Chapter 236

The line fell silent for a few seconds before Ethan Sullivan's deep voice came through. "Do you truly not understand the reason, or are you pretending not to?"

Evelyn Sullivan's heart skipped a beat.

She tightened her grip on the phone, her tone icy. "Mr. Sullivan, don’t forget our agreement today."

The words were as much a reminder to him as a warning to herself.

Ethan chuckled softly. "I remember it perfectly well. That’s why I’m not asking for a response."

"I need to rest." Evelyn pressed her lips together. "Goodbye."

As she ended the call, she thought she heard a faint "Goodnight" from the other end.

She drew a deep breath, forcing herself to stay composed.

The next morning, Isabella Jackson's Weibo post exploded across trending searches.

Isabella Jackson V: Thank you for your concern. There was no foul play—just an accidental fall. To those spreading malicious rumors about me jumping off a building, please don’t believe or spread lies. I will continue competing in the design competition. Unless my hands are completely useless, I won’t give up on my dream of winning the championship!

As an internationally renowned designer, Isabella had amassed a massive following. Combined with the buzz around the competition, her post garnered over ten thousand comments within five minutes.

"Isabella was sketching designs with a high fever abroad until she collapsed!"

"She could’ve lived as a pampered heiress but chose to chase her dreams with talent instead. So inspiring!"

"Her first two rounds were breathtaking. The championship is hers for sure!"

Reading the flood of praise, Isabella smirked coldly.

Once she won the championship and took Brocade from Ethan, she’d deal with Evelyn at her leisure.

Evelyn scrolled through the post and scoffed.

The more flawless the persona, the harder the fall.

Her phone vibrated suddenly. Sophia Reynolds’ frantic voice came through. "Evelyn, MY’s fall collection is in trouble!"

"What happened?"

"My uncle cut costs by using substandard fabric. Now customers are complaining about fading and allergic reactions!"

Evelyn’s gaze turned sharp. "Tell Simon Reynolds to handle it!"

"He didn’t come to work today, and his phone’s unreachable."

Half an hour later, Sophia called back. "We found him. He claims he’s sick and hospitalized."

Evelyn sneered. "How convenient."

"What do we do? Protesters are gathering outside the company."

"Full refunds. Cover medical expenses for those with allergies. Recall the entire collection."

"But the company’s cash flow will collapse—"

"I’ll handle the finances."

After hanging up, the CFO hesitated. "Ms. Sullivan, MY is a bottomless pit at this point..."

"Get to the point."

"Instead of constantly filling the hole, we should consider filing for bankruptcy."