Chapter 1540
Maggie did not give Barbara's request much thought at first. It was not until Barbara abruptly left the design drafts with her after
answering a call that Maggie sensed something was amiss.
While a lot of design work is done on computers these days, most designers still prefer hand-drawn sketches.
Maggie was familiar with Barbara's habits after knowing her for many years. When Barbara had to step away from her desk in
the office, she would always keep her drafts in a drawer and lock it. There was no way she would leave the drafts to pick up a
call and have Maggie safeguard them.
So, Maggie contacted Stella without hesitation.
Stella happened to be with Keegan at the time. He promptly drove her to the scene and used the drone to capture footage.
Originally, Maggie had intended to leave the design drafts untouched and wait for Barbara to retrieve them herself.
However, Stella believed Barbara would undoubtedly have a backup plan if this were a set-up. It was better to be proactive in
that situation.
Now, they had the full-length surveillance footage on screen.
Maggie stared icily at Barbara, "Let's have the experts onsite verify if this clip is edited. We'll know who's telling the truth. I never
opened your folder, and I have no idea what
you've drawn on there. So, how could I have plagiarized your work?"
Barbara was utterly flabbergasted after watching the tape.
She thought that as long as there was evidence proving that Maggie had handled her design drafts, she could firmly assert that
she had copied her work. Little did she know that the other party would present evidence and claim innocence.
Barbara's plan instantly unraveled as her lie about the design drafts fell apart. She glanced around and turned to Chad. He wore
a stern expression, "What does this video prove? The two designers had a private meeting, yet you went the extra mile to film it.
Does that not suggest you had something to hide?"
Stella could not help but chuckle, thinking of the double standard.
"Mr. Benson, we got this evidence to guard against dishonest people. We can't just stand here and let youthrow the dirt on us,
can we?"
Chad's face darkened, "Ms. Hall, we all know Maggie has a track record. Since you're now protecting her, can I reasonably
suspect that you're also behind or condoning the action of plagiarism?"
Stella's gaze turned cold, "Track record? She was the one being plagiarized. If I'm not mistaken, the designer who copied
Maggie back then was someone under your management. Doesn't that mean you turned a blind eye to
plagiarism too?"
"You-" Chad ground his teeth in anger. "Quit spouting nonsense! We went to court over it, and she lost. What right do you have
to accuse us of plagiarism?"
Stella's tone remained icy, "So you understand that a legal opinion is required in this situation? Since you can't even produce
substantial evidence, why should you be able to claim we plagiarized? What's with this blatant double standard?"
Hearing that, the onlookers started a hushed conversation.
"Those few sketches really don't prove anything. Is Grandeur Gallery trying to gain publicity during someone else's launch
event?"
"It's quite possible. After that incident years ago, their reputation in the industry took a hit. It's been a while since they had a best-
selling item. I've heard they're even downsizing lately. How could Barbara still get hired there?"
"Well, Barbara does have quite a bit of experience."
"Do you think there's a possibility that Barbara actually stole Maggie's design and used it to apply at Grandeur Gallery? Could it
be that that's how she got the job?"
"Everything is uncertain. Neither side has strong evidence to prove that they are the original creators of this design. Let's give it
some time to see how things develop."