CHAPTER 55: WOMEN’S SECRET

Julian was in the judges’ area.

He suddenly said, "Hilla didn’t plagiarize!"

Felicia was shocked and lost her confidence.

She thought that Julian would set his eyes on her, but she didn’t expect that he would speak up for Hilla.

She felt a bad premonition. Before she could find any clues, Julian said, "The design is far better than what you are showing on stage. If this is really your design, as an excellent designer, you should see such a contrast.

"If you insist that you can’t see it yourself, it only means that you are not qualified.

"You choose the bad one for the competition. You are really brave."

His words were cruel.

Felicia’s face immediately turned pale and she froze.

"Felicia is not a designer. It’s surprising for her to get such work."

Felicia was the beauty of the English department, but she came to have a design competition. She deserved to be praised if she didn’t look for trouble.

Julian glanced at the middle-aged man beside him and smiled. "Since she is not professional, her design on the stage is very consistent with her ability. You hit the nail on the head."

The man immediately smiled. "That’s right. She is very capable."

"Her work on the stage is not bad for a non-professional beginner, but that one doesn’t seem to meet the standard at all. Although it has been changed a lot, such a professional work shouldn’t be designed by an amateur like her."

Hilla kept silent. She found that Felicia gradually became resentful as her passion for Julian faded away.

"Even if clothing design is not my major, this work is my extraordinary performance. You can’t help Hilla get out of this. Hilla can’t steal my work because I am not professional.

"I know I’m not as beautiful as Hilla, so you continue to help her."

Felicia stood on the stage with tears in her eyes, wronged. However, she was clearly saying that Julian was interested in Hilla.

She was implying Julian twisted the truth because of Hilla’s beauty. Immediately, the audience began to whisper, but Hilla was still calm. "You are going too far. What nonsense is this? Hilla is with my brother."

Margaret gritted her teeth and glared at her. If Hilla hadn’t grabbed her wrist, she would have burst into anger.

Felicia was so bold that she actually insulted Margaret’s brother by saying that.

Hilla didn’t want Margaret to cause trouble. Others had just suspected the relationship between her and Julian, and now Bruce was mentioned. They would take her as a slut.

Trying to calm herself down, Hilla said, "Since you suspect that I copied your work, you don’t have to beat around the bush and push all the blame onto others. Julian only raised his own question. You are not in the major, but you draw a work better than a professional. Don’t you want to be praised?"

Hilla drew everyone’s attention back to her. She looked confident and calm. As Hilla took a step forward, Felicia was so frightened that she shrank back. "What do you want?"

Felicia still remembered the last time she fell into the pond and she suddenly got frightened. She had thought that Hilla wouldn’t dare to do anything to her on the stage, so she had the courage to frame her.

Hilla couldn’t attack her in front of everyone.

"I just want to see your painting."

She did not refer to it as "the work" because Felicia was neither professional nor did she know how to design clothing. It could only be considered as drawing.

"I would like to ask you. Are all the patterns and designs on it your own design?" "Of course, I drew this work two months ago. I wrote it myself." Felicia had a look of certainty. She was really beautiful but stupid. Hilla smiled, "Just admit that you plagiarized."

"What did you say? Plagiarized? Hilla, you are trying to make false accusations and twist the facts."

Felicia was more nervous. She bit her lips and tightly gripped the draft. This was her last defensive shield. She could not let it go.

Hilla couldn’t be bothered to argue with her anymore, so she said indifferently, "I think there are many professional teachers and classmates here. Everyone should be able to see the sewing patterns on my work. I believe that you can see at a glance that these are my patented patterns. Although Holt Corporation is bankrupt, I still have the patent. If this picture is really drawn by her, I can sue her for infringement."

Fortunately, when Holt Corporation went bankrupt, she did not sell those patents and technologies. She knew that as long as the foundation was still there, sooner or later she would have it back.

Felicia’s hand trembled. Her face was pale. She anxiously shook her head and said, "I didn’t!"

"I didn’t know that the pattern was designed according to your patent. I didn’t know..."

The patterns on the belt, the special peony flower on the skirt, and the cloud pattern were not good in sales and were even replaced by printed because they were too classical and complex.

"Would you say that the pattern is just a coincidence?"

Hilla smiled, beautiful and enchanting, especially dazzling under the light.

Every pattern was embroidered by Hilla, and no one knew it better than she did.

Originally, she only wanted to prove to everyone that the Holt family was still there and had not declined because of bankruptcy. As long as she was alive, it would not disappear.

Hilla had always been a very beautiful woman, and she had never even concealed her beauty, so she was always unforgettable.

"No, how would I know that you used a special pattern? I thought it was just a random drawing."

Felicia was anxious, but before she could finish speaking, she realized that she had said something wrong.

She was admitting that this work was Hilla’s!

Felicia was stunned. While she was still thinking about how to explain, Hilla said, "These are all my work, but the totem carvings only belong to the Holt family!"

...

The Holt family did not disappear because of bankruptcy. It was just in a deep sleep. When it woke up, the Holt family was still there!

Hilla glanced at Julian with her calm and beautiful eyes with no emotion lingering. He looked back.

"Julian must see the pattern, so he stood up for me. Sorry, it was me who damaged your reputation. Felicia just didn’t want to be exposed. She didn’t mean to get you involved."

Hilla was saying that even if Julian hadn’t stood up for her just now, anyone who stood up for her would have been framed.

Therefore, Julian was innocent, and there was no affair between them.

Looking at Hilla who was confident and calm, Julian frowned slightly. He didn’t want Hilla to explain their relationship so clearly.

It could even be said that Hilla had said this to him.

There was no communication between them!

Hilla was calm and collected, but Felicia was extremely angry. Now everyone knew that she was lying, and no one was on her side.

"Hilla, your words may not be true."

"She’s telling the truth."

As soon as someone questioned, Julian interrupted him coldly. Julian turned around and gave him a cold look. He did not dare to say anything.

They still had to cooperate with Julian. Business benefits were far greater than a woman.

The one who just questioned Hilla smiled, "Indeed, Holt Corporation has a century-old foundation in River City. Even if they go bankrupt now, they still have patents and technology that should be passed down to the later generations. Besides, it is easy to find out about this patent. Hilla definitely won’t lie."

Julian looked at the school leader beside him. "It’s obvious."

The head of the clothing department nodded and said calmly, "Don’t worry. Our students are all affirmed by the company. We will definitely give you a satisfactory answer for today’s matter."

After saying that, he glanced at Felicia and said, "Felicia, you should know what you have done and be responsible for it. Although the work you have shown is not plagiarized, you have framed others. We couldn’t believe you, so we will cancel your participation this time. I will report the specific punishment to the school leaders in your department."

After reporting to the department, it was certain that she would get demerits. What

was worse, she might be asked to withdraw from school. After all, she ruined the reputation of the school in front of so many companies.

No enterprise would be willing to recruit a sinister student. Since she framed her classmate, she could do the same thing to her colleagues. Felicia’s career would be a problem.

"No, I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t plagiarize. She framed me."

Seeing that Felicia was still blaming her, Hilla couldn’t help but say, "If you didn’t want to harm me, you wouldn’t have drawn such a painting after seeing my work. It was because you wanted to harm others, so you harmed yourself. You can’t blame anyone else."

Hilla’s clear voice echoed in the entire exhibition hall. When Felicia was brought out by the security guards, she kept muttering, "I didn’t. Why are you better than me in every way? Why?"

After this farce, the school finally gave the first prize to Hilla, and she reminded people of the Holt family.

"Hilla, your clothes are great. There will definitely be many people signing contracts with you tomorrow. By then, will your clothes be sold in the mall and on the Internet?"

On the way back, Margaret couldn’t help but look excited when she thought about how beautiful she was today.

Horton was driving with a smile, but Hilla was nervous, looking at the scenery outside the window.

"I don’t want to sign contracts with them."

Hilla replied casually, as if she was still immersed in the colorful lights outside.

At the end of the day, Julian looked for her, but she ran away from the back door due to a guilty conscience. Now when she thought about it, she found herself really childish.

"Why won’t you sign it? The clothing companies are all very famous."

Margaret couldn’t figure it out. Hilla was good at design. A large company should be more conducive to her development, but she didn’t talk to any person in charge and even pulled them away in such a hurry.

Horton seemed to know something and chuckled, "The Andersons has a clothing company. Why should she sign a contract with them? Isn’t it better to be the owner? Bruce will definitely be happy."

"Yes, we also have a clothing company. Hilla, tell my brother. He will definitely take care of you."

Hilla was caught off guard. She had never thought about their company, let alone Bruce would take care of her.

"Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you."

Margaret tilted her head and smiled sweetly. Horton looked at Margaret, who was acting strangely and couldn’t help but shiver. He asked, "Did something happen that I don’t know about?"

"I won’t tell you the secret of women."

Margaret rolled her eyes. She wouldn’t say that she had been saved by Hilla. Now, she was so excited that she wanted to devote herself to Hilla.

The car stopped at the hotel garage, and Margaret was sent back home. Hilla had to follow Horton to the elevator.

"Why did Bruce choose to meet his clients here?"

Hilla bit her lips. When she thought that she would see Julian and Bruce sitting next to her, she had the urge to jump out the window.

She was so confused. Why did Bruce ask her to come over? Was it really just to talk about cooperation, or was it because he wanted to test her feelings for Julian?

She had to be honest and not let Bruce find that she had a little feeling for Julian.

"It’s a normal meeting place. Is there anything wrong?"

Horton looked at her with a half-smile.

Hilla didn’t need to look at him to know that he was ready to see a good show.

"Nothing. I’m just worried about his health. His legs haven’t healed yet. Will there be any accidents if he goes out?"

"Do you want him to have an accident?"

"I didn’t say that."

Seeing Hilla’s nervous expression, Horton was even happier. "Don’t worry. I guarantee that I will save him before he is angered by you to death."

Hilla was amused. It turned out that Horton was the one who wanted to anger Bruce the most!