Chapter 71

Stephanie puffed up, defiance masking her growing panic. ‘I don’t need proof. My designs speak for themselves!’ ‘That’s not enough,’ Elodie shot back. ‘Every designer goes through countless drafts before finalising a collection. Surely, if you’re the real creative genius behind these pieces, you have those drafts handy, right?’ Elodie’s words, loaded with suspicion, sparked a flurry of interest within the other reporters. This juicy gossip was a goldmine compared to the MC’s predictable soundbites. Stephanie, meanwhile, shot the MC a look that screamed desperation. The woman, phone glued to her ear, offered only a helpless shrug. With a shaky attempt at bravado, Stephanie straightened her shoulders. ‘Of course I have the drafts,’ she snapped, ‘but I don’t see why I should share them with you.’ Elodie’s lips curved into a confident smirk. ‘Fine, then I’ll show you mine.’ Stephanie’s composure crumbled, replaced by a tremor that shook her chin. Denial was her only option. ‘I don’t…I don’