Seeing the two closing in on her like they had rehearsed it, Anna's eyes grew even colder.
Tina, noticing her silence, assumed she was guilty and felt even more triumphant.
She glanced around at the crowd, then raised her voice so everyone could hear:
"Sister, just let it go. I know you bragged in front of everyone to save face, but pretending to be the chief designer of an international fashion brand is a lie that will be exposed sooner or later."
Anna let out a cold laugh. She finally understood.
Tina was set on convincing everyone she wasn't Marie, determined to humiliate her in front of the crowd.
Sure enough, Tina's words stirred whispers among the onlookers.
"I remember now. She's the eldest daughter of the Ives family, the one who got pregnant out of wedlock years ago and supposedly lost the child."
"Yeah, a woman like that could never be the chief designer of International Fashion."
"Isn't she supposed to marry Young Master White tomorrow? A woman that vain would definitely do anything."
Since Tina was already the future daughter-in-law of the Luke family, no one dared to offend her, so they all nodded along.
Hearing the gossip, Tina felt a wave of satisfaction. She lifted her chin slightly, her gaze locked on Anna.
She couldn't stand Anna's calm, noble air. A fallen woman like her still acting so high and mighty? Disgusting.
Anna glanced around at everyone but didn't bother to explain. The truth would reveal itself soon enough.
Zach's face grew darker as he listened to the murmurs.
Tina was right, if Anna was pretending to be Marie and the international fashion world discovered it, the White family would be dragged into the mess.
His anger flared.
He stormed up to Anna, grabbed her wrist tightly, and hissed through clenched teeth, "Anna! Leave right now, or forget about marrying into the White family!"
Just as the tension was about to snap, a commotion rose at the entrance. The noisy chatter died instantly as everyone turned to look.
Two tall figures walked in side by side.
On the right was Harry, dressed in a formal black suit. His handsome face was expressionless, lips pressed into a thin line, radiating cold aloofness.
Beside him stood Neil Walker, who had a completely different aura.
His light linen suit made him look upright and elegant, while the slight smile on his face carried warmth and authority.
When Tina saw Harry, she instantly softened her tone. But the moment her eyes landed on the man next to him, they lit up with excitement.
Curling her lips into a cold smile, she turned to Anna and sneered, "Anna, the CEO of International Fashion is here now. Didn't you claim to be Marie? Let's go confront him and see if you really are!"
Anna looked at Tina, who was practically giddy to see her embarrassed, and let out a cold snort without moving.
Tina, mistaking her silence for fear, mocked, "What happened? Weren't you just bragging so confidently about being the chief designer of International Fashion? Are you scared now?"
She was desperate to watch Anna humiliated.
Seeing Anna stay still, Tina yanked her forward. Her grip was strong, and Anna, caught off guard, stumbled forward and nearly fell.
Even with Anna's usual patience, anger finally flashed across her face. She snapped, "What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm taking you to confront the CEO of International Fashion. What? Guilty? Afraid?" Tina's eyes glimmered with mockery as she let out a derisive laugh. "If you're so unsure, then go ask Mr. Walker yourself. You'll get your answer soon enough!"
After speaking, Tina dragged Anna toward Neil and Harry.
When Tina saw Harry, her expression softened, and she shyly called out, "Harry."
Harry narrowed his eyes slightly, his dark gaze emotionless. Looking at the two women tangled together, he asked coldly, "What's going on?"
Before Anna could respond, Tina quickly raised her hand and said loudly, "It's her. She's been pretending to be Marie, the chief designer of International Fashion, and I caught her red-handed. This woman has been telling everyone she's Marie, which could ruin International Fashion's reputation. Mr. Walker, I hope you deal with this properly."
The crowd immediately grew restless. Their disdain toward Anna deepened.
Pretending to be the chief designer of International Fashion and getting caught like this was humiliating. If International Fashion pressed charges, she might even face jail time.
Neil stood nearby, his eyes narrowing as he noticed Tina's tight grip on Anna. The warmth on his face quickly faded.
Tina, thinking Neil was angry because of Anna's supposed lies, pushed her story further. "Mr. Walker, she's been pretending for a long time. She even tricked the design director of the Luke Corporation. Now she's here, probably with some hidden motive, maybe even to steal trade secrets. Besides, she was pregnant out of wedlock years ago and lost the child. How could someone like her ever be your company's chief designer?"
Neil's eyes turned icy. He glanced at Harry and asked calmly, "If I'm not mistaken, isn't this young lady your fiancée?"
Harry paused.
He didn't like Tina's scheming ways, but she had once saved him from being drugged and even gave birth to Shawn for him.
So, he nodded.
"Didn't expect Mr. Luke's fiancée to have such a sharp tongue. Quite the speaker," Neil remarked, his tone carrying a hint of danger as he stared at Tina.
Tina felt a chill under his gaze.
Her body stiffened, but she still nudged Anna forward, saying, "Mr. Walker, she's the one pretending to be Marie. I'm only worried about your company's... "
Before she could finish, Neil cut her off, his voice cold like ice. "Where's the evidence?"
Tina breathed easier at his words.
When Neil looked at her earlier, she thought he was angry with her, but now it seemed he only wanted proof from Anna.
Feeling emboldened, Tina turned to Anna and said arrogantly, "Did you hear that? If you're pretending to be International Fashion's chief designer, then show us some evidence!"
She thought everything was going her way. Anna had only herself to blame for acting important and now had no way out.
But just then, Neil suddenly stepped forward and yanked Tina's hand off Anna.
He lowered his eyes to Anna's slender wrist, now red from Tina's grip. For a moment, something flickered in his gaze.
Tina, stunned, assumed he was about to scold Anna.
She quickly added fuel to the fire, "Anna, spreading rumors about International Fashion like this… Mr. Walker won't let you off so easily!"
Harry's patience snapped. "Shut up," he scolded quietly, clearly annoyed by Tina's behavior.
Tina felt wronged. She had done this for the Luke family's sake.
She pouted and looked pitifully at Harry. "Harry, this woman is pretending to be the chief designer of an international fashion brand. I'm doing this for Luke Corporation."
But before she could say more, Neil's voice cut through, gentle yet firm, "Are you okay? Does it hurt? Your wrist is red."
Tina froze. She turned in disbelief to see Neil gently holding Anna's wrist, his tone filled with concern.
Her eyes widened, and her voice trembled. "Mr. Walker, this woman…"
Neil's gaze shot toward her, dark and sharp, like a blade piercing through the air. His stare was so cold it felt like facing an enemy.