Chapter 45
Chapter 45
Genevieve’s story was profoundly moving and closely tied to the design theme.
However, the question remained. Why did both of them present such remarkably similar works?
Kimberly addressed the matter casually, saying, “What are your thoughts on the designs by Whitney
and Genevieve?”
Upon hearing Kimberly’s question, people started whispering to each other, speaking in hushed tones,
uncertain about her true intentions.
The situation was straightforward. It involved two individuals; one representing the original designer
and the other accused of plagiarism.
No one stepped forward to respond.
Kimberly’s gaze swept across the room.
Genevieve lowered her head, resembling a child who had misbehaved and was afraid of reprimand,
while Whitney displayed her dominance, much like a proud peacock.
If Kimberly hadn’t seen Genevieve’s initial design draft during that late-night overtime, she wouldn’t
have had much confidence in resolving the case.
‘To be fair, both works have their merits. Genevieve’s work excelled in storytelling. while Whitney’s work
had a slight edge in detail handling, Kimberly pondered over the matter quietly.
However, Kimberly made her stance clear, asserting that she would undoubtedly provide an
explanation to the original designer.
After the meeting, Frederick received Kimberly’s instructions and hurried to the technical department to
retrieve the surveillance camera footage of the design. department over the relevant period.
They scrutinized it closely and, to their surprise, found a lapse in the surveillance. camera footage
during a specific time frame.
Frederick inquired with the technical staff, who confirmed that the surveillance cameras had been
operating smoothly without any power outages or malfunctions.
It became apparent that the company’s surveillance system, or more precisely, the design department’s
surveillance system, had been tampered with.
Someone had deliberately altered the data for a specific time period.
Upon hearing that, Frederick sighed inwardly, realizing that trouble was brewing. It seemed the
company was in need of a thorough reorganization.
The design department faced problems, and the technical department was also inevitably to blame. In
such a large company, it was disconcerting that hackers had infiltrated without any noticeable
response.
Upon receiving the news, Kimberly pondered for a moment before speaking, “I never expected that this
person would put in so much effort. It’s no easy feat to infiltrate Larson Corporation. There must be
someone on the inside providing assistance.”
However, the culprits were unaware that they were dealing with a true expert.
Kimberly rapidly entered a long string of code on the computer in the technical department.
Frederick, who stood nearby, was utterly bewildered and unable to comprehend what he was
witnessing.
He had never imagined that Kimberly possessed such skills and thought to himself, ‘Such intrusion
would certainly leave an average computer expert floundering, but for Kimberly, it was just the right
challenge.
Soon, the maliciously deleted footage was restored.
Frederick stood there, staring at the computer screen, holding his breath.
Suddenly, a woman appeared in the footage, stealthily entering the design department.
It appeared to be after working hours, so the image was somewhat dim.
She approached an office table and took a seat.
Frederick couldn’t help but exclaim, “That’s Genevieve’s office table.”
Then, the woman turned on the computer at the office table and inserted a flash drive.
With a few clicks of the mouse, she then removed the flash drive and left.
The entire process took less than five minutes.
Initially, Frederick thought Genevieve was there to copy some files, but the more he observed, the
more suspicious it seemed. The woman had a tall stature, easily over five feet eight inches, whereas
Genevieve was only about five feet five inches.
“This person’s physique doesn’t look like Genevieve. She’s not that tall,’ he muttered to himself.
Frederick continued to gaze at the footage, carefully scrutinizing it. The woman deliberately wore a hat,
obscuring her face from clear view.
After several adjustments, Frederick finally found an angle that revealed the truth and exclaimed, “Ms.
Larson, this person is Whitney.”
In reality, Kimberly had recognized her at first glance.
She had been waiting for confirmation to substantiate her suspicions.
“I never expected she would do such a thing!” Frederick voiced his astonishment.
However, in Kimberly’s eyes, Whitney’s actions were not surprising.
Whitney had essentially backed herself into a corner when she boasted about her abilities.
Naturally, Kimberly was well aware of Whitney’s strong sense of pride.
‘She certainly wouldn’t want to submit an empty entry at the presentation. So, she was willing to take
risks. Obviously, she must have been aware that her actions came with a significant risk of exposure,
which is why she paid a substantial sum to hire a hacker to erase any traces, Kimberly reflected
inwardly.
Whitney had miscalculated and underestimated Kimberly’s capabilities.
‘Whitney displayed keen judgment. Despite being a recent addition to the team, she recognized
Genevieve as an up-and-coming talent. That explains why she and Genevieve had become closer
recently. It was all calculated!’ Kimberly continued to contemplate.
The situation was undeniably complex.
After all, Whitney was Kimberly’s cousin.
However, Genevieve would bear the unjust accusation, which could lead to future ›lame if the
investigation findings were not disclosed.
Eventually, Kimberly decided to assess Whitney’s stance.
Whitney, do you have anything to say about this?” she asked.
When Kimberly posed the question, Whitney deliberately appeared aggrieved, as if she
as unjustly accused.
The facts are clear. Genevieve plagiarized my work, Whitney replied firmly.
he then added in a somewhat probing tone, “Kimberly, you wouldn’t want to falsely
accuse your own people for the sake of an outsider, would you?”
Kimberly did not anticipate Whitney’s stubbornness, as she had no intention of admitting her
wrongdoing at that moment and persistently attempted to shift the blame onto someone else.
“Don’t worry, I will investigate the matter thoroughly. I’ve already instructed Frederick to obtain
surveillance evidence from the technical department.” She wanted to unnerve Whitney and assess her
reaction.
Sure enough, Whitney believed she had erased all traces of the crime without anyone knowing it.
Whitney wore an expression where she had a clear conscience, as if saying, “Go ahead and
investigate. I have a clear conscience. I can withstand any scrutiny.”
Kimberly chose not to waste many words on her. She was ready to show her a video, thinking, “Let’s
see if she maintains this arrogance after watching it.
Kimberly powered on her computer and began playing the video. Initially, Whitney was reluctant to
cooperate and was about to leave.
As she stood up, her attention was suddenly drawn to a familiar figure. She couldn’t believe her eyes.
‘Wasn’t that woman wearing the hat me?”
She anxiously moved the computer screen closer, and her pupils dilated in shock. Her expression
underwent a drastic transformation. ‘It can’t be. I had already deleted that surveillance footage. How
could it appear on Kimberly’s computer?’ All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.
Her panic and gaffe were all witnessed by Kimberly.
Whitney appeared to realize something, and she knelt down, grasping Kimberly’s hand, and begged,
“Kimberly, you have to help me. It was a moment of foolishness on my part, driven by the desire to
outdo you. I did something so st upid.”
She went on to say, “You absolutely mustn’t disclose this truth, or I’ll be too ashamed to remain here in
the future.”
Upon hearing Whitney’s confession, Kimberly’s perspective on her changed. She
pondered quietly, ‘Whitney was self-centered and had only her own interests at heart.
She never considered the consequences for others and their dignity.