Chapter 7: The Company That Owned My Mother's Name
“It's not at the house anymore.””
Celeste's words echoed through my mother's old sewing room.
I stared at her.
“Where did Vivienne take it?””
Celeste glanced toward the hallway again.
“The company headquarters.””
“Which company?””
“Meridian Couture Group.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
Meridian Couture Group was one of the largest luxury fashion companies in the country. It sponsored the New York Rising Designer Competition and had partnerships with several international fashion houses.
Its executives sat on the same panels that decided which young designers received contracts.
And according to Celeste, it now owned my mother's patent.
“How?””
Celeste wrapped her arms around herself.
“Mom said she transferred the rights.””
“Your mother transferred something that didn't belong to her?””
“I don't know!””
“Stop pretending you don't know anything.””
Celeste's eyes filled with tears.
“You think I wanted all this?””
I stared at her.
“You stood on a runway wearing my dress and told hundreds of people you made it.””
“I know.””
“You watched Mom steal my application.””
“I know!””
Her voice cracked.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Celeste lowered herself onto the chair beside the cutting table.
“Mom told me the patent belonged to her.””
I laughed without humor.
“Of course she did.””
“She said your mother had borrowed money from her years ago and transferred the rights as repayment.””
“That's impossible.””
“I didn't know that.””
“Did you ever see a signed agreement?””
Celeste shook her head.
“Mom showed me a document. It had Elise's signature.””
I stepped closer.
“My mother died before Vivienne even married Dad.””
Celeste looked up.
“I know.””
The room seemed to shrink around us.
“Then why did you believe her?””
Celeste covered her face.
“Because I wanted to be somebody.””
Her words came out in a whisper.
“I wanted the invitations, the photographs, the interviews. I wanted people to look at me and think I was special. Mom kept telling me I was born to be a designer.””
I stared at her.
“You could have become one without stealing from me.””
She looked away.
“I know.””
For the first time, I saw something different in Celeste's expression.
Not jealousy.
Not arrogance.
Fear.
But I wasn't going to confuse her fear with innocence.
“You're going to tell the competition everything,” I said.
She shook her head immediately.
“Mom would destroy me.””
“She's already destroyed enough.””
“You don't understand what she's capable of.””
I held up my phone.
“Then explain it.””
Celeste stared at the screen.
After a long silence, she began talking.
According to Celeste, Vivienne had spent nearly two years negotiating with Meridian Couture Group.
The company wanted to acquire a new textile technique that could be used in high-end fashion production.
Vivienne had approached them with my mother's original flower construction method.
But there was a problem.
She couldn't prove ownership.
So she began constructing a chain of documents that made it appear as though Elise Bennett had transferred the technique to her.
The forged paperwork was then used to establish Vaughn Atelier Holdings as the owner.
Meridian agreed to purchase the rights for $2.4 million, subject to final verification.
“Two million four hundred thousand?”” I repeated.
Celeste nodded.
“Mom said the money would be released after the competition.””
I felt sick.
The pink gown was supposed to be proof that Celeste could reproduce the technique.
The competition was a publicity event.
And the licensing contract would turn the entire theft into a multimillion-dollar business transaction.
“Did you know about the amount?””
“Not until last month.””
“And you still continued?””
Celeste looked down.
“Mom said we were too far into it to stop.””
I stepped away.
“That's not an excuse.””
“I know.””
She reached into the pocket of her robe.
“I have something.””
She pulled out a small black USB drive.
“Mom made me keep copies of the documents. She said if anything went wrong, I should tell her immediately.””
I took it.
“What is on here?””
“The patent transfer agreement. The licensing contract. Some emails.””
I stared at the device.
“Why are you giving me this?””
Celeste swallowed.
“Because I saw what she did to you. And I know what she plans to do next.””
“What?””
Celeste's voice dropped.
“She's going to make you disappear from the story completely.””
Before I could ask what she meant, footsteps sounded in the hallway.
Vivienne.
Celeste jumped to her feet.
“Hide it!””
I slipped the USB drive into my pocket.
The office door opened.
Vivienne stood there, still wearing her champagne-colored evening suit.
Her eyes moved from Celeste to the open cabinet.
Then to the notebook.
Her face went completely blank.
“What are you doing?””
I held up my mother's letter.
“Looking for something that belongs to me.””
Vivienne slowly closed the door.
“Put that down.””
“No.””
“I said put it down.””
I stepped backward.
“You stole my mother's research.””
Vivienne laughed.
“Your mother was a talented woman, but she was terrible at business.””
“You forged her signature.””
“Prove it.””
I held her gaze.
“I will.””
She walked toward me.
“You have no idea how much money has already been invested in this project.””
“Then you should have invested in your own ideas.””
Her hand tightened around the edge of the cutting table.
“You are making a very expensive mistake.””
I smiled coldly.
“No. You made it when you thought I would never find out.””
Vivienne looked toward Celeste.
“What did you tell her?””
Celeste shook her head.
“Nothing.””
Vivienne stepped closer.
“Don't lie to me.””
Celeste's voice trembled.
“I told her about Meridian.””
Vivienne's expression transformed.
She grabbed Celeste's arm.
“You stupid girl.””
“Mom, stop!””
“You had one job!””
I moved between them.
“Let her go.””
Vivienne released her daughter.
Then she looked at me.
“You think you've won something?””
I said nothing.
She reached into her handbag and pulled out her phone.
“Security will remove you both.””
I turned toward the door.
“That's fine.””
As I left, I heard her make a call.
“It's me,” she said sharply.
“We have a problem. The girl knows about Meridian.””
A pause.
Then:
“No. I don't care what it takes. The transfer must be completed tomorrow.””
Rebecca was waiting in her office when I arrived.
Naomi sat beside her, reviewing the photographs from my mother's notebook.
I placed the USB drive on the desk.
“Celeste gave me this.””
Rebecca looked up.
“Are you certain she gave it to you voluntarily?””
“Yes.””
“Did you copy the contents without changing the original files?””
“No. I haven't opened it.””
Rebecca nodded.
“Good. We'll preserve it properly.””
She connected the drive to a secure computer.
A folder appeared.
Inside were twenty-seven documents.
The first was a licensing agreement.
The second was a scanned patent transfer.
The third was an email exchange between Vivienne and Meridian's chief acquisitions officer, Richard Hale.
Rebecca read the messages carefully.
Then she stopped.
“Look at this.””
She turned the screen toward me.
The email was dated six months earlier.
Vivienne had written:
The original designer's daughter is unaware of the commercial value of the technique. We anticipate no objection from the family once the transfer is finalized.
Richard Hale had replied:
Excellent. The competition will provide the necessary public validation of Celeste's authorship.
I stared at the screen.
They had known.
They had known that the design was stolen.
And they had planned to use the competition to make the theft look legitimate.
Rebecca opened another document.
Her expression became serious.
“This is worse than I expected.””
“What?””
She pointed to the final page of the agreement.
There was a clause requiring Vivienne to provide an independent verification of ownership before the payment could be released.
The verification was scheduled for the following evening.
The designated witness was Daniel Bennett.
My father.
I felt my stomach drop.
“Dad?””
Rebecca nodded.
“According to this agreement, your father is supposed to certify that Elise voluntarily transferred the rights to Vivienne.””
“But he never saw that agreement.””
“Then we need to establish that immediately.””
I grabbed my phone.
My father answered on the first ring.
“Aaliyah?””
“Dad, did you sign anything for Meridian Couture Group?””
Silence.
Then he said:
“Vivienne brought me a document yesterday.””
“What did it say?””
“She told me it was a statement confirming that your mother had left her designs to the family.””
My hands began shaking.
“Did you sign it?””
He didn't answer.
“Dad!””
“I signed the first page.””
I closed my eyes.
Rebecca leaned closer.
“Ask him whether he still has a copy.””
“Dad, do you have the document?””
“I think Vivienne kept it.””
“Did you read it?””
“I thought it was about your mother's estate.””
I looked at Rebecca.
She mouthed two words.
Don't panic.
But how could I not?
The next evening, my father was scheduled to become the final witness in a fraud that could erase my mother's legacy.
And if Vivienne succeeded, she would have everything.
The patent.
The money.
The company.
And the right to tell the world that Celeste Vaughn had invented my mother's work.
At 10:42 p.m., a message arrived from an unknown number.
It contained a photograph of a building.
The Meridian Couture Group headquarters.
Beneath it was a single sentence.
*If you want to know where the original patent is, come to the east entrance tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.*
Rebecca examined the message.
“Do you recognize the number?””
“No.””
Naomi looked uneasy.
“This could be a trap.””
I stared at the photograph.
The building stood like a wall of glass and steel against the Manhattan skyline.
Then another message arrived.
*Ask your father what happened to the original patent application on the day your mother died.*
May you like
My blood ran cold.
Because suddenly, I wasn't sure my father had told me everything.
