Marissa maintained her composure and replied slowly, “There’s yet another flaw.” She gestured toward Melinda’s collar. “A dress worth thirty million dollars should exemplify flawless craftsmanship. So why is there a loose thread visible? If Sara’s standards were this lax, she wouldn’t be the favorite of affluent women globally.”
Melinda, perplexed, looked down but couldn’t find any thread. “What are you talking about? Where’s this thread you mention?”
“Right here,” Marissa pointed more clearly
The onlookers leaned in, squinting, and sure enough, they detected a minuscule thread end. Melinda scoffed dismissively. “You call this a flaw?”
Marissa responded with gravity, “As I’ve stated, Sara demands perfection in her creations. She would find even a small imperfection intolerable. A loose thread on your dress represents a significant lapse to her.”
Flustered and irked, Melinda countered, “Your dress isn’t without faults either, I’m sure.” She then began to scrutinize Marissa’s dress while the crowd gathered around, curious about the findings
After a meticulous check, no flaws were found; the dress was indeed without a blemish. The audience, now persuaded, deemed Melinda’s dress a counterfeit
Melinda had initially sought to discredit Marissa but found herself the target of ridicule instead. She was unwilling to admit defeat. Hesitating but maintaining her stance, she said, “Even if my dress has a few minor flaws, what of it? Perfection is unattainable. Not even a dress can be wholly flawless. Sara’s designs are valued for their fabric, not just their perfection.”
At this, Marissa smiled, lifted the hem of her dress, and began to address the crowd, ready to unveil more insights. “Sara was inspired by the unique qualities of this fabric when designing the dress. This fabric is known as taffeta. Taffeta is a luxurious silk fabric, crafted from mature silk fibers refined to their highest quality before being woven into a smooth texture. The specific taffeta used by Sara was sourced from an extraordinary event. It’s renowned as the finest taffeta available, unparalleled and singular in its quality. In her dedication to perfection, Sara spent considerable time sketching the initial drafts. Eventually, she created this exceptional dress, where the unmatched taffeta meets her visionary design, which is why it’s valued at thirty million dollars.”
Marissa allowed a slight smile to play on her lips. “Thus, to verify whether a dress is the true Purple Angel, you simply need to assess if its fabric is the finest taffeta. This is the most definitive criterion.”
This revelation caused a stir among the crowd, who shifted their attention between Melinda and Marissa
“I’ve heard Sara acquired the finest taffeta, but I’ve never actually seen what it looks like. How can we determine which dress is genuine and which is a counterfeit?”
“Indeed! How can we tell?”
Connor, who had been observing the spectacle from the sidelines, decided to join in at this time. He set down his wine glass and made his way through the crowd
People automatically made way for Connor as he walked with an elegant poise. When he arrived at the center of the crowd, he surveyed the scene and declared, “The Daniels family spares no expense for quality. A lady from our family would never be caught in a replica. Yet here we stand, with two Purple Angels before us. One must surely be a counterfeit, and someone has fallen victim to fraud. We need to get to the bottom of this.” His words resonated, and nods of agreement followed
“Mr. Daniels has a point. This situation demands investigation.”
“We should certainly penalize the merchants who deceive their patrons.”
With a wink to Domenic, Connor prompted him to make a phone call. Shortly after, Domenic reported back, “Mr. Daniels, I’ve reached out to the president of Sarth Group in Blebert. He’s agreed to come here personally and examine the dresses.”
This announcement sent a ripple of shock through the onlookers. The fact that the president himself was coming to address the issue underscored Connor’s substantial influence. A silent, anticipatory hush fell over the crowd
Sarth Group’s headquarters were in Meadowlark, with a branch in Blebert. Instead of sending a specialist to verify the authenticity of the dresses, the president of the branch decided to make the trip personally. This action underscored Connor’s considerable influence
Everyone waited in patient silence. Melinda felt uneasy because Marissa appeared calm, fearing she might lose. Lorna noticed her anxiety and offered words of comfort. “Melinda, don’t worry. Derek personally bought that dress and paid Sarth Group thirty million dollars. It can’t be fake. Just wait and see Tiffany embarrassed.” Her reassurance eased Melinda’s nerves, and she even managed a provocative smile toward Marissa
Marissa found this amusing. Lorna hadn’t spent enough time with her younger son to truly understand Derek’s nature. Derek had grown up in poverty, a fact that instilled in him a deep fear of poverty and a strong inclination to value money over family. His parents had given him thirty million dollars to purchase a dress for Melinda, but Marissa suspected he had pocketed two-thirds of that money, which would explain why Melinda was now wearing a counterfeit
Within twenty minutes, Virgil Hanson, the president of Sarth Group’s Blebert branch, made his appearance. Melinda approached him as if he were a lifeline. “Mr. Hanson, please verify that the Purple Angel I am wearing is authentic. Please, on behalf of Sarth Group, punish whoever is wearing the fake.”
Virgil, in his 30s and dressed in a sharp black suit, looked both spirited and professional. His expression was solemn when he entered the hall, but when he saw Marissa, confusion crossed his face. He was puzzled at the sight of his boss there, especially since the Purple Angel, reportedly bought by a mysterious tycoon, adorned her. Did she purchase the dress for herself?
As Virgil debated whether to greet his boss, she subtly shook her head. He quickly understood her signal, holding back the words that almost escaped him. After quickly assessing the situation, Virgil turned his attention to Melinda. “Miss Warren, to be frank, your dress is not a product from Sarth Group.”
“What?” Melinda’s voice echoed her disbelief
Lorna was equally stunned. “Mr. Hanson, we paid Sarth Group thirty million dollars for this dress. How can you say it’s a fake?”
Virgil responded with a polite smile, “Mrs. Lorna Daniels, Sarth Group has never sold a dress to you. We never received thirty million dollars from you.”
“We have the invoice. You can’t deny it,” Lorna argued, pulling an invoice out of her handbag
Virgil examined the document carefully before handing it back to her. “Mrs. Lorna Daniels, this invoice is not from Sarth Group.” Confused, Lorna lowered her gaze to the invoice, her frustration mounting. “It clearly says ‘Sarth Group’ right here in black and white. How can you deny that?”
Confronted with Lorna’s question, Virgil replied, “Mrs. Lorna Daniels, with all due respect, your invoice is a fraud.”
“How could it possibly be a fraud?” Lorna snapped, brandishing the document. “It clearly states it’s from the Sarth Group!”
Neil took the invoice from her, scrutinizing every detail before confirming, “This is indeed fake.”
He then turned to Virgil, his eyes narrowing. “Mr. Hanson, your company is renowned worldwide. How can you justify deceiving customers like this? Are you prepared to defend this in court?”
Lorna chimed in, her voice laced with accusation, “The Sarth Group took thirty million dollars from us, yet you’ve delivered a fake dress along with a bogus invoice. How can you justify such deceit?”
Neil glanced at Connor, frustration evident. “Connor, our family is being wronged. Won’t you stand up for us?”
Virgil exhaled, a weary gesture. “I understand your frustration at feeling duped, but let’s approach this calmly and think it through. The Sarth Group is valued at over ten billion dollars and caters to an elite clientele without any financial instability. It makes no sense for us to tarnish our reputation over thirty million dollars.” He gestured towards the dress draped on Melinda, his tone turning instructive. “Anyone with a keen eye for design would immediately spot the discrepancies-the misaligned logo, the unfitting rabbit, the coarse stitching. None of these errors would pass muster at Sara’s hands.”
Then, fixing his gaze back on Neil and Lorna, he continued, “If you indeed paid Sarth Group thirty million for the Purple Angel dress, there should be a transaction record. Would you mind presenting that?”
Neil’s eyes flicked to Lorna instantly. “You handled the purchase, Lorna. Show him the proof.”
Lorna wrestled with a sense of guilt. Recently, their family had earned a significant sum by streaming merchandise sales online. Eager to impress Aelfric, they decided to invest thirty million in the Purple Angel dress designed by Sara, hoping it would dazzle their social circle. Neil had suggested she handle the purchase, but thinking it was a good opportunity for Derek to gain some experience, she delegated the task to him. Now, she suspected that Derek might have pocketed the money
However, exposing Derek was not an option for Lorna. She knew Neil’s capacity for cruelty-he didn’t even hesitate to kill his own kin. Fearing Derek might face dire consequences, she chose to protect him
So, she crafted a lie. “Neil, to secure the Purple Angel quickly, I engaged a broker and paid in cash. Sadly, there’s no record of the transaction. I’m beginning to think the broker fooled me.”
“Fooled!?” Neil’s anger was palpable. He clenched his jaw, furious enough to pin Lorna to the floor and reprimand her severely. Thirty million dollars squandered on a counterfeit-such a humiliation. Just then, Derek arrived
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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