Chapter 380

"The photograph came out beautifully," Harrison remarked, his eyes softening as they lingered on the computer screen.

Evelyn smiled wistfully. "I took this on my first day at the institute. My hair was barely tied up—just a messy bun—and I snapped it without thinking."

As she spoke, she scrolled further down, revealing archived records of her academic years—semester grades, critiques, and most importantly, her design portfolio.

But when she clicked into her collection of works, her fingers stilled. The smile faded from her lips.

Harrison noticed the shift immediately. His gaze followed hers to the screen, where several garment designs were displayed.

"What's wrong?"

Evelyn turned to him, disbelief sharp in her voice. "These aren't mine. How did they get here?"

Even Katherine, who had been observing quietly, now focused on them with concern.

She stepped closer, frowning. "The institute's records are meticulously maintained. Errors are rare. Are you certain you didn't submit these?"

Evelyn shook her head. "Absolutely not, Professor Whitaker."

She pointed at the screen. "Look—I never signed my name on my student designs. But these? They all have my signature."

Harrison studied the images. Sure enough, Evelyn Carter was scrawled at the bottom of each sketch.

A silent understanding passed between them. Evelyn wouldn’t misremember her own work. Yet here were designs, falsely attributed to her.

She clicked through the rest, her pulse quickening with each file.

"This can't be right. My graduation collection is missing. None of these are mine."

She clenched her fists. There had to be a mistake.

Katherine’s expression darkened. She pulled up the archive herself, scanning the files with narrowed eyes.

"These lines are amateurish," she muttered, tapping one design. "If you’d turned this in, I would’ve failed you on the spot."

She knew Evelyn’s talent too well. The student she had mentored would never produce something so sloppy.

Evelyn met her gaze, gratitude flickering beneath her distress. "Thank you for believing me, Professor. These aren’t my work."

Katherine gave a firm nod. "I’ll contact the records department immediately."

She strode out, phone already in hand.

Harrison’s jaw tightened. This wasn’t an accident. Someone had tampered with her files.

Evelyn exhaled slowly, steadying herself. "We’ll figure this out."

Then, abruptly, she typed a name into the search bar: Juliette Blackwood.