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Novel Catalog
Chapter_72
The next day, the man informed Whitney that he had to leave for a business trip. He warned her to behave herself while he was gone.
Whitney stood speechless.
Today was the day the jewelry competition would announce the shortlist for the next round—and the day Monica would officially be fired for plagiarism.
Since the meeting was being live-streamed, the preliminary winners didn’t need to attend in person. Holding a stack of documents, Whitney entered Sky Gem Ltd. again.
As she walked through the familiar halls, a wave of nostalgia washed over her. The shareholders who supported her were waiting in the lobby, alongside the company’s top executives. They greeted her with a mixture of shame and a sincere willingness to welcome her back.
She made her way to the 16th floor and stopped in front of the CEO’s office door. As she stood there, Simon emerged from the executive elevator, impeccably dressed with sharp, distinguished features. The moment he saw her, he couldn’t help but admire her calm, stunning face. Her simple business dress couldn’t conceal the elegance that radiated from her.
“Whitney, welcome back!” Simon’s voice had a rough edge to it as he approached.
Whitney glanced at him coldly, brushing past without a word.
Simon, seemingly unbothered by her indifference, smiled and opened the office door for her. “Please, go ahead.”
Inside the office, Monica’s personal items were still scattered around, untouched. Whitney scanned the room with a detached interest before settling onto the sofa. She wasted no time and began the meeting with the shareholders, quickly getting a sense of the current state of Sky Gem Ltd. Narrowing her eyes, she decided that her first order of business would be reviewing the company’s finances.
The finance director was summoned to her office, sweat beading on his forehead as he stood before Whitney. After a swift review of the financial reports, her expression turned icy. “These numbers are a disaster. Discrepancies everywhere and sales have dropped sharply. Simon, have you really been neglecting the company’s management, letting Monica run it into the ground?”
The reports were a mess. If Monica’s mismanagement continued for much longer, Sky Gem Ltd. would soon be doomed.
Simon stiffened at her harsh words. He knew it was true; he’d been distracted and had lost focus in the last quarter.
“What did Monica do to address these financial gaps?” Whitney asked, furrowing her brow as she flipped through the documents. As she read, she noticed a sharp drop in sales over the past two weeks, coinciding with the week the plagiarism scandal had broken. But what had happened the week before that?
Digging deeper, Whitney uncovered troubling issues with the jewelry materials at their stores. A customer had caused a scene over a faulty diamond. However, Monica had quickly silenced the incident, trying to keep it from the public eye.
Whitney realized that Monica had been covering up the company’s financial troubles by cutting corners—purchasing substandard stones and mixing them with high-quality merchandise. This was wreaking havoc on the reputation of Sky Gem Ltd.
She called in the manager responsible for diamond sourcing. Though the manager was evasive at first, Whitney quickly pieced together the truth. Monica had been secretly sourcing low-quality stones to cut costs, which was directly affecting the brand’s credibility.
“Which jewelry lines were made with these inferior stones?” Whitney demanded.
The manager handed her the details of the ‘True Love Collection,’ launched two months before Whitney had left. This collection had been Sky Gem Ltd.’s best-selling line, making it the prime target for Monica’s cost-cutting measures.
Whitney’s frown deepened. The damage might be far worse than she had anticipated. Gathering all the information she could, she realized the full extent of the scandal might not yet be fully known. She needed to keep all evidence at hand.
Just then, Simon returned from HR with Whitney’s new nameplate, eager to please. He handed it to her, looking genuinely earnest.
As Whitney glanced at the nameplate, reading “General Manager,” she stared at Simon. His wavering loyalty was clear in his eyes, but Whitney didn’t trust him yet. With a slight, mocking smile, she spoke up.
“You’re handing me this so soon? Monica hasn’t been dethroned yet, and the competition hasn’t officially announced her dismissal. If she manages a comeback, you’ll need to order a new nameplate.”
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Simon’s handsome face. His gaze softened as he looked at Whitney, a wave of tenderness in his eyes. “Whitney, whether you believe me or not, I’m genuinely happy you’re back. I’ve realized I want you here every day, not Monica. It’s a shame I only figured it out after making so many mistakes. I’ll do whatever it takes to win you back.”
Whitney’s face remained cold as she interrupted him, her voice firm. “Stop right there. My return has nothing to do with you. Actually, it does, because I’m here to take back your shares. You’d better be prepared.”
Her heart was as cold as a mountain stream, and she barely glanced at Simon before looking down at her phone. She was about to join the jewelry competition’s live-stream meeting.
At that moment, Tiana sent her a message, urgent and full of concern: [Whitney, trouble’s brewing, you’ve got to see this video! There’s been a twist at the jewelry competition!]
Whitney clicked on the video, wondering what this twist could be. As soon as it loaded, her eyes widened. Monica was sitting in front of the jewelry competition jury panel, sketching a design that was nothing short of breathtaking. A bearded foreigner stood beside her, studying her work with admiration.
Monica had been sketching for hours, and Whitney recognized the design. It was something she had seen before—only this time, it was even better than anything Monica could have created on her own. It was a top-tier design, on par with the best in the industry.
Whitney’s grip on her phone tightened as she realized what this meant. Monica wasn’t just making a comeback—she had a powerful ally backing her. Whitney immediately tuned into the live stream of the jewelry competition, her mind racing with thoughts of what could be happening next.
The judges were all seated, except for Ludwik from the Imperial Gem Corporation, who had yet to arrive. Instead, the bearded foreigner was sitting in the honorary seat beside the chairman. He presented Monica’s design to the audience, clearly impressed.
“As a member of the international jury, I just happened to be in the country,” he said, his voice full of praise. “I had the good fortune of encountering such a talented young designer. Regardless of her past plagiarism allegations, her ability to create this design on the spot is extraordinary. I cast a dissenting vote. Talent should not be wasted, and I believe Monica deserves another chance.”
Whitney’s eyes widened as she heard the words. Her mind raced. This wasn’t just a twist—it was a deliberate move to overturn everything she had fought for. Her thoughts turned to ice. She would not let this go unanswered.
