Leila stared at Ayla who just received a round of applause as she walked the runway with her models following her.“Thank you… Thank you everyone…”“It feels surreal to see my creations coming to life like this. I am so happy that I got to share them with everyone like this.”“This is my proudest moment as a designer.”“To my family, I thank you for giving me the support and nudge that I needed. I have always been struggling to find the style that resonates with my entire being. The love you gave me filled me with so much inspiration.”“And to my sister, Leila… I look up to you all my life. Thank you for inspiring me with your art.”Ayla’s tearjerker speech made everyone feel for her. Everyone was in awe at the sight of the magnificent creations that Ayla presented. Each piece of dress tells a story that every person in the room can feel from the collection. “Amazing work, Ayla!”“Wooh! I knew you would succeed in this industry!”“Congratulations, Ayla!”Joyous cheers from the guests
Feeling lifeless, she slumped on her swivel chair. Her sketchbook was gone. All her new pieces were sketched in a notebook that can be digitally transferred to her iPad via an app. It was a sketchbook that Phyllis gifted to her. It was a notebook that could digitally transfer notes and sketches to an app that could be downloaded on any device. Though it’s not new in the market, Phyllis and her team were developing their version of it. “How can I prove that they stole my sketchbook?”“Hmmm…”She then opened her iPad that was placed on her table. She quickly went to the app connected to the digital sketchbook that was stolen. She wasn’t able to check it often since she already has exported her initial sketches and made another copy to be copyrighted and compiled. What Ayla has with her is the initial sketches which are not as detailed as the final design render that she has with her. She checked the sketches on file. “It was no wonder why they looked a little lacking. But still, it’
A good week has passed since Ayla’s first collection was released and her business was already booming. Her studio was filled with clients who wanted to commission her for a piece. Most of the clients were there to get the runway pieces or something similar to her design. “Miss Ayla, can we take a picture with you?” A fan shyly asked Ayla who just finished a consultation with a client. In her cozy studio, the runway pieces from her first collection were displayed in a row of beautiful mannequins. The interior design of her studio is a minimalist style with a neutral color palette. The aesthetic of her studio is different from the vibe that her designs were giving. “Sure!” Ayla enthusiastically posed with the fan. “Thank you! I’m such a huge fan!”Ayla warmly smiled at her fan and continued to cater to her clients. Since she is a famous social media personality who has a huge following, a lot of her fans visited her studio to schedule a consultation with her. Though they can most d
“There’s someone close to you who probably gave your sketchbook to Ayla…”“Pay more attention to the people you employ. They are not loyal to you, but they continue to work for you—perhaps—to make a living. It’s likely that they did it for an amount of money given by Ayla. I’m certain that they did it because Ayla paid them handsomely.”“Either way, you have to be careful with the people who have access to your office.”In the dark lobby of her atelier, Leila pondered upon Rui’s opinion on this matter. ‘Rui is right…’‘She is right…’‘Perhaps I’m too trusting…’She swirled the wine glass as she mindlessly stared at the beautiful dresses displayed under the grand staircase. The delicate fabrics all sat graciously on the mannequin’s form. The laces that Leila painstakingly designed were all incorporated in her pieces. She puts a lot of hard work into each handmade piece that she makes. Her blazing passion was undoubtedly apparent in all her works. She considers every piece her child.
“You know, for a respected businessman like you, I find you so stupid.”“Do you think I’d follow the man who attempted to kill me and my rapist to his car?”She mockingly laughed. “Keep that evidence with you. I can manage to support myself on this case.”Leila pulled her arms away from him with all her strength. Julius just stood on the pavement, staring at her. His eyeglasses were a little clouded so she couldn’t see his expression. But she did not care. Her pride won’t let her take anything from Julius. “To hell with that evidence! I’ll drag you all to the ground one day.”…“Miss, there’s a parcel left outside the door earlier. It was mailed to you.”“It seems to be a document.”Rui and Phyllis, who were cozily seated on the couch inside Leila’s office, took the envelope from Michaella. “We’ll check it for you, Lei.”“Hmmm… There’s no sender…” Rui inspected the envelope to see the basic information of the package. “Anonymous document, huh?”“That’s not good.”“Rui, get away
On a sunny Sunday afternoon, another parcel arrived at her atelier’s doorstep. Leila’s friends, Rui and Phyllis were cozily lounging in the lobby area as Leila finished a dress in her workshop area. Phyllis sipped in her mango slushy as she stared at the small box that was given to her by one of Leila’s staff. “Oh, it’s not anonymous this time! This time, it was noted that this is from Julius Yu, that bastard!”Julius’ name was boldly written on the waybill that was stuck on the box. Perhaps he sent another parcel again as the first package he sent was ‘ignored’ by Leila since he did not receive anything from her. “How brazen…”Rui picked up the box and pried it open with a ballpoint pen. She easily saw the contents of the small box. This time, what Julius sent was a thumb drive. “Oh… It’s just this…?”Rui held the thumb drive with a confused look. “What do we do with this, Lis?”Phyllis immediately snatched the thumb drive from Rui and said, “Let me check this. Let’s have dinner
“I heard from Atty. Chen that you’re filing a copyright lawsuit against Ayla.”Leila only glanced briefly at her mother before turning back to her food. “Yeah, I will. What she did is too much.”Laura nodded, satisfied with Leila’s move. “Yes, always protect your work.”“By the way, did you patent your technology? Why didn’t you file patent infringement?”Leila shook her head, “I have a patent work, but it’s not incorporated into the design she stole. Most of my patents are in my latest project that I’m working on.”“Keep it safe, Leila,” said Theodore, her stepfather. “She must have planted someone in your atelier. Did you check with your employees?” Asked Chase Eno, Rui’s husband, who joined the dinner together with their son, Eon. “I… haven’t yet. But I limited the access in my office. Only me and my secretary can enter my office.”“Why? The security of your studio is important, especially at a time like this.”“Well, she cannot just question her employees right now, mainly since
They both knew why Leila was adamant about rejecting Julius’ help. Leila doesn’t want anything that would connect her again to her ex-boyfriend. Accepting this help would mean that she’d be indebted to him. It would mean that he has some sort of right to talk to her whenever he pleases. Leila only fears that his intrusive attitude towards her will only get worse. Julius is a calculative businessman. His lovesick attitude towards Leila was nothing but a calculative move. He doesn’t do anything that will not benefit him. Leila was fully aware of this. She knew him all too well. She knew him…Leila kept her eyes tightly shut, unwilling to listen to her friends. “Leila, listen to me…”“Here’s what we’ll do…”“I know Julius will use this to get close to you… But this is something that will help you, dear…”“Can’t we find another CCTV footage? As long as it’s not from Julius…”Leila turned to Phyllis with pleading eyes. Phyllis shook her head. “Julius Yu has a strong security system, but