Chapter 169

"You claim this isn't my original work?" Vanessa Sterling crossed her arms, her voice dripping with arrogance. "Then prove it. Right here, right now. If you can't, I'll have my lawyers sue you for slander."

Her confidence stemmed from certainty - Evelyn Carter couldn't possibly have any real evidence. The stolen designs had been carefully scrubbed of all traces.

Evelyn met her gaze steadily. "You're correct about one thing - I don't possess physical proof."

The crowd erupted in murmurs.

"Accusing someone without evidence? How unprofessional!"

"This is defamation, plain and simple."

"I always thought Ms. Carter was classier than this."

A spectator whispered loudly, "They were stepsisters, you know. This reeks of petty revenge."

Vanessa's lips curled in satisfaction as public opinion swung in her favor. Today would be Evelyn's humiliation.

"Since you can't back up your claims," Vanessa taunted, "perhaps a public apology might save what's left of your reputation."

Evelyn's laugh was sharp as broken crystal. "Apologize? To a thief? Don't flatter yourself."

Vanessa's face darkened. "You're digging your own grave, Evelyn."

"The reason I lack evidence," Evelyn continued calmly, "is because you stole the original sketches from my private collection."

Vanessa's finger shot out accusingly. "Lies!"

"Truth has a way of surfacing," Evelyn countered.

The murmurs shifted tone as Evelyn's unshakable composure made some reconsider.

"Could Ms. Sterling actually have stolen the design?"

"Ms. Carter seems so certain..."

Vanessa's pulse quickened. "Name one shred of evidence!"

Evelyn arched a brow. "You can't even properly explain your own design concept. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"I explained it perfectly!" Vanessa snapped.

Lawrence Pembroke, the industry expert observing nearby, shook his head. "Actually, Ms. Sterling's explanation contradicts the design's apparent inspiration."

Evelyn nodded. "This collection isn't just about female independence. It's about the masks women wear - daughter, wife, mother - and the selves we lose beneath those roles."

Her voice carried through the space, reaching even Nathan Sterling who had just arrived. From his position several yards back, he watched Evelyn command the room, an unfamiliar warmth stirring in his chest.

"The true message," Evelyn continued, "is about women reclaiming their identities beyond society's expectations. About loving our authentic selves."

A hush fell over the crowd before erupting into applause.

Lawrence stepped forward. "Exactly! That's the essence I sensed in this work! Are you claiming to be the original designer?"

Evelyn's gaze never wavered. "I created these pieces three years ago."

Back when she'd closed her boutique after marrying Nathan. She'd stored her remaining designs in the Sterling family archives.

Never imagining her stepsister would rifle through her private things and steal them.