Chapter 734:
The young man immediately shut his mouth and retreated.
Laurel quickly understood the tone of the evening. Everyone had come to win Rylie’s favor, hoping to curry goodwill with the Owen family. If anyone openly criticized her, they would only offend these wealthy ladies. What the occasion demanded was flattery, words painted bright enough to spark their imaginations.
Linking her arm with Terrance’s, Laurel let a faint smile rest on her lips. In a smooth, flattering tone, she said, “Rylie is the Owen family’s treasure. Whatever she desires, she can pursue, and I just hope she doesn’t step beyond the law.”
Her words immediately sent whispers rippling through the group, stirring everyone’s imagination.
“Step beyond the law? What exactly has Miss Owen done?” someone asked curiously.
A lady who had once attended one of Laurel’s exclusive fashion events leaned closer and revealed, “I heard she secretly went to Laurel’s factory not long ago. She demanded a batch.”
Of the premium fabrics reserved exclusively for the Elegance collaboration, claiming it was for the Meridian Future design competition.”
Another guest speculated aloud, “What a coincidence, Sweetberry is competing too, isn’t it? I glimpsed the preliminary participant list, and Elegance was indeed on it, right? Sweetberry used to belong to Laurel, but after losing its designer, the brand nearly collapsed. How could they possibly enter a competition as prestigious as Meridian Future? Unless… she plans to plagiarize?”
Rylie had faced plagiarism accusations before, though none had ever been proven. In comparison, Paola’s infamous scandal still remained visible on the Wesdown International Piano Competition’s official site, an ugly stain that could never be erased.
The charge of plagiarism was difficult to pin down with certainty.
Catching the thoughtful glances cast around her, Paola felt her chest tighten. She quickly explained, “I’ve been trying to contact Waldo these past few days. He’s the tie-dye specialist at the factory, but he suddenly disappeared along with his neighbor, and it’s been several days now. I don’t know whether I should alert the police. The fabric I need for the competition is entirely hand-dyed by him, and I have no idea how much progress he managed before vanishing.”
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Laurel gave her a soothing smile. “Why not ask Rylie instead? According to the factory manager, once she arrived in Malvren, she insisted on visiting the specialists at their homes. Not long after, they all went missing. Perhaps she knows where they are, or even invited them over herself.”
Though spoken casually, her words carried a hidden edge, casting Rylie in an unfavorable light.
Wasn’t she hinting that Rylie was secretly interfering with Paola’s entry, perhaps even coercing the specialists to hand over their fabrics?
The guests exchanged glances, their expressions shifting, a mix of doubt and suspicion quietly surfacing toward Rylie.
If she truly was nothing more than a pampered woman without sense, dabbling in shady dealings, then no matter how powerful her family might be, they would all need to think carefully about the risks of aligning themselves with her.
“You’re all talking nonsense!” an authoritative elderly voice cut through the chatter.
Everyone turned toward the sound. An old woman in traditional attire stood there, flanked by two pharmacists, her sharp gaze fixed on Laurel and the others.
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.
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