Chapter 351

Isabella had been all about soaking up every moment with Esme lately, probably 'cause she knew Esme was about to bounce back to Silvercrest.

Isabella didn't grill Esme about her Silvercrest adventures, but she had a pretty good hunch about what went down. She got that, despite Esme's flashy life, it hadn't been a walk in the park for her.

Esme didn't whine to Isabella; she just hung out with her and Sweetie every day. She went on a shopping spree for Sweetie, filling up a whole room with stuff, like she was trying to make up for lost time when Bella was a kid.

Isabella could feel Esme's real-deal kindness, and she quietly took in everything Esme gave her. Isabella and Sebastian would also brainstorm on what to get for Esme in return. And then, something wild happened.

Just a few days back, Isabella heard Nina talking about landing a big contract. But right after they signed it, they got slapped with a lawsuit. The other side claimed Nina's design was a rip-off.

For someone who creates original stuff, getting called out for plagiarism is the worst. Plus, Nina and Isabella Jewelry had just opened shop and were still the new kids on the block. If they got hit with this kind of dirt, their rep would be trashed. They'd always be tagged as copycats, getting shade thrown at them left and right.

Isabella knew Nina couldn't have done something like that; she was probably set up.

Just as Richard was about to dig into it, a lawyer from Harmony Jewelry showed up with a court summons. They wanted Nina and Isabella Jewelry to cough up fifteen million bucks for their losses. That's when Nina realized Harmony Jewelry had played them.

If Nina couldn't prove her designs were original, she'd not only have to pay Harmony Jewelry but also fork out a breach of contract penalty to their partner.

Nina had the original sketches, all hand-drawn 'cause she wasn't into computer software. But when she went to the office to grab them, they were gone. Clearly, there was a mole in the company.

To make things worse, Nina's assistant had just quit the day before. Nina was totally floored.

She had personally hired the young girl, drawn to her fresh-faced innocence. She saw a bit of Isabella in her and couldn't help but give her extra care and attention. Turns out, she had set herself up for trouble.

Nina sat in her chair, dazed and unable to snap out of it.

When Richard walked in and saw Nina's lost look, his frown deepened.

He strode over, gently cupped Nina's face, and turned her to face him. "Nina, look at me."

Nina had been holding back her tears, but as soon as she saw Richard, her eyes welled up.

"If you wanna cry, don't hold back," Richard said, his thumb brushing Nina's lower eyelid, his expression pained. "It's not embarrassing in front of me."

Richard took two steps forward, pulling Nina into his arms, letting her face rest against him. His fingers gently stroked her ear, comforting her in his own way.

Nina looked up from his embrace. "With you like this, I feel embarrassed to cry."

Richard looked down at her. "I've seen you in every state. What's there to be embarrassed about in front of me?"

Nina said, "I messed up such a big deal. If I just sit in the office and cry, wouldn't people sneer at me?"

Richard gave a faint smile. "I was worried you couldn't handle the hit, so I rushed over to comfort you. Looks like I was overthinking."

Nina wrapped her arms around his waist. "Not really. Richard, thanks for being here."

Right now, Nina really needed someone to lean on. With Richard around, she could finally calm down and think straight.

"Got a plan?" Richard asked.

Nina said, "The best move now is to find my old assistant. She's a key witness and might still have some of my drafts. But since she took money from Harmony Jewelry, she might not want to testify. Even if we find her, it might be a dead end."

Richard asked, "So what's the game plan?"

Nina's eyes lit up. "Some of my design ideas came from Esme. If Esme could step in..."

"That's easy. I'll talk to her," Richard said.

Nina shook her head. "I want to talk to her myself."

Just then, the assistant knocked on the door, saying there was a guest.

Surprisingly, Esme had already shown up.

The plagiarism drama with Nina and Isabella Jewelry had caused such a buzz that it was hard for Esme, a big shot in the industry, to miss.

Esme said, "I've got some documents I've put together. Take a look; they might help. Plus, I'm holding a press conference tomorrow. Nina, you need to come with me. I'll testify and clear everything up in front of the media. With these documents and my testimony, the plagiarism issue should be sorted."

Nina flipped through the documents. "These are exactly what I need! Aunt Esme, thank you so much."

Esme smiled. "These are small things. Nina, after all these years, I should be the one thanking you!"

The next day, with Esme's help, the issue was resolved perfectly.

Isabella sat in front of the TV, watching the press conference wrap up flawlessly, her tense heart finally relaxing.

She was super grateful to Esme for stepping in. Without her, Nina's problem might not have been fixed so easily.

Thinking everything was sorted, Isabella decided to throw a dinner party and invite everyone over. Of course, she couldn't do it alone since she had to take care of Sweetie and do the grocery shopping.

Sebastian had suggested hiring a nanny to help out, but Isabella always refused. Considering Sweetie was still young, and after the whole Siena incident, Isabella didn't dare to trust Sweetie to anyone else. Plus, there were always news stories about nannies mistreating kids behind their parents' backs.

Having lost Sweetie once, Isabella wasn't about to take that risk again. She'd rather handle everything herself, even if it meant extra exhaustion. With help from the Jose family and Esme now pitching in with Sweetie, the load wasn't actually that heavy.

Isabella first called the Jose family. Margaret, having just recovered from a serious illness, was eager to see Sweetie and immediately agreed. Without a moment's hesitation, she set off at once.

Isabella then called others, inviting almost everyone she could think of. She put Sweetie in the stroller and planned to hit the nearby supermarket for some fresh fruit. As soon as she stepped out, she ran into Elodie.

Elodie seemed to have just come out of Quentin's house. She was about to leave but turned and walked towards Isabella when she saw her.

Isabella instinctively stopped until Elodie reached her.