Chapter 517 Stealing Ideas


    Noah and Max were interested in knowing the entire story. Therefore, Anne told them everything,


    making sure not to miss any details. The two men listened with rapt attention. Their anger intensified


    with every word she uttered.


    Listening to her side of the story made them understand Kim better.


    The man was in love with Anne. In the beginning, he had dealt with Kevin for money. Later, he ended


    up doing everything for Anne.


    Kim was crazy about her. However, he couldn''t win Anne''s love. Therefore, he turned into an evil man.


    Kim had made unforgivable mistakes in the past. But one couldn''t help but admire his courage. He was


    an intense man who never shied to express love or hatred.


    "I''m sure Kim must have been the one who had fired the gun. I also saw him on our terrace, but we lost


    track of him. I am afraid that he is hiding in the dark, waiting to attack us at any time."


    Anne massaged her temples and sighed. "Kim is a crazy man. He would do anything to have what he


    wants. I also think he is responsible for what happened to Kevin."


    Noah and Max nodded. They had to be more vignt now.


    "Kim is..." Noah shook his head in frustration. He tried finding the words to describe the vindictive man


    but couldn''t.


    "Kim is a reckless man. If he is still alive, he should have chosen a safe ce to live, where no one can


    find him. First, he made the mistake ofing back. Now, he has gone a step ahead and caused


    trouble. He is digging his own grave!" Max growled, running his fingers through his hair.


    The police risked their lives to ensure justice for all. They couldn''t let evil prevail.


    Anne nodded. Kim shouldn''t havee back, but he was already here, wreaking havoc in their lives.


    What could they do now?


    In the evening, Kevin returned home from the police station. Everyone gathered around him to find


    what had happened. "Kevin, how is everything going?" Selma asked worriedly.


    "The police believe that Kim is still alive. They have tightened the security around the city." Kevin


    smiled reassuringly. "However, I don''t have any evidence to prove that I''m not the one in the video, so it


    is a little tricky."


    Anne dropped her gaze to the ground. She thought the same.


    Selma snorted in disdain. "The police are responsible for finding the evidence. They can''t give reasons


    to justify their inefficiency."


    Max and Noah looked at each other. Selma''s words irked them, but she was an elder. They had no


    choice but to hold back their anger.


    Kevin was aware of his mother''s temper. Therefore, he chose to remain silent. His biggest worry was


    dealing with Kim. The man was back in A City. He knew that the man would not let him get away so


    easily. There probably would be bigger problems waiting for him. Kevin had to think of a n. He had


    to make sure Anne and the children were safe.


    Finding Kim was the only solution to the problem. However, after showing up in front of them once, the


    man had disappeared without leaving a trace.


    The days passed in a blur. It was the day of the runway fashion show conducted by the LF Group.


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    Many people had gathered to witness the prestigious event. Kevin instructed all the guards to take their


    positions across the building. Noah and Max were standing at the main entrance. They didn''t leave a


    chance for Kim to sneak in.


    Although they had gone overboard, Kevin didn''t think it mattered as long as his family was safe.


    Kevin''s eyes were fixed on theputer screen as he checked the footage of every surveince video.


    He finally heaved a sigh of relief as everything seemed normal.


    ''What on earth does Kim want to do? Why hasn''t he shown up yet?'' he mused, massaging his temples.


    If Kim wanted to hurt Kevin and Anne, the runway fashion show was the best opportunity to execute his


    ns.


    However, the man hadn''te. Kevin had checked every surveince footage but didn''t see anything


    suspicious. He didn''t think that Kim would miss such a great opportunity.


    "Kim is a cunning man. No one can guess his moves. He probably knows what we are thinking. He isn''t


    stupid to present himself before a live audience." Anne shook her head, smiling. "He won''t show up


    today." She was wearing a white dress, looking like an angel.


    Kevin smiled in return without saying anything. He had also thought the same. But if Kim was an


    unpredictable man, as Anne said, who would know his true intention? However, regardless of whether


    the man came or not, Kevin had taken the necessary precautions to protect his family.


    "It''s time. Let''s go downstairs," Anne suggested, ncing at her clock. The show was about to begin.


    Kevin nodded, rose to his feet, and straightened his suit. He was a tall, handsome man who looked


    better than most popr male actors in the film industry. He stretched his arms and smiled. Anne took


    the hint and stepped closer to him. Their eyes locked as theyughed happily.


    Kevin and Anne were married for a long time and had three children. Although they weren''t as


    passionate as they were during the early days of marriage, their love had blossomed into something


    more beautiful. Their love for the children had knit them closer than ever.


    They would never let go of each other''s hand regardless of what happened. The problems in their life


    only brought them closer, making them realize how important they were to each other.


    Rose and Mark smiled as they saw Anne and Kevin walk hand in hand.


    Emily wanted to be there too. But she was going to give birth to the baby soon. She had to stay at


    home and get ample rest.


    Although Emily was disappointed, she knew that it wasn''t appropriate to attend such events when the


    baby was due this month.


    "We are greatly honored to have your gracious presence. I thank each and every one who hase


    today." As the CEO of the LF Group and the top designer in the city, Anne made the speech.


    The audience listened to her without causing anymotion. Although the video had stirred many


    doubts and spection, the public security department had confirmed that the man in the footage


    wasn''t Kevin. However, it didn''t matter whether the people believed it or not. Everyone knew that Kevin


    held an unshakable position in A City.


    "All right, I won''t waste your time anymore. You havee to watch the show, not listen to my boring


    speech. So without any further ado, let''s start the show." The lights went off as the spotlight of the


    stage turned on.


    The audience broke into thunderous apuse. Anne walked down the stage with a contented smile.


    Kevin was waiting for her with a ss of champagne. Anne smiled and took a sip of the drink; her


    stomach churned with uneasiness. She tugged onto Kevin''s shirt and leaned closer to him. "I have a


    nasty feeling," Anne whispered.


    The bodyguards had surrounded the building. Noah and Max were equipped with guns.


    However, Anne couldn''t shake off the eerie feeling residing in the pit of her stomach. She felt as if


    someone was watching her; she could sense danger. The poisonous aura made her weak. Anne felt as


    if she were in a dark room with the enemy preying on her, waiting for the right time to attack.


    Only Kim''s presence would make her tremble with fear.


    "Has Kim managed to sneak in? Maybe he is here, hiding among the crowd?" Anne''s face had turned


    pale.


    Rose and her husband sensed her fear. "What''s wrong?" she asked, holding Anne''s arm.


    Kevin knew Anne better than anyone else. He held Anne''s hand before turning to look at Rose and


    Mark. "You stay here and make sure everything goes well."


    Rose and Mark exchanged nces. They couldn''t figure out what was going on. However, Kevin had


    instructed them to take care of the event, so they had to listen to him.


    Kevin ascended the stairs with Anne, making sure not to leave her hand even for a moment. He could


    calm down only if she was by his side.


    The two walked into the office. Kevin pulled a chair for Anne to sit before checking every surveince


    footage. But there were no traces of Kim.


    A frown lined Anne''s forehead as she had a sense of foreboding. She knew that something was wrong


    but couldn''t figure out what it was.


    Anne''s phone rang, breaking her reverie. Even the usually pleasant ringtone sounded eerie at this


    moment.


    She breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the name on the screen. "Emily, what''s wrong? Is everything


    all right?"


    "Anne, has the show started?" Emily asked. The panic was evident in her voice.


    "Yes. It has," '' answered Anne.


    Emily sucked in a big breath before speaking. "Something happened!"


    Anne''s breath caught in her throat. "Well, I saw a runway fashion show on TVst night. It was a


    wonderful show. But their designs were very simr to yours.


    I had asked Rose to send pictures. Their clothes are exactly the same as the ones you have designed."


    Anne''s body stiffened. She could barely hear Emily''s voice as countless thoughts swarmed in her head.


    How could this be possible?


    She had designed the clothes by herself, paying attention to every detail. Anne and her designers had


    worked day and night toplete the designs. The outfits were a product of her imagination and


    creativity.


    How could someone else steal her hard work?


    "Well, they haveunched their products ahead of us. People are already watching the show, so if we


    don''t prove that this is our idea, people will me us for copying them," Kevin said, studying Anne''s


    expression.


    The woman''s face had reddened with rage. She took a deep breath to hold her temper.


    "We worked day and night without eating and sleeping properly for the show. I can''t watch our efforts


    go waste!"


    Anne understood what her husband meant, but she couldn''t ept defeat when they were the original


    creators. Her heart sank as she looked at theputer monitor. The dainty models were sashaying


    towards the audience with pride. The clothes emanated a majestic aura, symbolizing the fantasies of


    young women.


    She had invested a lot of time in designing the dress she was wearing as well. It had taken two whole


    weeks for her to finish the outfit. White was the color theme of the event. It symbolized simplicity and


    indomitability.


    So she would not easily give in.


    "It is not my fault. This is our idea! Why should we change it?" Anne clenched her fists. "Anyway, we


    cannot stop the show now," she hissed through her teeth.


    Kevin arched his brows and smiled. His wife''s reaction didn''t surprise him the least.


    He knew Anne very well. She would never ept defeat without fighting back.


    Kevin leaned closer and sped her hand, intertwining their fingers. "Let''s go down and watch the


    show!"


    Anne nodded and followed him. Kevin''s support gave her the confidence to deal with the problem.


    The two had already witnessed the surprised looks on the reporters'' faces while watching the


    surveince video. Anne knew that they knew what had gone wrong and were waiting to hear her


    exnation.


    As expected, Rose ran to her as soon as she stepped out of the elevator. "Anne, we have a huge


    problem. Our designs are just the same as the outfits the models had worn in yesterday''s fashion show


    held by some otherpany," she panicked.


    Anne nodded. "I know."


    "What do we do now? Shall we stop the event right away?" Rose asked. The damages could be


    minimized if they stopped the show right away.


    Although their ideas were original and they hadn''t copied anyone''s design, the situation was


    unfavorable for them. They didn''t have any evidence to prove their statement.


    "Calm down, Rose. We didn''t make any mistakes, so there is no reason for us to panic and stop the


    show. Not only us but our designers, too, have devoted their time and energy to this fashion show. We


    both are designers, so we are more aware of what people want from us. The show will go on! We will


    not back off for any reason. Our reputation is more important than anything else. I will not let our hard


    work go waste!" Anne remarked, staring into Rose''s eyes.