Chapter 1

At the jewelry design competition, my boyfriend stole my design drafts just to launch his precious underclassman into stardom.

Staring at the completely wiped files on my laptop, I was forced to withdraw under the watchful eyes of the entire industry.

Julian stood there looking smug, convinced he could step on my back to propel his little darling, Chloe, into the spotlight.

What he didn’t know was that I was the only person alive who knew the cutting technique required for that piece.

The exact second the ten-million-dollar "Heart of the Ocean" shattered onto the floor would be the very moment their lives crumbled into ruin.

When Chloe’s design appeared on the massive projector screen, gasps of admiration swept through the exhibition hall.

I froze in my seat.

That sketch was undeniably, unmistakably mine.

"A prodigy indeed! This concept is both breathtaking and utterly daring!"

The moment Elsa, a titan in the luxury jewelry world, praised the piece, the hall erupted with flattery directed at Chloe.

This was the first time throughout the entire gala that Elsa had offered such glowing praise.

Chloe beamed with unearned pride. When her gaze drifted toward me, her eyes were dripping with mockery and venom.

"Thank you so much. Sometimes, pressure turns out to be the greatest motivator," she purred, her voice dripping with hidden malice.

Following her pointed glance, the crowd's attention naturally swung my way.

"Wait, where is Sophia's submission?" someone in the audience called out.

A few of my industry supporters quickly chimed in to back me up.

"Sophia is an established designer with a phenomenal portfolio. Can we see what she brought to the table tonight?"

I stared down at the empty folder on my screen and the wiped USB drive on the table.

My fists clenched tight.

Just as I moved to stand up and challenge the origin of Chloe’s blueprint, Julian, sitting right beside me, grabbed my wrist.

"Sophia has had so much on her plate lately. She just got back from Bali and hasn't had time to breathe, let alone finish her drafts. We’re sitting this one out," Julian announced, knitting his brows in a sickening display of faux concern.

Chloe chimed in with an airy shrug. "Right. VIPs are always busy. It makes sense Sophia wouldn't care about a little contest like this."

Their coordinated tag-team completely ruined Elsa’s mood.

When the billionaire collector turned her eyes on me, her expression was distinctly cold.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Julian jerked my arm, hissing under his breath.

"What the hell are you doing? Do you seriously have to humiliate Chloe in a room full of people?"

A terrifying calm washed over me, like thunder cracking inside my skull. The pieces clicked.

I turned my head and locked eyes with Julian, keeping my voice deadpan.

"You gave her my files."

It wasn't a question. It was a fact.

The password to that encrypted archive was known only to him and me—it was the anniversary date of our seven-year relationship.

Without his betrayal, Chloe could never have stolen my work without a trace, let alone wiped the local drives clean.

Julian’s expression twitched for a split second before his features hardened into a sneer. "Yeah, I did. So what? You owe her this!"

I nearly laughed out loud. What on earth did I owe Chloe?

She graduated from a sketchy, unaccredited overseas college that no reputable firm took seriously. I was the one who pulled strings to get her an internship at my studio.

When had I ever wronged her?

Yet in this ballroom packed with elite press, I couldn't throw hands.

I lowered my voice to a sharp chill. "I am telling Elsa everything. In this industry, plagiarism and theft are fatal."

Julian’s face darkened instantly.

"Do you have proof? Do you really want to drag everyone through the mud?"

"Chloe finally got her big break! Why couldn't you just let her have it for once?"

Her big break? Bought and paid for with the designs I bled over for months!

Remembering my wiped backups, I took a slow breath. Before I could retort, Chloe strolled over, champagne flute in hand.

"Sophia, thank you so much for mentoring me over the past two years. Honestly, if it weren't for you, I never would have produced such a masterpiece."

She tilted her glass toward me with a sweet smile.

Beneath the polite grin lay naked spite.

*If it weren't for me, indeed.*

I'd seen thieves before, but never one so utterly shameless.

My gaze went frosty.

Instantly, Chloe shifted into victim mode, pouting dramatically. "Are you really refusing to toast with me, Sophia? I'm sorry... I shouldn't have outshone you tonight."

The moment she dropped that tearful act, murmurs broke out among the onlookers. The looks directed at me quickly turned critical.

I smiled, picked up a glass of champagne from the tray beside me, and raised it high.

"Of course not. Watching an intern learn so much and produce results is wonderful."

"I hope this momentum carries you far. Tonight's win will definitely mark a turning point in your life."

Chloe’s smile flickered.

She was thrown off.

She probably expected me to blow a fuse, scream, and make a scene right then and there.

Without immediate proof on hand, my outburst would have let her play the innocent victim while painting me as a bitter, jealous veteran.

Too bad for her, I wasn't that stupid.

Did she honestly think I had no cards left to play?

I told her tonight was a turning point. Whether she was turning toward glory or tumbling off a cliff was entirely up to fate.