Married First, Loved Later : A Flash Marriage with My Ex’s "Uncle" - Chapter 192

Chapter 192: Betrayal
“Miss Angelica, don’t say that. How could you be considered an outsider? That so-called true heiress of the Clark Family is nowhere near your level,” someone in the crowd flattered.

Everyone knew Angelica was merely James’ stepdaughter, but so what? Her achievements were undeniable, whereas the real heiress…

Angelica quickly shook her head. “I never expected to inherit Clark Group. Selina is the only rightful successor. Please don’t say such things.”

Selina narrowed her eyes.

“Miss Angelica, are you really willing to let that ignorant country bumpkin walk all over you? She doesn’t even—”

Before the woman could finish, she suddenly froze. “Selina?!”

The entire room instinctively turned, spotting Selina standing at the entrance. Angelica bit her lip and stepped forward. “Selina, what brings you here?”

Selina’s gaze swept across the crowd, a faint smirk on her lips. “You all look surprised. This is my family’s company—am I not allowed to visit?”

Angelica put on a tolerant, gentle expression. “That’s not what I meant—”

“You still have the audacity to show up?”

A woman, appearing to be a department manager, sneered. “Miss Angelica is here for business. What about you? What else do you know besides causing trouble? If you weren’t Mr. Clark’s biological daughter, I would’ve kicked you out long ago!”

Selina recognized her—it was Manager Bryant, the head of the PR department and one of Katie’s relatives.

She casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Even if I were to ruin something, it would still be my mother’s company I’m ruining. The shares are in my hands, so why are you so worked up, Manager Bryant?”

The room fell silent.

She had a point… Clark Group was founded by Victoria, and the majority of shares were still technically in Selina’s name. Even if she hadn’t fully taken control yet, why would an outsider like Bryant be so concerned about what she did with her own inheritance?

Manager Bryant’s face turned bright red with embarrassment. “W-Well, even if Victoria founded it, right now, it belongs to—”

“Miss Selina, you’re here!”

A voice interrupted. An older man, around sixty, quickly walked in, his brows furrowed. “Manager Bryant, this is Clark Group, not the Bryant Family’s personal playground!”

Manager Bryant stiffened but tried to argue. “But Selina—”

“I don’t want to hear another word. If you keep causing trouble, hand in your resignation.”

The older shareholder then turned to Selina. “Did you bring the design drafts, Miss Selina? Please, come upstairs with me.”

Angelica’s gaze flickered as she exchanged a look with the shareholder before quietly slipping away.

Manager Bryant, still fuming, muttered under her breath, “Everyone knows Mr. Taylor is loyal to Victoria—he’s clearly playing favorites. I really feel bad for Miss Angelica…”

Meanwhile, whispers spread through the crowd.

“Did Miss Selina really bring design drafts?”

“Miss Angelica already formed her own jewelry design team. This is clearly a showdown between the two!”

“Yeah, launching designs at the same time… Whoever sells less will lose face.”

“I’m betting on Miss Angelica…”

…

Inside the jewelry department.

Selina frowned. “Why are they asking for the designs now?”

Clark Group’s jewelry line usually released two new collections per quarter. It wasn’t time for the next launch yet.

The shareholder, Taylor, gave her a polite yet calculated smile. “Miss Selina, you may not be aware, but Angelica suggested releasing a new design every month. Mr. Clark agreed. I didn’t want you to fall behind, so I hurried to inform you.”

“But don’t worry, Miss Selina. In terms of connections and talent, Angelica is no match for you. We are the people Mrs. Victoria left behind—we will always stand by you.”

Selina lowered her gaze and took out a design draft. “Got it.”

Shareholder Taylor accepted it, the greed in his eyes growing even more intense. “The brooch sample will be ready soon. Shall I escort you back, Miss Selina?”

Something about this situation felt off.

But the jewelry department had stood by her mother for over twenty years without wavering, and Shareholder Taylor had helped her a lot in the past…

Selina shook her head. “No need.”

As she stepped out the door, the kindly expression on Shareholder Taylor’s face faded into something more sinister. He walked into a secluded corner and murmured into his phone:

“The design draft is in hand. Next step…”

…

Back at Sapphire Valley Villa, Kevin’s call came through.

“Selina, the word on the street is that you’re going head-to-head with Angelica in a jewelry design competition—whoever wins inherits Clark Group. Is that true?”

Selina raised an eyebrow. “Where did you hear that from?”

“Everyone’s saying it.” Kevin shrugged, then suddenly grinned mischievously.

“Clark Group and Angelica probably have no idea that you’ve made a name for yourself internationally—you’re a master in the design industry. If they knew, would they even dare compete with you?”

“If you ask me, you should just reveal your true identity. The renowned designer ‘Star’—whose designs are worth a fortune—why bother staying low-key and putting up with this nonsense at Clark Group?”

Selina rested her chin on her hand. “It’s not the right time yet.”

Kevin didn’t push. “Alright, but I heard Angelica is determined to win. Her design skills don’t even come close to yours, so be careful—she might try something underhanded.”

Selina narrowed her eyes, now curious about what tricks Angelica had up her sleeve.

…

One week later, both gemstone brooches were unveiled.

Inside Clark Group, the launch sparked heated discussions.

“Miss Angelica, great news! Your brooch design is already receiving numerous pre-orders from wealthy ladies.”

“The response on the website is amazing too! Who would’ve thought you had such a talent for jewelry design?”

Angelica gave a subtle signal, and suddenly, someone in the crowd voiced their suspicion.

“Wait… why do these two gemstone brooches look so similar?”

Another person chimed in, “Yeah, Selina’s design is almost identical to Miss Angelica’s!”

Angelica frowned lightly, feigning concern. “How could this happen? There must be some mistake…”

Clark Group’s main jewelry department, managed by Selina, and Angelica’s independent jewelry team had both released their new products.

Yet the designs were eerily alike!

“Looks like someone copied… but who copied who?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Miss Angelica submitted her design a long time ago, while Selina only turned hers in last week. The answer is clear.”

“Selina plagiarized? How shameless! Does she think being Clark Group’s heiress lets her do whatever she wants? People were praising her designs for being unique, and now we find out they’re stolen?”

“I feel so bad for Miss Angelica… You can’t let this slide!”

…

Thirty minutes later, Angelica stormed toward James’ office, her face dark with anger.

“Uncle Clark…”

She hesitated, putting on a conflicted expression. “I don’t even know if I should bring this up. After all, Selina is your biological daughter, and I shouldn’t speak ill of her in front of you. But this involves Clark Group’s reputation…”

She pulled out a set of design drafts. “Look at this. Selina’s design is identical to mine. The products are already on the market, and my fans know this was my creation first. Now, Clark Group is trending for plagiarism. Uncle Clark, I can’t turn a blind eye to this just to protect Selina at the expense of Clark Group.”

“I may not be a true member of the Clark Family, but I can’t stand by and watch Clark Group be ruined in her hands…”