Chapter 430 Proving Innocence
Patricia was not one to back down easily.
"I did not. It is clear that you copied me!"
Grace sneered with disdain. "I'm Elise's daughter. I've inherited my mother's talent for design. Why would I need to steal from you?"
Patricia remained eerily calm, unbothered.
"Mrs. Benise can vouch for us. She's fully aware of our distinct design styles and could recognize them at a glance."
Grace laughed. "What if you've bought her off?"
Patricia replied stoically, "So, according to you, anyone who could prove my innocence has been bought off?"
Grace was taken aback by her sharp retort, a flicker of panic crossing her heart.
"You're twisting facts. I have witnesses and evidence to show it was you who plagiarized my work!"
Patricia arched her eyebrow, unfazed.
Grace turned to Riley, maintaining her composure. "Riley, Angie can vouch for my integrity. A few days ago, she saw Patricia sneak into my room and steal my drafts. Initially, I thought she just wanted to get some inspiration, but I never imagined she'd have the audacity to pass it off as her own."
She paused and then added, "Angie is here tonight. I can have her testify."
Riley nodded.
Thinking Riley was on her side, Grace's face lit up, and she signaled someone backstage with a look.
Angie emerged from backstage, now dressed in casual clothes.
She glared at Patricia with fierce disdain in her eyes.
"You're shameless, stealing Grace's designs. She even defended you, but it turns out you're quite despicable."
In a stern voice, Riley said, "Just tell us what you saw. Don't mention anything irrelevant. We don't want to waste everyone's time."
Patricia, sensing his words were actually in her defense, couldn't help but feel a slight warmth in her heart.
As Grace's brother, the fact that he stood beside her out of sheer trust was enough to move her deeply for a long time.
Angie nodded slowly. "About a week ago, Grace said she was cold and asked me to grab her jacket from her room. As I reached the door, I saw Miss Watson sneaking out of Grace's room with a sketch in her hand."
At that, Patricia couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter.
"Angie's a member of the Koch household staff, handpicked by Shane to look after you. You claim that I could have bought Bernice's testimony. What about her? Her words are even less reliable."
Grace and Angie remained calm upon hearing her words.
Angie pulled out her phone. "I was suspicious since there was nobody else upstairs, so I decided to take precautions and film it on my phone. It's timestamped."
Riley glanced at the host.
The host took the phone and passed it to Riley.
It was an old phone with low resolution. The quality of the video wasn't great, but someone could clearly be seen leaving Grace's room.
After peering around outside for a moment, the person closed the door, clutching the sketch tightly and creeping away.
The evidence was there.
Patricia's face wasn't captured in the footage, but one could judge beyond a doubt from the body shape, clothing, and hairstyle that it was indeed her.
Riley's face turned dark with displeasure.
Grace wasn't ready to let Patricia off the hook. "Riley, to prove my innocence, I want this video on display for everyone to see."
Riley's brows furrowed deeply.
"Are you sure?"
Grace left herself no room for retreat. "Yes, I'm sure! Only then can I prove my innocence."
Riley turned to Patricia, who stood silently like a bystander as if watching a farce that she wasn't part of.
Seeing this, Riley said nothing and handed the phone back to the host.
The video was quickly shown on the display screen.
The audience erupted into commotion.
"Man, that's blatant plagiarism!"
"Caught red-handed, how's contestant number 20 going to wriggle out of this one?"
"I've seen a lot of shameless people, but this is a first. To plagiarize and then have the gall to accuse someone else? So shameless."
"Luckily, someone saw it happen, or Miss Koch would've been dragged through the mud for nothing."
"Plagiarist, get out!"
Nobody knew who started it, but the rest joined in hurling insults.
"Plagiarist, get out of here!"
"Get out. You don't deserve to compete!"
"Leave now!"
Watching the crowd's fury swell, Grace couldn't mask her smug satisfaction.
This time, she aimed to make Patricia's life in the country unbearable, to force her out for good so she could finally stop walking on eggshells.
Patricia spoke up as the crowd's anger reached its peak. "The person in the video is faceless, merely a silhouette from start to finish. How could you be certain it was me?"
The seed had been planted, and despite not seeing her face, everyone had been subtly convinced that Patricia was the one in the video.
Her words took the crowd aback momentarily.
The chants demanding her to leave tapered off slightly as some began to doubt.
"Right! We didn't see the person's face clearly. It could be anyone."
"But the build and the silhouette really do resemble hers."
"Could it be a case of mistaken identity?"
"Come on, what are the odds? She also seems to be holding drafts of artwork—that person is clearly her."
Step by step, Patricia closed in on Grace, her voice resonant and firm. "Your so-called witness is in your pocket, and the video shows no face. Grace, is this the incontrovertible evidence you claim to have?"
Angie, seething with anger, retorted, "I saw it with my own eyes; how could it be wrong? The reason her face isn't in it is because of my bad angle, and she deliberately kept her head down."
Fearing that Patricia might continue arguing her case, Angie's face flushed with urgency. "How shameless can you be to steal and then deny it when there's clear evidence against you?"
The Koch Group executives made their decision. "Contestant number twenty, Patricia, is disqualified for plagiarism and banned for life."
Riley's gaze darkened, the air around him turning frosty.
"Miss Watson, do you have evidence to prove your innocence?"
Patricia didn't answer him but fixed her gaze on Grace instead. "Is that all the evidence you have?"
Grace was momentarily lost for words, uncertain whether to confirm or deny.
"Are you absolutely sure there's nothing left?" Patricia asked again.
Grace carefully reviewed the details in her mind. After a long pause, she believed her plan was flawless. There was no apparent flaw, and Patricia appeared to be caught red-handed with plagiarism. Grace nodded confidently.
"All the evidence lines up, testimonial and physical. What more do we need?"
Patricia's lips curled into a slight smile.
"You've laid out your case. Now, it's my turn."
Grace's heart skipped a beat, and her thoughts raced. What did Patricia mean by that?
Could she possibly have proof of her innocence? She must have been extra careful when she snatched that draft—no way she was caught on tape!
So, how could Patricia possibly exonerate herself?
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