Chapter 19

Evelyn glanced at Vivian, setting down the pearl necklace in her hand with a faint smirk. "I didn't authorize this batch of prototypes, so I won't take the blame for this."

Vivian grabbed Evelyn's wrist, her grip tight. "Zoe, you should come clean. Viana is still your father's company. You wouldn’t want to ruin his hard work, would you?"

"I am telling the truth." Evelyn pulled her hand free, her expression unreadable as she picked up the pearl bracelet and approached the lady. "Madam, I understand your frustration. You paid for genuine jewelry, not counterfeits."

She held up the bracelet, her voice steady. "But rest assured, I won’t let Viana’s reputation be tarnished by fakes. You’ll get a full refund—and the authentic piece once I resolve this."

The woman blinked, surprised. The offer was more than fair—her money back and the real jewelry? She nodded slowly. "Fine. But I want answers. What’s going on with these fakes?"

Evelyn turned to the purchasing department staff, her gaze sharp. "When I handed you the order, I warned you—if anything went wrong, you would be held accountable. Remember?"

The clerk paled, lowering her head. "But... we followed your order exactly."

Vivian cut in, voice sweet but edged with accusation. "That’s right, Zoe. The purchasing department acted on your instructions. How can you blame them?"

Evelyn arched a brow. "Then should I blame you instead?"

Vivian stiffened, her smile faltering.

Nathan watched silently, his cold eyes assessing. He knew Viana had been founded by Evelyn’s mother. She wouldn’t sabotage her own legacy.

Evelyn held up the order slip for all to see. "Anyone in the jewelry business knows Jade Mountain Co. Half of Bassburgh’s top jewelers source their gems from them."

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd. "Jade Mountain’s stones are impeccable," one guest remarked. "Their raw materials are never fake."

Evelyn tapped the pearl bracelet. "These 'pearls' are just powdered pearl mixed with crystal. And as we all know, crystal is cheap—barely worth $200 an ounce for top grade."

The lady gasped. "So my bracelet is worthless?"

"Completely." Evelyn’s gaze locked onto the purchasing clerk. "You’ve worked here for years. How could you mistake Jade Mountain’s quality for this?"

The clerk shrank under her scrutiny.

Vivian’s pulse raced. She couldn’t let Evelyn turn this around. "Maybe Jade Mountain’s materials aren’t all genuine!"

Silence fell. Then—snickers.

Evelyn smirked. "Director Vanderbilt, you’re embarrassing yourself. Questioning Jade Mountain’s integrity? That’s like accusing the sky of not being blue."

Vivian’s face burned.

"The fakes didn’t come from the supplier," Evelyn declared. "Someone inside Viana swapped them. And I won’t be their scapegoat." Her eyes flicked to Vivian. "I’ve handled every gemstone imaginable in Stoslo. You really think I can’t spot a fake?"

She turned to the purchasing team. "Consider this department dissolved."

The staff blanched.

Vivian panicked. "Zoe, you can’t just fire them! They followed orders—"

"Then is the problem my order?" Evelyn countered.

Vivian floundered.

Nathan finally spoke, his tone icy. "Replace the purchasing head. The department failed."

Evelyn scoffed. "And the director who oversees them? Does she face no consequences?"

Vivian’s breath hitched.

Nathan’s gaze darkened. "Vivian lacks your expertise. She didn’t know."

Evelyn’s smile was razor-thin. "Ignorance isn’t an excuse when you’re in charge."