Chapter 10

An assistant hurried in to inform William, "Mr. Sanders, Mr. Daniel Brooks, CEO of House of Noir, is here to discuss our collaboration!" William was surprised. He had been counting on House of Noir's contract for the upcoming quarter, but despite Sienna's numerous attempts, they had always declined. Natalie's eyes lit up, and she stepped forward with a flirtatious smile. "Are you happy, Will? It took a lot of effort to secure this deal." William's face beamed with delight. "You got House of Noir on board? Really?" She glanced at Sienna before shyly nodding. "That's amazing, Natalie!" He could not hide his excitement and kissed her cheek in front of everyone. However, he instinctively glanced at Sienna afterward. Her face remained cold and indifferent, as though she had not noticed or cared. For reasons he could not explain, her lack of reaction left a sour feeling in his chest. "Natalie, go ahead and bring Mr. Brooks in. You can lead the collaboration meeting," William instructed eagerly. Natalie's smile widened as she relished the praise. But as her gaze flicked to Sienna, an idea quickly struck her. She grabbed Sienna's wrist and said with mock sweetness, "Sienna, that big House of Noir deal you worked so hard for? Well, I landed it, and Will asked me to lead the meeting. Why don't you stay and watch how it's done?" A cold smile played on Sienna's lips—she knew exactly how this contract had come about. "Are you sure you want me in this meeting?" "Of course!" Natalie replied, hoping to humiliate her further. Sienna chuckled faintly. "Don't regret it later." ... Five minutes later, Daniel entered the meeting room, and William, along with the shareholders, stood to greet him. Natalie stepped forward with a confident smile and extended her hand. "Mr. Brooks, welcome! I'm Natalie Rhodes, the general manager and lead designer for Fortuna. It's such an honor to have gained your trust." "Nice to meet you," Daniel replied politely, though his attention was soon drawn to Sienna. He noticed her composed elegance and asked curiously, "Ms. Natalie, may I ask who this is?" Before Sienna could respond, Natalie interjected with a dismissive laugh. "Oh, her? She's a former employee, but we had to let her go. Poor thing has some… mental health issues, so don't mind her." Daniel's brow furrowed, clearly skeptical of Natalie's words. Sienna did not look like someone struggling with her sanity. Getting back to business, he smiled, saying, "Actually, Ms. Natalie, I'm here because I was thoroughly impressed with the final design you submitted. I came today to finalize the partnership with Mr. Sanders, but I'd love to hear your interpretation of your work." "Of course!" Natalie turned to her assistant and ordered, "Bring my design portfolio." William looked pleased, and the shareholders immediately began praising Natalie. "She really has the talent to back it up." "What is Sienna still doing here? She's not as capable as Natalie. Doesn't she feel humiliated enough already?" The murmurs filled the room as Natalie flipped through the sleek portfolio the assistant handed her. The designs were stunning, each one drawing admiration from the crowd. Sienna's eyes narrowed as she recognized the sketches. They were hers—all of them. However, Natalie reveled in the moment. She flipped through the pages deliberately, glancing at Sienna now and then with a cruel smirk. She wanted Sienna to watch and feel the sting of having everything—her designs, deal, pride—ripped away and claimed by someone else. Natalie began confidently. "Mr. Brooks, allow me to explain the inspiration behind my work—" However, Daniel shook his head, stopping her mid-sentence. "Ms. Natalie, there seems to be a misunderstanding. I'd like to hear about the final design specifically—the one submitted most recently." As he spoke, he placed a design on the table, its intricate details catching everyone's eye. "This piece is fascinating. The deep blue Ocean Heart is paired with the Egleycia red diamond at the center. "Your use of the red diamond—is bold. Could you elaborate on the significance behind this choice?" Natalie stared at the design, her confidence vanishing in an instant. She had memorized all of Sienna's previous submissions to House of Noir, but this intricate design was completely new to her. Natalie's gaze darted to Sienna, who stood calmly at the edge of the room with a knowing smile. She immediately realized Sienna had done something behind her back. "Ms. Natalie? I'm still waiting," Daniel urged with a smile. Panic rose in her chest as she scrambled for words. "Um, I used the Coustan red diamond because—" "Egleycia blood diamond," Daniel corrected, his tone sharp with suspicion. "You don't even know the name of the material you used?" "Of course it's mine!" Natalie protested desperately, but when pressed to explain, she stood frozen. Sienna stepped forward with a cold smile, explaining to Daniel and the shareholders, "The Egleycia red diamond was chosen because of an Egleycia myth you particularly admire, Mr. Brooks. "The designer knew of your passion for red diamonds, but since blue sapphires are your company's signature, they merged the two concepts." "How can you explain this design so perfectly?" Daniel asked in amazement. "Because I'm the original creator," Sienna replied with a smirk. Natalie pushed Sienna aside, her face pale. "Sienna, stop lying! Mr. Brooks, this is absolutely my original work. "Everyone knows I'm a genius designer—I just won our city's jewelry competition! She helped with this design but is now trying to sabotage our deal by changing the diamond specifications." Hearing this, the shareholders, who had already been skeptical of Sienna, immediately frowned with disapproval. Daniel's brows furrowed. "Which one of you is telling the truth? Frankly, I don't care about your internal disputes. I only want to work with a designer who has real talent." Sienna clenched her fists tightly, her heart aching as Natalie continued to claim credit for her hard work. That city competition Natalie kept bragging about? She had won because of Sienna's designs. Taking a deep breath, Sienna decided to take a gamble. "There's a way to settle this once and for all." She turned to Daniel and the shareholders. "Next month, there's a provincial-level jewelry design competition. Let Natalie and me both compete. "Whoever wins gets the collaboration with House of Noir, and I also propose that the winner becomes the general manager of Fortuna." Her words sent a shockwave through the room. Natalie and William's expressions darkened instantly as they realized Sienna was gunning to reclaim her position at the company. Natalie protested immediately, her voice trembling with feigned concern. "Sienna, this is reckless! You've never won any awards, and I don't want to see you humiliate yourself." William knew Sienna's abilities well and tried to shut her down. "This is enough nonsense, Sienna. Escort her out of here—" "I think her suggestion is fair," Daniel interrupted firmly. "Let the competition decide. If she's confident, why not? For now, the deal is off the table. I'm leaving." "Mr. Brooks, wait—" William rushed after him in a panic. The shareholders, too, were visibly distressed, knowing they had just lost a massive contract. Natalie put on a show, sighing dramatically. "Sienna, you're destroying the company's biggest deal just to get your job back. I won't participate in such childish games." Sienna's gaze sharpened as she coldly retorted, "What's wrong, Natalie? Afraid of competing with me? Or are you just scared people will see that you're nothing but a fraud?" The shareholders, already angry, sided with Natalie. "You've caused enough trouble, Sienna. She's the city champion—there's no way you'll beat her!" "If anything, she should use this opportunity to shut you down once and for all!" "Exactly! There were rumors about Sienna copying your designs before. Natalie, you should show her what real talent looks like!" "Natalie, you're the design genius. No matter how hard Sienna tries, she'll never reach your level. She's just going to make a fool out of herself!" Natalie basked in their praise but felt cornered. Reluctantly, she agreed. "Fine, Sienna, but don't expect me to hold back. You'll regret this." "Looking forward to it," Sienna replied, her cold smile taunting. She turned and walked out, leaving Natalie seething. ... As William returned to the room, his face was grim, clearly upset about losing the contract. Natalie's confidence wavered, but she quickly pulled Sienna aside, her tone dripping with venom. Leaning close, she whispered, "You probably don't know, but your anxiety diagnosis? William gave me that when we were in bed together. He said compared to me, you're like a lifeless doll. No wonder he doesn't love you." Sienna whirled around and slapped her hard. Natalie immediately crumpled to the ground, crying dramatically. "Sienna, wasn't ruining today's deal enough? I was just trying to make peace. Why did you hit me?" "That's enough, Sienna!" William rushed to help Natalie up, his anger at her turning to concern at the sight of her swollen cheek. "Natalie only wants what's best for the company, while you're just being malicious. How dare you hit her when she's pregnant?!"