentin's trap, I will marry Lauren no matter what. But if I fail, I might lose everything, and I don't want to drag Lauren down with me. So, please give me a little more time."
Ethan's sincerity finally moved Kimberly. She hurriedly helped him up. "Ethan, I feel reassured hearing this from you. I'll allow you the time you need. But you mentioned Quentin earlier. What does this have to do with Quentin? Is he giving you trouble?"
