Chapter 208

Back at Madeline's office, Odette stormed in, slamming a stack of papers on the desk. She stood there, hands on her hips, and yelled, "Isabella, that witch! She deserves to rot in hell! I hope she gets hit by a car the second she steps outside!"

Madeline sat fuming. Isabella's punishment wasn't just targeting her; it was punishing the whole team, especially those loyal to her.

"Enough already! Screaming about her here won't change a damn thing; she can't hear you," Madeline snapped, waving her hand in frustration.

Sure, they messed up, but the punishment felt way too harsh, especially since the deadline hadn't even hit yet.

"Do you think that woman knows she's about to be done for? Is this some kind of final power play?" Odette asked, looking at Madeline.

Madeline shook her head. "If that's the case, then our plan's totally blown."

She tapped the desk lightly, sighing. "Forget it. She's only got two more days to show off. Let's just hang in there and focus on doing our jobs right. No more rookie mistakes. Once I become the director, all our penalties will be wiped clean."

Odette finally let out a sigh of relief and left the office.

Meanwhile, Juliet knocked on Isabella's office door and walked in.

"Ms. Taylor, you were amazing. I just walked past Madeline's office-her team looked utterly crushed," Juliet said with a big smile.

Madeline's team always bullied the newbies, thinking they were untouchable. Juliet and her peers were sick of it.

Isabella waved her hand dismissively. "It's nothing, just a warning. But this isn't over. In a few days, they'll regret it."

Juliet wanted to ask what Isabella had planned for Madeline, but Isabella cut her off.

Isabella smiled at Juliet with her hands behind her back. "It's a secret! Just wait for the big reveal."

Juliet nodded and handed the documents to Isabella. "Ms. Taylor, don't we already have enough designers? Why are you looking for more?"

Isabella had asked Juliet to gather info on top designers from various companies. Her plan was to counter Madeline. She figured if her plan worked, a bunch of designers in the company would quit, and they'd need new hires to fill the gaps.

As for who would take over as director after Isabella left, she trusted Dwayne would handle that.

Initially, Isabella had high hopes for Madeline, but Madeline's jealousy and her slack attitude with her team made her a terrible fit for leadership.

As Isabella was going through the documents, her phone rang. It was Dwayne.

"Hey, Mr. Larson. What's up? Something wrong?" Isabella asked, curious.

On the other end, Dwayne said, "Can you come to my office? I need to talk to you about a few things."

Isabella hung up and headed over to Dwayne's office.

Dwayne was watching a video on his phone, looking pretty frustrated.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Isabella walked in.

"What's going on, Mr. Larson? Did the organizers send over the competition entry?" Isabella asked, curious.

Dwayne nodded and handed her a freshly printed piece of paper from his desk.

"This is what they sent me-your entry," Dwayne said with a hint of a mocking smile.

Isabella looked at the design on the paper and smiled. The style was definitely Madeline's-bold and extravagant, but still layered and not chaotic.

"Looks like you were right. They used your name. But how did they pull it off? Without proof, they won't admit it," Dwayne said, tapping his fingers on the desk.

"I've got a video here that might interest you," Isabella said, opening a video on her phone and handing it over.

"Funny, I have a video for you too," Dwayne said with a smile, handing over his phone.

They swapped phones and watched each other's videos.

After watching, Isabella was a bit surprised, while Dwayne looked really grim.

"Was it Odette? The USB drive she plugged into your computer must have had a Trojan virus, right?" Dwayne asked, his face stern.

Isabella nodded and took back her phone.

"I thought you'd ask why I secretly installed a camera in the office," Isabella joked with a smile.

Dwayne snorted and waved his hand. "You must have had your reasons. I actually thought about putting cameras in every office area, but I was worried about privacy issues. But now it seems cameras can be pretty handy."

Isabella placed Dwayne's phone back on the desk.

The video Dwayne sent was of Isabella's altercation with John on the yacht.

Isabella was shocked that someone had the guts to film and share it online. That video showed John totally humiliated. Didn't they worry he'd get revenge?

"What do you think about this video?" Dwayne asked.

"Not much. John pissed Mason off so bad he ended up in the hospital. Mason's always been good to me, so it's only fair I taught John a lesson. People won't blame me. Besides, I've heard it all before-I don't care what they think," Isabella smiled with a shrug.