Dark Revenge Of A Jilted Bride: Till Life Do Us Part!-Chapter 84: The Convention V

Zane.

Gianna didn’t think she would ever forget the voice of the egoistic prick.

Where had he appeared from? What hole had vomited him out?

When she had looked at the Whitman’s booth earlier, she hadn’t seen him. Not even when the designs of his company had been shown.

So, where exactly had he been then? Smooching some jeweler in the restroom?

She watched placidly as he stepped forward, making the room stir again, tension shifting, recalibrating.

And what was he about to do? Defend his company?

She wouldn’t put it past him.

Meanwhile, Zane’s gaze flicked to Sabrina—disgusted, disappointed.

Then to Gianna. Something unreadable passed between them.

"She didn’t steal anything," he said flatly.

Gianna opened her mouth to counter, but his next words put her zeal out.

"Gianna, I mean. She is the original designer."

Sabrina spun toward him. "Mr. Zane—"

"You embarrassed the company," he continued, facing her, voice carrying. "And yourself."

A collective murmur swept the hall.

Zane’s presence settled the matter like a gavel. Investors exchanged looks. Some leaned back, reassessing.

Sabrina stood frozen, fury warring with dawning realization. She couldn’t fight against her boss. That was tantamount to treason.

Yet... why?

Why would he defend someone else over her?

Wasn’t he thinking about the company?

What would even happen to her own career?

She could already hear the biting sarcasms.... What had she done?

She glared at Gianna, Gianna who said nothing. Who did nothing, as usual, while the room leaned in her favor.

Sabrina’s hands clutched at her sides. Why?

"I apologize for this happening..." Zane spoke, face loud with confidence, for one whose company had just being accused of fraud.

"The company will bear the blame. The jeweler will be properly punished too."

Ignoring the loud murmurs, he turned to Gianna. "We are sorry for the plagiarism."

Gianna said nothing still. Instead she watched him calculatedly, wondering what game he was playing now.

"Miss Aldo?" Zane called, keeping a straight face while embarrassment threatened to swallow him. He felt like choking Sabrina to death.

But it was his fault, he concluded. He should have known when the thief had submitted the design.

He should have known. The skeleton had similar lines that tugged at his memories...

Yet, he had bypassed instincts, and now he was paying the price for his carelessness.

"What are you doing, Mr. Whitman?"

Zane exhaled, slipping his hands into his pockets. It was either that or ruffle his hair like a crazed fellow. The latter wasn’t a nice option for his reputation.

"I’m trying to..."

Gianna shook her head. "I want to tell the story. Then I will sue your jeweler."

Plaque still warm in her hands, pulse steady despite the adrenaline humming beneath her skin, she smiled at the crowd. "Surely, we all want that...."

The crowd "yes" made Zane shut his eyes in exasperation.

When he opened them, he didn’t look at Gianna again, instead he glanced at Sabrina, barely, and walked away from the platform.

Sabrina, who was barely holding herself together. She knew this was the end of her career as it was. She was shocked at how things were spiraling...

And when Gianna opened her mouth to speak, Sabrina wanted to lunge at her cousin, to tear her mouth off her skin, but she stayed rooted in place.

Stayed till Gianna narrated the story: of what had transpired in her previous office at the Aureates...

Stayed while vicious comments pierced her ears...

Stayed while Gianna mentioned the lawsuit, the amount of money she was expected to pay for violating a jeweler’s rights.

An amount of money Sabrina thought was too huge. But she said nothing.

Until Gianna asked her if she wanted to defend herself.

"I... there is no proof." She said, remembering that they were just sketches that hadn’t been inputted into a laptop.

But she knew her weak reply didn’t go anywhere, especially when Zane had thrown her under the bus already.

If only he had defended her... Sabrina’s eyes burned, her knuckles shining white.

Gianna. She will surely pay for this.

Without waiting for final judgement, having had enough of the barbed hoots, the insults floating past her ears, she walked out of the space, with her head hung low.

Gianna caught fragments of these insults as they floated past her awareness, like ash in the air.

She smiled, looking away from her departing cousin who was escorted out by security, to her friends who gave her thumbs up.

Checkmate.

The moderator cleared his throat then, regaining control of the room with visible effort. "Given the evidence presented and the corroboration provided, the accusation against Miss Gianna Aldo is dismissed."

Applause followed, while Gianna inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment, her expression composed.

"Thank you..." She said a little in appreciation, before leaving the stage amidst cheerful claps, and congratulations.

"Due to the episode we just witnessed, the Whitman’s will lose their place as the runner up..."

Gianna felt like she was floating on the air.

Whitman’s. The name no longer carried the same polish it had an hour ago.

And she loved it.

"Congratulations Miss Gianna!" Vance didn’t think he would tire from saying this, nor rest from the excitement bubbling within him.

Gianna nodded once, smiling with him. "Thanks Vance. Ready for the second reveal?"

He blushed, nodding. "Ready as ever." The Whitman’s reign was over.

He watched as she talked with her friends, watched as Noah watched her with an unreadable expression.

Vance frowned at this intense watch, but said nothing, attention returning to the stage when the moderator started speaking again.

"Thank you for your patience tonight. We will proceed to the next item on the list..."

But the atmosphere had shifted irreversibly.

People leaned toward Gianna now, glances lingering, respect increased. A few investors even approached her with tentative smiles, cards already in hand, as if afraid the moment might evaporate if they waited too long.

As she stood, having no choice, with Arthur, shaking hands—while the moderator watched with an understanding smile—she saw Zane staring from his booth. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

He looked calm. But she knew he was anything but.