âNo⦠I didnâtâ¦â As weakness gripped her body, Heather attempted to meekly herself to Claudia and Mark.
Both of them looked upset, as the situation was getting out of control.
There were countless photos being played on the screen.
Suddenly, Heather realized something. Her gaze swept around until it finally settled on a figure to her rear left. A white silhouette stood there with her chest puffed. The figure flashed a faint smile, eyes glistening in schadenfreude.
Josie simply looked at Heather and smiled, then she mouthed the words across the distance. âHappy Birthday.â
Heatherâs vision went dark. She could no longer hold herself up as she completely passed out.
Another wave of chaos ensued.
Josie closed her eyes and said to herself, âHappy birthday, Liana. Iâm sorry. I just found out today is your birthday.â
When she opened her eyes again, what she saw were a pair of eyes, cold yet filled with rage, staring at her from a distance.
Two hours later, the venue was emptied. All the artworks were organized and stored away. The painting suspected of plagiarism was also taken down and handed over to the lawyers to deal with.
Heather was taken to the hospital, with Claudia and Laura accompanying her. Mark, however, returned to the Olsen Residence alone.
With the place emptied out, there was a desolate air, to it.
Josie remained standing in place, with Morgan by her side. After an unknown amount of time, she finally moved. âLetâs go.â
âThis drama has really worn me out,â he said, expressionless, as he placed his hand on her shoulder and gently patted it to comfort her.
Upon reaching the entrance, Morgan went to fetch the car, while Josie stood by the roadside. However, she was stopped by someone. All the bodyguards from the establishment sprang into action, solely preventing her from leaving.
âIâm sorry, Ms. Warren. You cannot leave today.â
Josieâs hand trembled slightly as she said in a deep voice, âTell Dexter not to donât go too far!â
The bodyguard was in a bind. Glancing in the direction where Morgan was driving from, he quickly said, âMs. Warren, please donât put us in a difficult position. Weâre just trying to do our duty.â
It was still the same room, with the lights turned off and the curtains tightly drawn. Barely a sliver of light could be seen.
Josie sat on the couch, her back still perfectly straight. If one looked closely, one could see a trail of blood at the corner of her mouth. Because it had coagulated, it was startlingly noticeable.
A slender figure stood in front of her, blocking her way. The deep voice was filled with unconcealable anger.
âHow long have you been planning this?â
âLess than two weeks,â she said, feeling a sting in her mouth while speaking.
Who would have thought that just a few hours ago, she was kissed by him right here, and now, the scene. was so different it felt ironic.
Dexter let out a snigger. âYouâre quite capable, arenât you?â
She didnât reply.
âHow did you know she plagiarized?â
âI deliberately left an art book for her, guessing that she would copy the paintings in it. All I needed to know was which one she chose, and I had someone locate the original.â
It was a meticulously crafted plan, or to be more precise, a trap to draw Heather in.
âAfter that, you arranged for Morgan to bribe my people not to bid, right?â He hit the nail on the head, for it wasnât difficult to guess.
Dexter crouched down, gently caressing the red mark on her face. He sounded as if he was sighing.
âWhy did you do this?â
âActually, she had every chance to avoid this outcome, if only she hadnât plagiarized.â Josie wanted to laugh, but the corner of her mouth hurt when she tried to smile. âBut she did plagiarize, and this is what she deserves!â
The moment the words were spoken, Dexterâs caressing touch turned into a grip. He tightened it as his rage reached its peak. âWhat does this have anything to do with you, Josie? Do you know that youâve ruined her life?â