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Chapter 1551
The fact of Barbara's plagiarism was undeniable. However, she remained tight-lipped about how she obtained the
design drafts. In other words, she refused to confess.
The person in charge of Grandeur Gallery had also arrived at the scene. They claimed to have no knowledge of
Chad's actions and declared that it was his personal endeavor.
Nevertheless, they stated that they would appropriately compensate for any losses caused to The Velvet due to
Chad's behavior since he was their employee.
Barbara's file had not even been registered yet. She had not signed any contract with Grandeur Gallery, which
meant that she was not officially their employee and, therefore, not under their jurisdiction.
Barbara was ready to argue with the head upon hearing this. She accused them of colluding to deceive her. If it
were not for the police's intervention, she might have gotten into a brawl with the person in charge.
Grandeur Gallery distanced itself completely from the situation. Consequently, the main target of the police
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtinvestigation was Barbara, who was suspected of stealing the artwork.
Barbara refused to speak, no matter how the police questioned her. She merely repeated, "I did it alone. No one
else was involved. I'll do anything to make up for it, be it compensation or an apology. I didn't use the stolen items
for commercial purposes, nor did I gain any profits. You have no right to arrest me."
The two police officers exchanged puzzled glances, wondering why she would commit such an act if she knew the
law so well.
They did not have the authority to detain her unless she gained ill-gotten profits from her plagiarism. She would be
subjected to civil compensation and an apology at most.
Barbara knew this all too well. She acted fearlessly and was prepared to pay a fine. She knew they could not
actually harm her.
Stella glanced at Barbara, who seemed indifferent, then turned to the police officers. "Gentlemen, would you mind
coming to our company? I suspect there might be a conspiracy between some of our employees and outsiders that
resulted in the theft of our company's trade secrets."
Infringing on trade secrets and plagiarism was not in the same league. If proven guilty, the consequences could be
severe.
Upon hearing this, Barbara immediately changed her expression. "Cut the crap! It was just a sketch. What does that
have to do with trade secrets?"
Stella looked at her coldly. "I initially intended to sell over a thousand of those pendants. But now, because of your
actions, I'm forced to give them away for free. The loss of over a million dollars is entirely due to the theft of our
company's design. Why wouldn't that count as trade secrets?
Barbara's face turned pale. "It's clearly just one of your marketing tactics! What does it have to do with me?"
"Tell it to the police," said Stella.
Naturally, the police did not show bias toward either side. However, with evidence provided by the public, they had
to conduct an investigation.
Seeing a group of people heading to the company, Chris quickly called Stella aside and whispered, "Ms. Hall, can't
we handle this privately? Let's not get the police involved. No matter who did it, they're long-time employees of the
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmcompany. Don't you think we should give them a chance?"
"You sure have a point, Chris," Stella said indifferently
The remark sounded rather sarcastic, but Chris forced a smile. "We've been colleagues for so many years. It's just
a small mistake. It won't bode well for us either if we act ruthlessly."
"What a great manager you are." Stella's voice turned ominously dark. "The company's money and reputation are
on the line here! If that dirty scheme had succeeded today, we'd be labeled as plagiarists. All our efforts would be in
vain. The upfront investment would be a total loss, and we'd bear the shame of being accused by everyone. The
person who betrayed us didn't think twice about leaving us a way out when they did those dirty deeds. Why should I
spare them?"
Chris' expression changed upon hearing that.
After Stella finished speaking, she regained her composure and casually added, "We haven't been working together
for long. So, maybe you don't know how I roll. Respect me, and I'll do the same; harm me, and I'll make you regret
for even trying. However, my temper has improved quite a lot. So, I'm willing to opt for the legal route instead of
taking matters into my own hands."
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