The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet (Thalassa and Elowen) novel Chapter 1711

The organizer stepped forward, addressing Thalassa with a tone of compromise. "Ms. Everhart," he began, "let's make a deal. For Mr. Sinclair's sake, we'll let this whole situation slide. It won't go public, and you're still welcome in the design world. How about you gracefully bow out of this competition, as if you never participated? Deal?"

Thalassa's heart clenched, and she immediately refused. "I'm sorry, Cody, but we need to get to the bottom of this issue, and I cannot withdraw from the competition."

If she let this go without contesting, everyone would assume she used cheap plastic to craft jewelry and even accused her of endangering customers with tacky designs. Her reputation would be tarnished beyond repair.

Cody's promise of silence didn't mean the story wouldn't leak. Bad news always has a way of spreading far and wide, a truth known since time immemorial.

She couldn't naively take Cody at his word.

Besides, if she didn't clear the air now, she'd lose any future chance to explain herself.

Now was the best opportunity to prove her innocence. Missing it would mean no amount of damage control could cleanse her name afterward.

"You—" Cody choked on his words, frustration evident as he exhaled sharply.

If it weren't for Lysander's influence, he would've had her escorted out already.

Thalassa defended herself, "I submitted my jewelry piece to the organizing team last night, encased in a delicate blue box. Every material I used is genuine. Pure platinum and sapphires—nothing of mine is plastic!"

"How could that be? I'm the model showcasing your designs. When I received the piece, it was nothing but cheap plastic! Are you accusing the show's crew of stealing your real jewelry now?" Susan sneered with doubt.

"Ha, what a farce," someone in the audience jeered, igniting a wave of mockery towards Thalassa.

Though Lysander's presence prevented physical confrontation, his current involvement with Rosalind emboldened the crowd. They pointed and sneered at Thalassa, their words sharp and merciless.

Their taunts buzzed in Thalassa's ears, a relentless swarm. The public humiliation was suffocating, her face pale with distress.

Yes, she didn't finish college, but every design was her creation. To have her past laid bare was a humiliation beyond words.

As Thalassa felt a chill envelop her, the entrance door swung open, and a confident male voice filled the room, "Who said she's from the countryside? She is the daughter of the Whitman family, a true heiress!"