Chapter 18

Evelyn crossed her arms and glared at Vivian. "Why don't you ask your boyfriend that question instead of me? What’s your problem?"

This is ridiculous. She’s acting like I stole her man.

Vivian’s face paled with fury. "Evelyn Vanderbilt, don’t get too comfortable. Your time is running out!"

With a dramatic flick of her wrist, she stormed off, leaving her threat hanging in the air.

Evelyn narrowed her eyes as she watched Vivian’s retreating figure. Who will have the last laugh? That remains to be seen.

At Evelyn’s office…

Evelyn was scrolling through the internet when one of her staff burst in, breathless. "Ms. Zara, we have a situation!"

Calmly, Evelyn lifted her gaze. "What happened?"

"Several customers purchased jewelry from our store and discovered they were counterfeit. They traced the origin back to us and are now in the lobby. The purchasing department claims they sourced the materials based on your order."

Evelyn exhaled, shut down her computer, and stood. "Let’s go handle this."

In the lobby…

A group of furious customers had gathered, voices rising in outrage.

"Viana Jewelry has been in business for decades! How dare you sell fakes? Do you even care about your reputation?"

A woman slammed a pearl bracelet onto the counter. "This cost me thousands! I had it verified—these are fake pearls! Is this how you treat loyal customers?"

Vivian emerged from the crowd, her secretary trailing behind. She smiled sweetly at the woman. "Madam, please, let’s not jump to conclusions. There must have been a mistake with the supplier."

"A mistake?" The woman pointed at the receipt. "This is your store’s packaging, your receipt! The evidence is right here!"

Vivian remained composed. "Our products have never been fraudulent. The issue must lie with the supplier. Once our designer arrives—"

"I’ll compensate double the amount."

All eyes turned to Evelyn, who had just entered the lobby.

She picked up the bracelet, examined it briefly, and nodded. "These are fake pearls."

The woman scoffed. "See? Even she admits it!"

Vivian feigned concern. "Zoe, you were the one who placed the order. The purchasing department followed your instructions. How did this happen?"

Her secretary handed Evelyn the order slip.

Evelyn skimmed it and smirked. "Yes, this is my signature."

Vivian gasped dramatically. "Zoe, are you trying to ruin Viana’s reputation? This is fraud!"

The woman turned on Evelyn. "You did this? You’re despicable! Refund my money now!"

The crowd erupted in agreement.

"If you don’t fix this, we’re taking legal action! Viana Jewelry is scamming its customers!"

Vivian hid a smirk. This is it, Evelyn. Your downfall.

Just then, Nathan and Oliver appeared.

Vivian rushed to Nathan, her voice trembling. "Nathan, counterfeit jewelry has been found again—and Zoe was responsible for sourcing the materials this time!"

The woman stepped forward. "Mr. Goldmann, I spent thousands on fake pearls from your company. This is unacceptable!"

Nathan’s cold gaze locked onto Evelyn. "Explain yourself."