Chapter 108

As soon as the organizers announced this, it caused a media storm *So, does it mean that Layla’s design is actually Caroline’s? Layla plagiarized Caroline’s work?

“I don’t think things are that simple. The organizers allegedly received the complete design process of one of Caroline’s designs. It looked exactly like Layla’s. Some people suspect that Layla stole Caroline’s design and submitted it as her own.

“There’s no way that’s possible. Only an idiot would do that. At any rate, I don’t believe it. Did Caroline buy off the organizers? Hurry, Layla! Show some evidence to prove them wrong!”

“I also think that Caroline bought off the organizers. She must be jealous of Layla, so she bribed them, telling them she’s the original designer.”

“Speaking as a design enthusiast, the concepts of the two designs are completely different. The winning design emphasizes the packaging’s aesthetic, while the runner–up’s design focuses more on marketing value, which is a more mature approach. A veteran clearly designed the second one.

There’s no way they’re made by the same person.”

In response to the public’s overwhelming doubt, the organizers posted Caroline’s design sketches as well as their time of completion.

They also announced the time of Layla’s submission. From the times they posted, it was clear that Caroline completed her sketches first and that Layla submitted her work later.

Before the public could raise any more questions, another important piece of news caught them by surprise.

Kai Strauss, who’d been off the radar for several years, had updated his status. He hadn’t written about his wonderful retirement. Instead, he’d acknowledged his position as Caroline’s lawyer.

“I’m Caroline Evans‘ attorney.”

A simple sentence like that caused an uproar among the public.

“What kind of PR stunt is this? Hasn’t Mr. Strauss retired? Even Morrison Corp couldn’t hire him.

How did Caroline hire a lawyer like him?”

“I’m dumbfounded. What on earth did Caroline pay him? You better walk away from this, Mr. Strauss.

Don’t let her ruin your reputation!”

The netizens were still having a heated discussion when Kai published another post: a surveillance footage. The video showed Layla visiting Caroline’s home on June 19th.

Kai wrote, “On June 19th, Ms Layla Evans broke into my client’s home, damaging and vandalizing her property. My client has the right to investigate Layla’s violation of the rules.

“I’ve also submitted her post containing her false claims to the cyber police. Ms. Layla Evans, you should know that the law also extends to the internet.”

Below the post were photos taken by the police after Caroline’s apartment had been damaged. There were nine pictures in total. Whether it was intentional or not, the pinned image happened to be a picture of a broken laptop.

The netizens began commenting again. “So… Caroline didn’t sue Layla because she was jealous of her. Layla was the one who foolishly broke into her house and trashed her place.”

“Wow. I’m just shocked. Since Layla caused a mess in Caroline’s house on June 19th and submitted her work the day after, she must have stolen Caroline’s draft. She feared someone would find out, so she broke Caroline’s laptop.”

“I agree. Layla must have thought that if she destroyed the laptop, Caroline wouldn’t have the design process of her sketches as proof. And then she acted recklessly. Well, who’s laughing now?

“So, both the winning and runner–up designs are Caroline’s! She’s good!”

“Professionals have said that the first design didn’t emphasize the marketing values. But in less than a week, Caroline was able to make up for this flaw! Calling her a genius wouldn’t be an exaggeration!”

“Haha! I thought Caroline was just a lovey–dovey airhead. I never thought she would have such unique insights into design. I’m sorry, Caroline! I was wrong for calling you an airhead!”

The public’s opinion of the situation had changed so quickly that it caught Caroline off guard.

She’d thought the organizers would only investigate once she presented her evidence. She’d never expect things to be resolved in less than half a day.