Chapter Six
Farrah won the National Best Design Award with one of her paintings.
At the awards ceremony, the host introduced her as one of the most promising young artists of her generation.[
Bathed in radiant light, Farrah stood out in an elegant dress, luminous in the center of the crowd.}
She leaned in close to Larkin, her voice soft, her eyes wide with innocence.}]
“Larkin, do you think my sister will be upset?“}}
Something in her tone tugged at him. For a moment, an image of Dionne waiting at home flashed across his mind–her quiet strength, her silence in the face of disappointment. A dull ache stirred in his chest.
But just as quickly, he brushed it off, thinking, ‘Dionne loves me. No matter what happens, she’ll understand.‘”
He offered Farrah a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about that. Just enjoy your moment–I’ll take care of everything else.”
The spotlight followed her as she stepped onto the stage, every eye trained on her.
The host handed her the trophy and turned to the crowd.”
“Miss Farrah, your painting has been named the most outstanding work among this year’s young artists. How does it feel?“}
He paused, then added, “We’ve also heard that your adopted sister was accused of plagiarizing your work. Do you have anything to say about that?“>
This event was being broadcast live across the state–every word and gesture Farrah made would be seen by the entire Vermont. Farrah exhaled slowly, her gaze drifting to the massive screen behind her. She clasped the trophy to her chest and smiled sweetly.
“Dionne’s my sister,” she said. “Even though she copied my work… I don’t blame her.”
Gasps echoed through the crowd. Applause rang out; Farrah’s composed grace drew instant praise.”
Whispers rippled across the seated guests.
“The Willoughbys really are kind. Imagine raising a child not of their blood–then forgiving her even after plagiarism?“}
“Dionne always struck me as trouble. With that face, who knows who she’s trying to seduce?“}
The comments turned cruel, but Farrah only tilted her head with modest poise, lips curved in satisfaction.
“I hope everyone can forgive her this once,” she said sweetly. “It’s her first mistake. Please don’t be too harsh. I’d like to apologize on her behalf.”
She even lowered her head. “I sincerely apologize on behalf of my sister.”
But before she could rise, the large screen behind her flickered.
One by one, hundreds of painting drafts appeared–each stamped with Dionne’s name and a timestamp.
Farrah froze. Her blood drained from her face. Slowly, she looked down at Larkin in the audience, eyes wide, pleading for help.
Larkin’s jaw tightened. This wasn’t supposed to happen.}
His face darkened as he shouted at the organizers, “Turn off the screen! Now!”
But the organizers were scrambling in panic. –
“We can’t!” one of them said. “It looks like we’ve been hacked. Someone breached our system from the outside!”
Another turned to Larkin and said bluntly, “With all due respect, sir… maybe Ma’am Farrah should think about how she plans to explain this.”
Just moments ago, the press had been celebrating her. Now, the tide turned like a wave crashing in.
“Farrah, you claimed these works were your own. Why are all the drafts signed by your sister?”
“Does it mean you plagiarized her instead?”
“Farrah, please answer clearly–did you or did you not steal your sister’s designs?”
Once the media caught wind of a scandal, they never let go; the questions came fast and relentlessly.
The host, sensing the shift in atmosphere, cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Miss Farrah, in light of the new information, we’ll need to withhold the award for now.”
And with that, the trophy was taken from her hands.
Cameras surged forward, lights flashing mercilessly as microphones shoved toward her face.
Just then, Larkin stormed up with a team of black–suited bodyguards. He pulled Farrah behind him and shielded her from the press. “What happened today was an incident,” he warned. “Anyone spreading false information will be considered an enemy of Jablonski Holdings.”
Farrah was quickly escorted out under the guards‘ protection, the crowd parting in stunned silence.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away aboard a private jet, Dionne had watched the entire ceremony unfold live on a tablet screen.
She let out a quiet, mirthless laugh. “He really does love Farrah,” she said, almost to herself. “The evidence is right in front of him, and he’s still protecting her even at the cost of his company’s future.“W
Back when she was still married to him, Larkin had always been extremely cautious about anything involving the company.
Now, he didn’t hesitate to risk it all for his first love.
“Do the a favor,” she said, turning to Brixton sitting across from her. “Release the full footage. I want it everywhere. Make sure everyone
7:07 PM
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“Do me a favor,” she said, turning to Brixton sitting across from her. “Release the full footage. I want it everywhere. Make sure everyone
sees it.”
Her eyes returned to the screen, where the audience was in chaos.
“I want Farrah and Larkin to fall,” she added, her voice like steel. “Together.”
