The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Chapter 169

The moment Vivienne spoke, a hush fell over the bleachers. Everyone who heard her turned to look in

her direction.

What did Vivienne just say?

Hazel almost thought she had misheard. Before she could utter a mocking retort, Helen abruptly stood

up, her icy gaze fixed on Vivienne. “What did you just say?”

“I said, ‘Beyond is as wrong as falling short.” Vivienne’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly as she met

Helen’s gaze and repeated her words calmly.

“What gives you, a country bumpkin, the right to judge Mike’s designs like that?” Helen’s face was a

picture of outrage.

When her family, the Edwards family, initially vied for the agency rights to Mr. Mike’s brand, it was partly

due to the potential profit but also because Helen was a big fan and had highly recommended it.

Helen had always been a devoted fan of Mike. She never missed a show and had collected every

piece he had ever designed. In her eyes, aside from the elusive Master Charles, Mr. Mike was the most

gifted fashion designer in recent years.

She was now preparing for her college entrance exams and had no plans to attend a local university.

Instead, she was aiming to study abroad at Mike’s alma mater, the prestigious King’s Design Academy

in Veloria.

Her dream was to become a fashion designer like Charles and Mike.

She had refrained from clashing with Vivienne due to the presence of Percival and Cecilia, not wanting

to offend the Ellington family. However, hearing Vivienne belittle her idol’s designs was something she

could

not tolerate.

“Have a problem?” Vivienne had the model on stage, dressed in a gown with a gradient color scheme,

stop. She pointed at the large bow on her shoulder and waist and asked, “The dress already has a

complex color scheme, and the hem has a complicated cake–like design. Wouldn’t it be better if the

upper half was simple? Isn’t adding two large bows overdoing it?”

“What do you know?!” Helen, after seeing Mike’s design belittled by Vivienne, retorted angrily. “This is

called vintage. Do you understand?”

Charlotte laughed and commented on the gradient–colored dress. “I think Vivienne is right. The design

is too complicated. There are too many highlights but no focal point.”

“Nonsense!” Helen glared at Charlotte. “Don’t side with her just because she’s Percival’s fiancée and

you’re trying to curry favor with the Ellington family!”

Charlotte’s face turned cold. “Don’t assume I’m like you, who is willing to befriend any scum to get

close to the Brooks family!”

“Charlotte, I didn’t offend you, so why are you attacking me out of nowhere?!” Arabella’s eyes turned

red at the blink of an eye. Her wronged expression made Charlotte’s skin crawl.

“Helen is right. Mike’s talent is highly sought after internationally. If you think his designs are bad, why

don’t you try designing clothes? Why don’t you become designers? My family invited Mike to design for

my engagement party. I won’t allow you to insult him at will.”

“If you can’t do it, just admit it.” Hazel was afraid of Percival and Cecilia and didn’t dare provoke

Vivienne directly. But she wasn’t afraid of Charlotte. A malicious glint flashed in her eyes as she

challenged her. “If you’re so confident, then why don’t you improve the dress?

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“Show everyone your improved version. Let’s see if it’s better than Mike’s original design.”

Charlotte fell silent immediately. She couldn’t design clothes, and even if she could, she wouldn’t dare

risk. offending Mike by altering his design.

Unexpectedly, Vivienne spoke to a waiter, who quickly brought her a pair of scissors and a sewing kit.

She accepted them and calmly walked onto the stage.

“Vivienne, what are you doing?” Helen exclaimed in shock, reaching out to pull Vivienne away. “Get

down from there! How dare you touch Mike’s design?!”

Vivienne ignored her and snipped off the large bow on the model’s shoulder with a swift clip of her

scissors.

“Vivienne, I’ll kill you!” Helen screamed in fury. “How could you?!”

She turned to the model and yelled, “Are you insane? Why are you letting her ruin Mike’s dress?!”

The model, an Italian woman, didn’t understand English and could only stare at Helen with puzzled

eyes.

Even if she didn’t understand the language, she shouldn’t have let someone damage the dress she

was wearing. Yet she simply stood there, allowing Vivienne to have her way.

Below the stage, the crowd was growing as more people were drawn by Helen’s screams. Everyone

looked at Vivienne with furrowed brows. Regardless of the circumstances, altering someone else’s

design was an insult

to the designer.

In their eyes, Vivienne’s actions were incredibly rude.

Yet, due to Percival and Cecilia’s presence, none of them said anything.

“What’s going on?”

A kindly but somewhat weathered voice sounded from the edge of the crowd.

Everyone turned to see the crowd parting to make way for Ashley and Ronald, who were

accompanying Judith. Scott and Melissa followed close behind, with Beatrice and her two sons trailing

after them.

“Grandma!” Arabella spotted Judith and immediately clung to her arm. Her voice was tinged with panic.

“You have to stop my sister. She’s gone mad! She’s about to ruin Mr. Mike’s dress!”

Judith frowned. Mike might only be a designer, but he was a valued guest they had gone to great

lengths to invite. He shouldn’t be insulted in such a manner.

But when her gaze landed on the girl wielding scissors on the runway, she was taken aback.

It was her!

The same girl who had saved her back in Havenwood.

“Why didn’t any of you stop her?” Ronald asked, his brows knitted together in confusion.

Arabella opened her mouth as if to say something, but no words came out. Her eyes darted nervously

between Percival and Cecilia, her expression a mix of fear and helplessness.

“Who would dare stop the fiancé of Mr. Ellington?” Hazel interjected. A cold smirk played on her lips as

she spoke for Arabella.

“Grandmother, you must stop my sister immediately. Look how upset Helen is!” Arabella pleaded, her

face full of concern. “Mike came here because of her family. If she offends Mike and it leads to a fallout

between the Edwards family and him, then wouldn’t I be the most wicked person ever?”

Helen was indeed on the verge of tears. Her hand clutched her dress as she rushed onto the runway.

intending to intercept Vivienne.

Vivienne was just in the process of tearing off the large bow on the dress and removing the excess

design elements.

As she turned around, revealing the dress that had been hidden behind her, Helen froze. Stripped of its

excessive embellishments, the dress was transformed into a strapless beauty. Its design suddenly

became much more elegant and streamlined.

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