The notification didn't stop.
It came in waves.
Ping.
Ping.
Ping.
Alicia stared at her phone, her screen lighting up over and over again.
At first, she didn't understand.
Then she saw it.
A headline.
"Rising Designer Alicia Anderson Accused of Plagiarism."
Her breath caught.
"No…" she whispered.
Her fingers trembled as she tapped the article.
Images of her designs filled the screen.
Side by side with another designer's work.
Accusations circled in bold letters.
Copied.
Unoriginal.
Fraud.
Her chest tightened.
"This isn't real…" she said, her voice barely audible.
But it was.
Social media exploded within minutes.
Comments flooded in faster than she could process.
I knew she was too new to be that good.
Another fake talent exposed.
Disappointing.
She should be banned from the competition.
Alicia dropped her phone onto the desk as if it burned her.
Her heart pounded violently.
The room suddenly felt too small.
Too quiet.
Too heavy.
A knock came at the door.
She didn't answer.
Another knock.
Then the door opened.
Michael stepped in.
One look at her was enough.
"What happened?" he asked, already knowing something was wrong.
Alicia didn't speak.
She just pointed weakly to the phone.
Michael picked it up.
His expression didn't change immediately.
But the silence that followed…
Was dangerous.
"They're saying I stole it," Alicia said, her voice breaking now.
"I didn't, Michael. I swear I didn't."
His gaze lifted to her.
"I know."
Just two words.
But they grounded her.
Still…
"It's everywhere," she said, shaking her head. "Everyone believes it."
Michael's jaw tightened slightly.
"Let them talk."
Alicia looked at him, hurt flashing in her eyes.
"They're destroying me," she whispered.
Before he could respond, another voice came from the doorway.
"Not if we have anything to say about it."
Sophie stepped in, her phone already in hand, her expression serious.
Adrian followed behind her, calm but focused.
"They're trending your name," Sophie said. "It's all over the internet."
Alicia felt her stomach drop.
"Trending…?"
Sophie nodded.
"But listen to me," she added firmly, stepping closer. "This is not the end. It's noise."
Adrian crossed his arms, scanning the situation.
"This didn't happen randomly," he said. "Someone pushed this."
Michael glanced at him.
"I know."
Alicia looked between them.
"You think… this was planned?"
Silence.
That was answer enough.
Her chest tightened again but this time, not just from fear.
From anger.
"They're lying," she said, her voice steadier now.
Sophie stepped beside her.
"Then we prove it."
Alicia shook her head.
"They're not even listening."
Adrian stepped forward.
"They will," he said calmly. "But not by reacting emotionally."
Michael placed the phone down slowly.
"We don't fight this publicly," he said. "Not yet."
Alicia frowned.
"Then what do we do?"
His gaze met hers steady, controlled.
"We build the truth first."
The room fell quiet.
Outside, the world continued tearing her apart.
Inside…
They were preparing to fight back.
Alicia looked at her sketches spread across the table.
Every line.
Every detail.
Every sleepless night.
"This is mine," she said softly.
Michael stepped closer.
"I know."
Sophie smiled faintly
"And soon… everyone else will too."
Adrian nodded once.
"But first," he added, "we find out who did this."
Alicia took a deep breath.
The fear was still there.
The doubt.
The pressure.
But beneath it now…
Was something stronger.
Resolve.
Because this wasn't just about her reputation anymore.
It was a setup.
And she was done being silent.
Outside the mansion gates…
The enemy watched the headlines spread.
Watched the chaos unfold.
And smiled.
"Let's see how strong you really are," they murmured.
Inside the mansion…
Alicia lifted her chin.
And for the first time since the accusations began
She didn't feel small.
She felt ready.