"Is it that hard to admit someone else is brilliant, Natalie?" Adrian said with a smile as he walked over, his stride full of arrogance.


    Natalie nced at him, her brow furrowed slightly.


    Adrian was handsome, the kind of pretty boy who looked like he had stepped right out of aic book, with a face so striking it could take your breath away.


    Unfortunately, none of Sebastian''s friends were decent people.


    She detested them.


    Natalie raised an eyebrow at him. "Joanna is brilliant, yes. So brilliant she can steal someone else''s work and still take first ce. I''m not denying her brilliance. It''s just that brilliance built on theft... can she pull it off a second time?"


    "Joanna, this is my ''Flower Language'' series that I designed for Sebastian. Without this little maneuver, the four-season collection would have been a massive seller for hispany."


    She had always been confident in her design style.


    "But Sebastian gave the designs to you, just so you could win first ce and clean up your tarnished reputation."


    "I also understand Sebastian''s devotion to you. I lost. I admit defeat."


    Natalie''s voice was low, her mood just as bleak.


    Joanna was slightly shocked. Did Natalie really think Sebastian had given her the designs?


    Sebastian tried to exin, "Natalie, I—"


    "Just shut up," Natalie cut him off, her voice cold. "Sebastian, wanting to have your


    cake and eat it too... the two of you truly disgust me to my core."


    Natalie''s cutting words left Sebastian''s mind aplete nk.


    She was in a hurry to find Susan and tried to leave, but Adrian blocked her path.


    "Did I say you could leave, Natalie?"


    "Get out of my way," Natalie said coldly.


    Adrian loved to push people''s


    buttons. He pointed at Joanna. "Apologize to Joanna. What right do you have to call her a thief? Just because you have no talent of your own you use others of stealing Have you no shame"


    Natalie snapped. "Like hell I will! If you want to apologize, do it yourself. Who the hell do you think you are trying to force me to apologize to this bitch? You''re asking for it."


    Natalie kicked him hard in the stomach.


    "Agh!" The tall man, well over six feet, was knocked to the ground by Natalie''s furious kick.


    She strode over, her rage palpable, and nted her high heel on his chest.


    "You..."


    Adrian was utterly humiliated. How dare she?


    "You idiot. I ignored you before because I valued my rtionship with Sebastian. Now, he means less than nothing to me. So who the hell do you think you are?"


    "And why don''t you go check on your yboy father? He''s about to run yourpany into the ground."


    "Adrian, I never started anything with you, but you insulted me again and again to defend Joanna. Fine. This time, I won''t stand for it. Tomorrow morning, the second the market opens, l''an going to tank the Kingsley family''s stock."


    After her furious deration, Natalie stormed away.


    Let Adrian, that colossal fool, continue to be Joanna''s pawn. After all, his end was a miserable one.


    It all happened so fast that the crowd was left dumbfounded.


    The most incredulous of all was Adrian. He was always the one bullying Natalie, but today, he had been humiliated by her.


    "Damn it, that wretched woman. She better not let me see her again."


    Sebastian walked over and looked at Adrian. "Adrian, from now on, you and I are no longer friends. All business partnerships between us are over."


    Adrian stared in disbelief at the furious Sebastian. For a nobody, he was going to cut ties with him?


    He shouted, "Sebastian, you''re cutting me off for a nobody?"