“The news has already been exposed, and the comparison images are out. How could it be fake?”
The questioning from the audience grew louder. Just a moment ago, Jasmine had been boasting about her design philosophy, but now she was being slapped in the face with accusations of plagiarism.
She quickly took out her phone, and Scott and Joshua hurriedly pulled out theirs to search for the news.
There was no need to search specifically-this was trending at number one across all major websites, and the evidence was obvious.
They clicked on the link and saw that the news clearly pointed out that Jasmine’s designs were copied from the early works of internationally renowned designer Kayla, which were released three years ago.
The comparison images showed Jasmine’s designs next to Kayla’s, making it immediately obvious that the styles and shapes were nearly identical.
“It’s impossible! It’s impossible! How could Kayla have designs like this?” Jasmine protested, not believing she had copied Kayla’s work.
However, one sharp reporter quickly pointed out, “Jasmine, we’ve all seen the images. While Kayla’s designs didn’t gain much attention back then, she had already applied for design patents. You took her design sketches three years later, made a few modifications, and presented them as LIG’s current flagship series. This isn’t the behavior of an original designer. How do you explain this?”
The reporters were relentless, waiting for Jasmine’s explanation.
What was supposed to be a promotional press conference had turned into a gossip-filled scandal conference. Jonathan, Scott, and Joshua exchanged glances, and it was clear to them that Caitlin was likely behind this.
Scott and Joshua silently agreed that Caitlin must be the one pulling the strings.
Jonathan’s face darkened with anger. He was frustrated, but there was nothing they could do.
Jasmine was panicking. There was no PR team here, no preparation at all. She could only try to defend herself.
“No! I didn’t plagiarize! These are my designs! I came up with them myself!”
A reporter pushed further, “Caitlin, do you really think we’re blind? The evidence is all over the internet! You say you designed these, but where’s the proof?”
“I have the sketches! I have the design drafts for all these works! You can wait a moment. I’ll have someone bring them to me right now!”
Desperate to prove that the sketches were hers, Jasmine sent her assistant to fetch an old sketchbook from her office drawer. Soon, the sketchbook was brought to her, and Jasmine began flipping through the pages for the reporters.
“Everyone, look closely. These are my sketches!” she said. “How could I have copied Kayla’s work? I’ve never even seen Kayla’s early designs! If there are any similarities, it’s purely a coincidence.”
With the original sketches in hand, the reporters hesitated for a moment, slightly reassured by the evidence.
“Jasmine, even though you’ve provided some proof, if the plagiarism issue isn’t cleared up, we can’t continue promoting LIG’s new collection. We’ll contact you again when you have more convincing evidence.”
One by one, the reporters left the venue, effectively ending the press conference. LIG was left alone with only their own people.
Jasmine felt like she had ruined everything. She looked at her father with a sense of helplessness.
Jonathan asked, “What’s going on? Did you really design those yourself?”
The theft of Caitlin’s sketches was something Jasmine kept to herself-no one, not even Scott, knew about it. Faced with Jonathan’s questioning, she could only force herself to lie.
“Yes, I designed them myself!”
“Alright, if you designed them, then let’s move forward. Give me the sketches, and I’ll arrange for the PR team to handle the external communication.”
Jonathan took the sketchbook from her, while Joshua tried to comfort her. “Jasmine, don’t worry. This must be Caitlin’s scheme. We won’t let her get away with it!”
Scott also reassured her, “That’s right, Jasmine. We all believe in you. Nothing will happen.”
Shortly after the press conference ended, LIG’s PR team quickly released a statement to clear up the plagiarism accusations. They presented a set of original sketches as proof of Jasmine’s design work.
With the sketches as evidence, the public opinion began to shift. The netizens, who had previously criticized Jasmine as a plagiarist and demanded she leave the design industry, were now changing their tune.
They left messages in support of Jasmine and domestic designers:
**[Jasmine probably didn’t plagiarize. She has the original design drafts!]**
**[Maybe it’s just a coincidence that the styles are similar!]**
**[I support Jasmine!]**
The PR campaign seemed to be working. Jasmine, seeing the shift in public opinion, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Even if Caitlin had registered her designs abroad, it didn’t matter-since Jasmine had the original sketches, it was her design!
At the same time, in the CL Group offices, Yosef’s PR team was preparing another round of attacks on LIG.
“Boss, they’ve already released the sketches, and the public opinion is clearly shifting in their favor,” Yosef said, watching the developments online.
Caitlin had also seen LIG’s counterattack. Thankfully, after leaving the country, she had found the time to redraw the stolen designs and registered them as her own, applying for design patents. If she hadn’t done that, dealing with the sly Jasmine would have been much more difficult.
Caitlin sneered, “Hmph, they shouldn’t have posted the sketches. Since they dared to do so, we’ll make sure the plagiarism charge sticks.”
“Understood!” Yosef replied.
Before LIG’s counterattack could lose momentum, a new update appeared online. This time, it was a legal notice from one of New York’s most famous law firms.
The letter stated that international designer Kayla had been made aware of the plagiarism issue and had instructed her lawyers to pursue legal action against LIG. The firm also provided proof that the original sketches of Kayla’s early works existed, and when comparing Jasmine’s sketches, it was clear that the handwriting matched. Further handwriting analysis would be required to confirm whose sketches they were.
This legal statement sent shockwaves through the public again, as the plagiarism scandal took an unexpected turn. The public now saw that there was more to the story, with both designers presenting their versions of events. The question remained: whose sketches were these? Who had copied whom?
Back at Vanderbilt Manor, Sebastian had just finished dinner with Howard and was returning to his study when he opened his computer. The trending topic on the search engine caught his attention-it involved LIG. He clicked on the link to see the details.
When he saw the comparison between the two sets of sketches, his expression turned incredulous.
The handwriting on the sketches was unmistakably Caitlin’s. There was no doubt about it.
But what shocked him even more was the connection between the famous designer Kayla and Caitlin. Could it be that she was Kayla?