With LOVE's new collection caught in a blatant plagiarism scandal, shouldn't their parent company, LOVELESS, step in and take control? More and more people were paying attention. On LOVELESS's domestic and international social media accounts, users were tagging the official team, demanding they stand up for the underdog, Tranquil Vision. LOVE had the colossal Cosmos Group backing it. Tranquil Vision was a minnow. If LOVELESS wouldn't speak up for fairness, then they were essentially complicit. The online firestorm was getting worse, and the higher-ups at Cosmos Group were getting nervous. They started pressuring Landon to take decisive action. Under the relentless attacks, Cosmos Group had lost hundreds of millions. If this continued, the financial damage would be catastrophic. No one was willing to shoulder that blame. As Cosmos Group's acting CEO, Landon was expected to control the situation. With things spinning out of control, he had to answer for it. "They want to pull their funding? Fine. Just have the board cash out those few shares they own and pay them. They want to jump ship over a minor scandal like this? Do they really think Cosmos needs their petty cash?" Landon snapped into the phone, his voice icy. "Don't bother Eric with this. I'm making the call here. Handle it my way. If Eric has a problem with it, I'll answer to him personally." Landon hung up before the other person could reply, muttering about narrow-minded investors. Chloe, who had been watching him, couldn't help but think that he certainly had backbone. Landon turned and noticed Chloe standing there. He was surprised. "Why are you out here?" "I can't hide in the lounge forever," Chloe replied calmly. "I heard what you said. This mess has already cost the company a fortune. It started because of me. I need to take responsibility."Landon was taken aback. He hadn't expected her to say that. The online hate campaign was so intense that even an official clarification from Cosmos Group might not be enough to turn the tide. Most of the design images Linda had released were nearly identical to Chloe's. They had posted first, seizing the narrative. Linda had stolen Chloe's design files, but there was no concrete proof. The security footage from that critical time was missing, and technical recovery attempts had failed. "Do you regret signing me with zero work experience, based only on a rough sketch?" Chloe asked quietly, her gaze intent. Landon raised an eyebrow and gave a confident smile. "I don't believe in regret. And Eugene? Even less so. He invested serious money in the Four Seasons collection. That tells you he believes in you." Hearing that, a faint smile touched Chloe's lips. "I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. The hatred is directed at me. The company is being dragged down because of me. Prepare the press conference," Chloe stated, her voice cool and steady. When she looked at Landon again, her eyes held a determined chill. "I will answer these accusations myself." Landon hesitated. He moved closer, his expression serious. "This is the company's problem to solve, not yours alone. You don't have to do this. You don't have to put your face out there. The fact that your photo was leaked is my failure. I promised to protect your privacy." "What's done is done. No use dwelling on it," Chloe said, her tone firm and final. "Notify the media. I will address them myself in one hour." "This..." Landon wavered. He was stalling, waiting for Eugene—Eugene had said he would return to handle the situation personally. This involved Chloe. If Landon were in Eugene's position, he wouldn't let her face the mob alone. "Chloe, maybe we should—" Landon began, lowering his voice."Mr. Voss!" an assistant interrupted urgently. "LOVELESS's official account just released a public statement across all platforms. They... they announce they are formally suing the plagiarist." "What?" Landon was stunned. Why was LOVELESS pouring fuel on the fire now? The situation had just gotten exponentially worse. He had no idea if Eugene had even arrived yet. Even if he'd left the moment he heard the news, he might not make it back in time. "Mr. Voss, should our official account issue a response?" Darin asked quietly. "The backlash online is insane. I've never seen anything like it. If we don't handle this right, Cosmos's growth in Capaville will take a brutal hit." Landon looked at Chloe, keeping his voice low. "We're still looking into the deal where someone stole your designs. We have no results yet. It's not the right time for a press conference. Let's wait." "The entire internet is demanding a response from me. Fine, they'll get one," Chloe said, her composure unshaken. "In one hour, at the Cosmos News Center, we will hold the press conference."