The Queen's Back

Artemis Rain's team worked swiftly, and soon the news came in: Barbara's design had been selected. Just like in her past life, Barbara was suddenly surrounded by colleagues, their eyes filled with envy and admiration.

It was a rare honor to have a celebrity choose one's design so soon after joining the company, and many began to flatter Barbara, seeing her as a rising star with great potential.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

When Mona heard the news, she wasn't particularly surprised-it mirrored what had happened before. However, thinking about the effort she had put into her design, the late nights spent perfecting it, she couldn't help but feel a sense of injustice. Yet, there was nothing she could do; Artemis simply didn't favor her design.

The unselected design drafts were returned, and when Mona received hers, she glanced at it with a sigh. Her brows furrowed, and disbelief filled her eyes as she examined it repeatedly. Seeing her name, Mona was immediately unsettled. This design wasn't the one she had submitted. Someone had swapped her original design with this one.

The gown in the draft was poorly designed, with clashing colors red and green-that she found distasteful. If she couldn't appreciate it, how could a celebrity like Artemis Rain?

If her original design hadn't been chosen, Mona would have accepted it. But this wasn't her work, which meant her original design hadn't even been considered. Someone had deliberately sabotaged her. This left her without a fair chance of being selected.

The manager was still present, and Mona stood up immediately, declaring, "This isn't my design. Someone switched my submission for Artemis Rain."

Mona wasn't one to accept injustice quietly. She was determined to get to the bottom of this and wouldn't allow herself to be wronged.

Her declaration drew the attention of her colleagues, most of whom seemed more interested in the drama than in supporting her. Only Elara's gaze showed genuine concern.

As a design assistant, Mona's skills were often underestimated. Many glanced at the draft in her hand and assumed it was indeed her work.

To the onlookers, Mona's protest seemed like an excuse for not being chosen by Artemis Rain, appearing as nothing more than a baseless complaint. Yet, no one openly expressed this sentiment. Barbara watched Mona's frustration with a sense of satisfaction. She didn't know if Artemis would have chosen her design over Mona's, but she wasn't willing to take that risk.

The potential loss was too great for her to bear, and she couldn't stand the thought of Mona stealing her spotlight. Swapping the designs was her insurance.

Seeing no one speaking up, Mona continued, "My design was a long red gown, but what I'm holding now is a short black one. Clearly, it's not mine. If my original design wasn't chosen, I'd accept it. "But this isn't my work, and I can't accept that. Put yourself in my shoes-how would you feel if your design was swapped? Wouldn't you be upset?"

She added, "I'm giving whoever swapped my design a chance. If they admit it now, I won't pursue it further. Otherwise they'll face the consequences." Mona's firm tone and conviction began to sway some of her colleagues. Even those who were skeptical started to believe her.

08:24 Mon,

Barbara, however, remained unfazed. She had planned everything meticulously. Even if people believed Mona, it wouldn't change the fact that her design was chosen for Artemis Rain. As she casually sipped her water, Barbara thought, "This time, I've won'

The manager, Leander, asked, "So what do you suggest we do now? When Missy brought the designs, this was the one with your name on it. Only I and Artemis's assistant handled them." Then he paused, realizing something. "Wait, it wasn't Missy who delivered the designs. It was Barbara."

He recalled clearly that Barbara had been a few minutes late.

All eyes turned to Barbara, some curious, others eager to see the drama unfold. The design department knew the history between the cousins, especially the scandal involving Barbara and Mona's former fiancé. Barbara had managed to win people over with her behavior at work, making them almost forget the past scandal.

Now, everyone was curious: was Mona using this as an excuse, or had Barbara really swapped the designs?

Missy confirmed, "Yes, I suddenly had a stomachache and asked Barbara to deliver them for me."

She didn't want any misunderstandings or to offend Mona, who was the Clem Group's heiress. Since the manager had brought up Barbara's involvement first, Missy felt it wouldn't backfire on her.

The focus shifted back to Barbara, with everyone wondering if she had indeed swapped the designs.

Under the scrutiny, Barbara stood up calmly. "Yes, I delivered the designs, but I didn't swap Mona's work. If you don't believe me, you can check the security footage."

Barbara's confident and poised demeanor suggested she had nothing to hide, showing no fear of being accused of swapping the design drafts.

Initially, many colleagues suspected Barbara of switching Mona's design, but her calm and composed manner began to sway their opinions. Gradually, most people started to change their initial assumptions. The suggestion to check the security footage seemed like a reasonable course of action to clarify the situation.

Mona looked at Barbara, her eyes filled with disbelief. How could Barbara maintain such composure under these circumstances?

The manager promptly contacted security to review the footage.

The footage showed interactions between Barbara and Missy, including Barbara's trip to the restroom. Afterward, there was a chaqtic moment where Barbara appeared to trip, scattering the designs.

Many people helped her pick them up, and the surveillance couldn't capture everyone's faces or actions clearly. This left people wondering if Mona's design had been swapped during the commotion, but identifying the culprit among so many was a challenge. With the footage inconclusive, suspicion shifted away from Barbara.

It was a clever diversion tactic.