Chapter 5

"This is something I poured months of work into. I developed the concept myself, worked through every stage, and finalized the design on my own. How can you possibly say it's yours?"

As Yvette spoke, her eyes quickly reddened. Tears gathered along her lashes, threatening to spill but never quite falling, making her look all the more vulnerable.

"I know... I know you don't like me because Zane and I are close." She sniffled, her voice beginning to break. "But you can't make up something this awful just to ruin my reputation. This is my career. It's my dream. How could you..."

Before she could finish, she broke down sobbing.

The office erupted around us.

"Has Tessa completely lost it from jealousy?"

"Seriously. She can't produce work like this herself, so now she's trying to claim someone else's?"

"Mr. Shaw is standing right here, and she still has the nerve to say that."

"Poor Yvette. She just started here and already has to deal with something like this..."

The comments came from every direction, threatening to drown me out. Their stares pricked at me like countless needles, but I didn't look at any of them.

My eyes stayed fixed on Zane.

I searched his face for even the slightest hesitation or doubt. Anything that might tell me he was willing to hear me out, that some part of him was willing to believe me.

There was nothing.

He frowned as he looked at me, his expression cold enough to cut. There was no trust in his eyes, no uncertainty, only undisguised disgust and impatience.

"Tessa, are you done making a scene?" His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly across the entire office. "I know exactly what you're capable of. The concept, technique, and execution of this design are all far beyond your level. There is no way this is your work."

Something inside me shattered.

It felt as though everything I had believed in for the past ten years had broken apart all at once, beyond any hope of putting it back together.

Ten years of chasing after him, five years of staying by his side, even risking my life to protect him.

Yet despite all of that, I was still the same Tessa he considered mediocre and incapable.

He had never noticed how hard I worked or how much I had improved.

In his eyes, I would never be someone worthy of being called talented.

Yvette was still crying, her shoulders trembling pitifully.

Zane handed her a tissue, his voice gentle. "Don't cry. If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to be afraid of."

Then he turned to me, and whatever warmth had been in his expression disappeared instantly.

"Tessa, apologize to Yvette right now. Otherwise, don't blame me for what happens next."

I looked at him and suddenly laughed.

It must have been an ugly sound, because I could feel the muscles in my face twitching beyond my control.

"Apologize?

"Zane, is that really the kind of person you think I am? You think I'd be so consumed by jealousy that I'd falsely accuse someone of stealing my work?"

"Aren't you?"

The contempt in his voice was unmistakable.

"Haven't you caused enough trouble these past few days? Tessa, what exactly do you want?"

What did I want?

I wanted fairness. I wanted back what belonged to me.

That was all.

But to him, everything I did was nothing more than another scene.

I drew in a slow breath and forced myself to calm down. Then I walked back to my desk, opened the bottom drawer, and pulled out a thick leather-bound notebook.