“This doesn’t make any sense!” Sandra hissed, her voice strained as she showed the tablet screen to Evelyn. Her face had gone pale. “Look at this. They’re accusing you of plagiarizing the spring collection from La Fenice Atelier.”

Evelyn stood frozen behind the main stage of Milan Design Week. The rows of blinding lights and the roar of the crowd in the exhibition hall felt like they were closing in on her. This international showcase was the biggest milestone in her career—yet now, everything was at risk, threatened by a baseless accusation.

“Who leaked it first?” Evelyn asked quietly.

“A French design critic, Antoine Vallee. But the suspicious part is—he...