Con

CHAPTER 50

Sophia’s POV

I held my breath, wide–eyed, as I listened to Elijah. He didn’t even glance at me, but was looking. straight at Morgana. “Even though you initiated this project, this company is still mine. I have the right to choose m

own designers.”

The tension in the air just escalated even more.

Morgana suddenly looked flustered. “I’m sorry, but just remembered I have something urgent to take care of,” she said, standing abruptly.

As she left, she called Julia, who had been sitting quietly, observing. Julia’s eyes flicked from Morgana to Elijah, and I saw a hint of anger and pain that she seemed to be holding back. After all, Elijah was now saying that he was choosing my work after having declared at the meeting that he’d decided to use Julia’s proposal over mine.

“Excuse me, Elijah,” Julia said softly, standing up and giving him a nod. “I need to go, too.”

Elijah didn’t respond, his eyes fixed on the papers in front of him, but I noticed a flicker of something. in his expression, something vulnerable.

Trevis, standing behind me, broke the silence with a loud, hearty laugh. “Well, this is a first,” he said, shaking his head in amusement. “I’ve never seen Elijah express his love for someone so bluntly.”

Elijah looked up for a while but his expression was unreadable.

My face burned with embarrassment. I felt the urge to leave, to escape this awkward situation. I stood, ready to make my exit. “I should get going too,” I muttered, avoiding eye contact.

“Sophia, wait,” Trevis called out just as I reached the door. I turned reluctantly to face him. He had a serious expression now, his earlier amusement gone. “I’d like to take you and Elijah out to dinner tonight. We need to discuss the design case in detail

I hesitated, my first instinct to decline. The thought of spending more time with Elijah, especially after this embarrassing display, was daunting. “I don’t think-

“Please, Sophia,” Trevis interrupted, his tone firm. “This is important.”

I looked at Trevis, then at Elijah, who was now watching me with an intensity that made my heart race. I could see the seriousness in Trevis’s eyes, the genuine need to discuss the project. Reluctantly, I nodded. “Alright. Dinner it is.”

It wasn’t long before the three of us were sitting together in a nearby restaurant. Elijah sat across from me, his eyes scanning the menu with a thoughtful expression. When the waiter came, Elijah surprised me by ordering my favorite dishes without asking. I looked up, meeting his gaze, and he gave me a small, reassuring smile. It was a simple gesture, but it meant more than words in that

moment.

As we waited for our food, Trevis broke the silence. “Sophia, I have to say, I don’t think you copied Julia’s design. I don’t think Elijah does either.” His tone was earnest.

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I was a little surprised by his confidence, so I glanced at Elijah, who nodded his head in agreement. Rellef washed over me, but it was quickly followed by a flood of questions.

Trevis continued, “The biggest problem now is figuring out why your and Julia’s programs are so similar.” He paused, taking a sip of his drink. “From what I know of Julia, she doesn’t seem like someone who would plagiarize someone else’s ideal

Elijah leaned back in his seat, his expression thoughtful. “That’s not necessarily true,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “People can surprise you, especially under pressure. Julia might not seem like the type, but we can’t rule anything out yet.”

Why is he saying this? Isn’t Julia his beloved Sabrina? He doesn’t seem to trust her at all now.

“I had a conversation with Morgana this afternoon,” Elijah suddenly revealed, his voice low but clear.” It was only then that I realized something crucial about Julia’s design.”

I leaned in, every word he said holding my full attention. Trevis mirrored my posture, both of us waiting for Elijah to continue.

“There’s a not–so–obvious flaw in her design,” Elijah said, pausing to let his words sink in. “It’s a small detail, but it proves there’s no correlation between what she originally did and what she’s presenting now. Julia’s initial schematic and the current version–there’s a clear discrepancy.

A wave of relief washed over me, mixed with a hint of vindication. I had known all along that Julia’s accusations were baseless, but hearing Elijah confirm it brought a sense of justice.

“So, you’re saying that the schematic Julia made in the beginning isn’t the same as the one she’s claiming now?” Trevis asked, his voice steady.

Elijah nodded. “Exactly. The flaw is subtle, but it’s there. And it’s enough to prove that Julia’s version. isn’t the original.”

My heart raced as I tried to process the implications. “But Julia keeps insisting that I copied her work … She’s been so adamant about it, despite all evidence to the contrary.”

Elijah’s gaze met mine, his eyes filled with concern and determination. “I know, Sophia. But this flaw -this discrepancy–it’s irrefutable proof that you didn’t copy her.”

I gasped. I couldn’t believe it. Yet at the same time, it was very sad that Julia and I had to come to this. We weren’t even talking anymore.

Trevis placed a reassuring hand on my arm. “This changes everything, Sophia. We have the evidence

we need to clear your name.”

I nodded in understanding. “I only told you I was quitting so that you would really look into all of it,” I admitted to him. “But I’m not leaving, Trevis. Thank you for acting on this quickly and seeing it through

Perhaps Elijah was waiting for me to thank him or something, but I couldn’t. I remembered how he’d also doubted me and had immediately jumped to Julia’s side. So for the next few minutes, I ate in silence while the men discussed the project further.

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After dinner, Trevis thanked me. “Sophia, thank you for coming with us and for all your hard work. Elijah and I will take care of this plagiarism issue, so don’t worry anymore about it.”

“Alright, thank you,” I said with a faint smile. “And thanks for dinner. See you at work tomorrow,”

I stood up and said goodbye, then turned toward the exit.

But then Elijah’s voice stopped me in my tracks.

“I’m sorry,” he called out, his tone uncharacteristically gentle. “Sophia, I apologize for misunderstanding you.”

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