Chapter 7 - THE RUNWAY TAKEOVERThe house lights dimmed, and the pulsing, rhythmic bass of electronic music reverberated through the grand showroom. Cameras clicked in unison as the first models glided down the runway wearing the sleek, modern pieces of the winter collection.
From my front-row seat, I kept my expression impassive. I caught sight of Dominic sitting across the runway in the VIP section. He looked tense, pale, and furious, flanked by his legal advisors. He hadn't expected me to show up, let alone sit front and center with a clear, calm smile.
Then came the grand finale.
The music shifted to a dramatic, sweeping orchestral crescendo. The spotlight hit the top of the runway.
Out stepped Vanessa Moretti, draped in my masterpiece—the narrow-backed ivory wedding gown with the folded shoulder. She smiled radiantly, playing to the cameras, soaking in the thunderous applause of the elite crowd.
Right as she reached the center of the runway, something unexpected happened.
The music didn't just stop—it cut out with a sharp static screech.
The lights didn't go dark. Instead, the massive digital projection screen behind the runway flashed violently, swapping the Caruso Design Group logo for a stark, black-and-white legal document heading:
[NOTICE OF FEDERAL COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT & FRAUD INVESTIGATION]
Below the bold heading, the screen projected high-resolution side-by-side comparisons: my original, timestamped hand-drawn sketches from four years ago, complete with my personal design notes, matched directly against the digital production files registered under Vanessa’s name.
Gasps rippled through the audience. Whispers erupted like wildfire.
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Vanessa stopped dead in her tracks in the middle of the runway, her face turning an absolute, ghostly white. She stared up at the screen in pure horror.
Across the room, Dominic leaped out of his seat, shouting frantically at the tech booth, "Cut that screen! Cut the power right now!"
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