Chapter 23
After finishing his shower, Lukas emerged, a towel around his waist revealing his lean, well-built physique and clearly defined eight-pack abs. His body was the kind that looked stylish clothed and seductive unclothed. I noticed the water droplets cascading down his abs and disappearing into the towel. Blushing, I quickly looked away, too embarrassed to continue staring.
Lukas walked over, standing beside me. "Is everything done?" he asked.
I lowered my head. "Yes, it's done!"
"Are you satisfied with the gift I gave you?" he continued.
I nodded hurriedly. "Yes! Very much. It's very useful. Thank you very much!"
Lukas hummed in satisfaction. "Well then, let's sleep!"
I looked up, surprised and confused. We hadn't technically fulfilled our marital duties, especially considering my virginity. Blushing, I remembered last night's events and stammered, "Ah!"
Lukas seemed to understand my thoughts. Lightly caressing my cheek, he said calmly, "Don't worry, I won't touch you until you've had your revenge. For now, we'll just sleep."
My face flushed crimson; I immediately lowered my head. Lukas found my reaction amusing. Bending down, his presence filled the space as he teased, "What? Are you looking forward to fulfilling it?"
"I'm not!" I stammered.
Lukas chuckled lightly, turned, and walked to the bed. "Take a shower and go to sleep!"
He had noticed he slept much better when hugging me. Previously, he'd only slept five hours a night, often relying on sleeping pills.
After showering, I climbed into bed, pulling the blanket around me as Lukas embraced me.
Unspoken Farewell at 30,000 Feet (15.4%)
The next morning, leaving the room, I saw Lukas reading financial news, just as he had been the previous day. Approaching him, I felt uneasy. "Did you… sleep well last night?" I asked.
Lukas glanced at me, smiling. "Better than you think!"
His answer relaxed me; I blushed, flattered by his words, and fell silent.
After breakfast, Lukas offered to drive me to the company, but I refused. "I'm not going to the company today!"
Lukas raised an eyebrow but didn't ask further; then he left for work.
Shortly after, I received a screenshot from a close friend with the message: "Here's what you wanted!" The screenshot, taken at 7:30 PM the previous night, showed Bella using Sophia's scanned design draft to submit an entry to the Century Jewelry Competition.
At 8:30 AM, before most companies began their workday, shocking news broke online:
SHOCKING NEWS: CENTURY JEWELRY COMPETITION HOSTED BY STRAKOVSKI JEWELRY HAD THE EXACT SAME ENTRY AS THE STARLIGHT JEWELRY COMPETITION.
The judges' condemnation was swift: "Plagiarism is shameful. This kind of designer should be expelled from the jewelry industry and not tarnish this pure field!"
The news spread rapidly, achieving unprecedented popularity within ten minutes. Online comments were overwhelmingly negative, calling me a plagiarist, demanding I leave the jewelry industry, and declaring I was undeserving of being a designer. Some even cursed my ancestors.
As the news continued to spread, the designer of the identical work was exposed: Sophia and Bella from Trifleming Jewelry! Bella's numerous awards and evident talent made the online criticism overwhelmingly one-sided.
Unspoken Farewell at 30,000 Feet (15.6%)
The most popular hashtags included: #SophiaThePlagiarist, #ThePlagiaristDeservesDeath, #SophiaApologizeToBella.
I sat on the hotel sofa, expressionless, viewing the online attacks as if they weren't about me. I waited silently for the situation to escalate.
At nine o'clock, another hashtag topped the trending list: #BellaSuesSophia. In her legal letter, Bella revealed Sophia was her half-sister. Despite her heartbreak, she stated that they were still family. If I publicly apologized for the plagiarism, admitted to copying her designs, apologized to the Century and Starlight Jewelry Competition officials, and voluntarily withdrew from the competition, she would forgive me and withdraw the lawsuit.
Comments below this hashtag praised Bella's kind heart and family values while berating me as undeserving of humanity.
(The final "Unenokon Parowoll" appears to be a typo and has been omitted.)