The Contract Bride of Mr. Reid-Chapter 151: The leaked designs

As Bella walked away, Olivia seized her opportunity. She glanced around, making sure that no one was paying attention to her. The office was bustling with activity, but everyone was too engrossed in their own work to notice her. Moving quickly, she approached Bella’s desk.

Olivia opened the drawer stealthily and retrieved the folder. Her fingers moved deftly as she flipped it open, revealing the design drafts. She took out her phone, snapping photos of each page with a sense of urgency.

Once she had captured every design, Olivia carefully placed the folder back in the drawer, making sure everything looked untouched. She glanced around one last time, her heart pounding in her chest, and then slipped away as quietly as she had come.

Olivia rushed into Ivy’s office with excitement. "Miss Hill, I did it," she announced, holding out her phone with a gleeful grin.

Ivy took the phone from her, scrolling through the photos Olivia had taken. Each image captured the designs that Willow and her team had painstakingly worked on. "Are you certain these are the final drafts?"

"Yes," Olivia said confidently.

A wicked smile spread across Ivy’s lips. To get even with Bella, she was even ready to sabotage the company’s project. "You’ve done an excellent job, Olivia," Ivy praised.

Hearing Ivy’s rare words of praise made Olivia’s heart soar. It had been so long since she had received any recognition from Ivy, and now she was basking in it. "Thank you, Miss Hill." She beamed with pride.

"As soon as Bella is out of the picture, you’ll be promoted," Ivy promised. "The position of my personal secretary will be yours."

The thought of finally climbing out of her lowly position filled Olivia with joy. She could barely contain her excitement. "Thank you, thank you so much," she gushed, her gratitude spilling over.

"Alright, alright!" Ivy waved her hand dismissively. "Control yourself. We can’t afford to let anyone become suspicious, or the entire plan could fall apart."

Olivia quickly swallowed her excitement, forcing herself to adopt a more composed demeanor. She nodded in understanding, working to tamp down her emotions.

Ivy dismissed her with a wave of her hand. "Now, go back and keep a close eye on Bella and Willow."

Olivia hurried out of the office, her steps quick and determined.

Once she was alone, Ivy leaned back in her chair, a triumphant smile playing on her lips. She could already taste the victory. "Bella, you’re in a real mess now," she murmured, savoring the moment. "Let’s see how you manage to wriggle out of this one."

Ivy’s fingers danced over her phone’s keypad as she dialed a number, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips as she waited for the call to connect.

When the line picked up, she asked with a mix of excitement and anticipation, "Hello? Am I speaking with Miss Young?"

Trina Young, Willow’s arch-rival and a titan in the fashion world, was the perfect target for Ivy’s scheme. She had been plotting this move since Bella had become Willow’s assistant, waiting for the opportune moment to strike and now was the time to teach Bella an unforgivable lesson.

"Yes, Trina speaking," a thin voice answered from the other end. "Who is it?"

"I am Ivy Hill. I have something that will interest you greatly. Would you like to meet?"

There was a brief silence on the other end before Trina’s crisp and authoritative voice responded, "I don’t know you, and I don’t waste my time with strangers."

Ivy smirked. "I have the design drafts for Willow’s latest collection, the ones that haven’t been launched yet."

A moment of stunned silence followed before Trina’s voice boomed through the line. "Alright, let’s meet."

Ivy’s grin widened. The first step of her plan was complete.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Oblivious to the brewing storm, Willow and her team were immersed in the final preparations for the launch. The catalogs were complete, and Joshua had confirmed that the dresses were ready for the big day.

Exhausted but exhilarated, Willow decided to take a break and spend some quality time with Bella. She had been so engrossed in work that she hadn’t checked in on Bella’s well-being, and she was eager to hear about the fashion show preparations.

With forced cheerfulness, Willow called Bella. "Hey, Bella, are you free? Let’s grab a coffee in the cafeteria."

"Sure, let’s go," Bella replied with enthusiasm.

They found a quiet corner in the cafeteria and settled down. Willow took Bella’s hands in hers, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "The show is this weekend. How’s everything going on your end?"

Bella returned Willow’s enthusiasm. "Everything is going smoothly. To be honest, I’m a bit nervous."

Willow nodded understandingly. "I know exactly how you feel. I was a nervous wreck before my first show."

Bella took a deep breath. "I’m lucky to have you and Theodore by my side."

"Of course, we’ll support you. We’re family. I wish Mom was here to see you. I think she would’ve liked you." A shadow of sadness crossed Willow’s face before she quickly masked it with a smile. "But I’m glad Theo found someone as wonderful as you."

Bella blushed slightly. "Stop flattering me. I’m not as sweet as you think. I can be nasty sometimes."

Willow laughed and then leaned over and whispered, "Why don’t you show that nasty side of yours to Gina? She has been eyeing Theo. Aren’t you worried she might try to steal him away?"

Bella shrugged with a nonchalant air. "I’m not worried. I trust Theodore completely. He has hopelessly fallen for me. He won’t look at another woman."

Willow chuckled, clearly impressed by Bella’s confidence. "I like this attitude."

Just as they were enjoying their moment of camaraderie, a team member burst into the cafeteria, her face pale and her breath coming in quick, panicked bursts.

Willow’s smile vanished instantly, replaced by a look of concern. "What’s wrong?"

"Ma’am, it’s..." the woman stammered, barely able to get the words out. "Our designs have been leaked. Miss Young has launched her new collection, and it’s our designs." She thrust a tablet into Willow’s hands.