NovelEnglish
Jasmine rathered admit to plagiarizing Natalie than being framed for threatening the lady.
“Is she telling the truth? Does she really not know you?” Natalie gave the lady a doubtful look.
The lady shook her head vehemently. “Yes, we didn't know each other prior to this. Before the competition started,
she paid me a sum of money to monitor the live stream. Once Ms. Natalie's drawings were out, I was to download
them and wait for her in the restroom.”
“I didn't!” Jasmine was so angry that her heart was palpitating.
Since when did I do that?
Didn't she approach me in the first place?
Natalie looked at Jasmine and then the lady before lowering her head in thought.
After a few seconds, she raised her gaze and asked, “Since Jasmine had you wait for her in the restroom, how did
you know when she would be there?”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe lady pointed at one of the reporters in the reporters' area. “It's him. He was also watching the live stream.
When you finished your drawing, he walked by Jasmine and tossed a paper ball to her, informing her to see me in
the restroom.”
“So that's how!” Natalie nodded while Jasmine turned her attention to Mr. Horner, staring daggers at him.
At the same time, Mr. Horner ordered Walford to bring the reporter over.
Resigned to his fate, the reporter didn't struggle and allowed himself to be brought forward.
“Were you also bribed by her to do this?” Mr. Horner demanded to know while pointing at Jasmine.
The reporter glance at Jasmine before nodding. “Yes... yes, I was.”
“You... all of you...” Jasmine's body trembled violently as she was consumed by rage. Supporting herself on the
table, the veins on her hands began to bulge.
After a while, she came to a sudden realization and burst into hearty laughter. It was filled with both mockery and
anger. “I understand now. Both of you must be working together to sabotage me. And yet, there I was telling myself
that there is no such thing as a free lunch. The mastermind behind you is really vicious!”
“Mastermind? What do you mean?” Mr. Horner inquired with his eyebrows furrowed.
As for Natalie, her eyes flashed with a sudden understanding.
She knew Jasmine very well and could see that she wasn't lying. The lady and the reporter were indeed not bribed
by her, but by someone else who wanted to help her.
Once they were exposed, their priority was to smear Jasmine by pushing all the blame onto her, forcing her to take
responsibility. Their real purpose was to hide the true perpetrator who instructed them.
“Both of them used me to ruin Natalie under instructions of whomever the mastermind is. In the event they failed, I
would be the only one to suffer. The cruel joke was that I had fallen into their trap without giving it much thought as
I was simply tempted by the opportunity to beat Natalie,” Jasmine replied in a self-deprecating manner while glaring
at the lady and the reporter.
Both the crowd and the audience on the live stream were shocked.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmNo one had expected there to be a web of schemes behind a trivial plagiarism incident. It was an intriguing drama
indeed.
“Have you really been bought off by someone else who wants to ruin Ms. Natalie?” Mr. Horner interrogated the lady
and the reporter.
Both of them exchanged glances and quickly wave their hands in denial. “No, No. There's no mastermind
manipulating us other than Jasmine Smith.”
Just as they spoke, both of their eyes glistened in fear which was caught by Natalie.
Furrowing her eyebrows, she had an epiphany.
From the looks of it, the mastermind had something to threaten both of them with. Hence, they would never give
up the identity of their employer and there was no point asking any further.
Given how the mastermind used Jasmine to ruin her, it was evident that there was bad blood between them. Natalie
wondered if the mastermind was the true perpetrator behind the loss of the fabrics in their studio and the fire at
the warehouse.
“It's alright Mr. Horner. There's no need to ask any further since they have denied it.” Natalie stopped him.
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