The Legend of Cinderella's Counterattack

I was violently pulled by Lu Yuxuan, stumbling across the corridor, my high heels tapping a frantic rhythm on the floor. "Yuxuan, what's wrong? What happened?" I asked in a panic, Isabella's pale face lingering in my mind.

“Those old stubborn people in the family are trying to stop your work from being displayed!” Lawrence Lu suppressed his anger in his tone, “Saying that your design doesn’t conform to family tradition is simply nonsense!”

My heart sank, and a surge of anger welled up inside me. "Why would they?!" I gritted my teeth. "What happened to my design? This is the hard work of Isabella, me, and the entire team!"

"They're just a bunch of stubborn old guys who only recognize antiques from hundreds of years ago and know nothing about modern design!" Lawrence Lu pushed open a heavy wooden door and pulled me into a room. "Don't worry, I'll fight for you!"

The room was packed, the atmosphere heavy and oppressive. My immediate attention was focused on the elderly men seated in the center. Their faces were sullen, their presence intimidating without even anger. Opposite them sat Isabella, her expression weary but still elegant.

"Yuxuan, why did you bring Miss Lin here?" one of the old men asked in a deep voice, his sharp eyes falling on me, as if he wanted to see through me.

"Dear elders, I think Lin Luoluo's design is currently the most suitable solution for the development of our family brand. I do not agree to cancel this exhibition!" Lawrence Lu did not give in and his tone was firm.

"How dare you!" another old man slammed his hand on the table and shouted angrily, "When did it become your turn as a junior to butt in on family matters?!"

"I will never allow you to treat Luo Luo like this!" Lu Yuxuan protected me behind him, his tone full of warning.

I felt his hand gripping my shoulder tightly, giving me strength. I took a deep breath and told myself I couldn't back down. I had to fight for my work!

I stepped forward and looked directly into those judgmental gazes. "My design concept is based on modern fashion trends and the distillation of the essence of family culture. Elders, please tell me, how exactly does it violate family tradition?"

The air seemed to freeze as my resounding words echoed through the silent room. Several elders looked at each other, as if stunned by my sudden momentum.

At this moment, Isabella, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly spoke up. "Dear uncles and aunts, I can guarantee with my reputation that there is absolutely no problem with Miss Lin's design. This collaboration is the result of the joint efforts of Miss Lin and I. We have both poured a lot of effort into it, and I don't want to see it ruined like this."

"Isabella, you are too young. There are many things you don't understand." An old man said earnestly, "The interests of the family are above all else. We cannot risk the future of the family."

"That's right, we must proceed with caution." Another old man agreed, "Ms. Lin is an outsider after all, we can't trust her completely."

"Outsider?!" I felt a surge of anger in my heart. "When I worked so hard on this family's design, why didn't you call me an outsider?!"

"How dare you! Who allowed you to shout here?!" An old man slammed the table and pointed at me angrily.

I was startled by his momentum, but I suppressed my anger and did not refute. Lawrence Lu held my hand tightly, giving me silent comfort.

“Elders, please calm down.” Lawrence Lu said in a deep voice, “What we need now is to solve the problem, not blame each other.”

"Solve the problem? How do we solve it?!" an old man sneered, "Are we supposed to just sit there and watch the family secrets get leaked out?!"

"Secret?!" I was stunned. "What secret?"

"Are you still pretending to be stupid?!" The old man threw a stack of documents in front of me, "Take a look for yourself!"

I picked up the document with trembling hands. A single glance and I felt a chill run down my spine. It was a blueprint, strikingly similar to my current design. And the signature on the blueprint was, shockingly, Isabella!

My head buzzed, as if something had exploded. I looked at Isabella in disbelief, but she just lowered her head, not daring to look me in the eye.

"What else do you have to say now?!" the old man asked aggressively, "What else do you have to quibble with?!"

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I was completely shocked by what I saw, and I didn't know how to explain it or who to trust.

“I see.” Lawrence Lu suddenly spoke, his voice terribly cold, “This is your conspiracy, right?”

His sharp gaze swept across everyone present, finally resting on Isabella. "Why did you do this?" Isabella remained silent, her head lowered, her shoulders trembling slightly, as if she were trying to hold back tears. Looking at her, I felt a mixture of emotions. I once considered her a friend, even trusted her like a sister, but in the end, it was she who pushed me into the abyss.

"Isabella, why did you do this?" My voice trembled with a hint of incredible grief.

She finally raised her head, her eyes red and tears welling up in them. She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to explain something, but nothing came out.

"Enough!" one of the elders interrupted us impatiently. "The facts are already before us. What else is there to say? Isabella, you have disappointed us so much! Why did you betray our family?"

"I didn't..." Isabella argued weakly, but her voice was drowned out by the elder's scolding.

Finally, under pressure from the elders, Isabella was forced to admit that she had plagiarized my design and took full responsibility. I was acquitted.

When I left the meeting room, I felt like I had been through a storm, exhausted both physically and mentally. Lawrence Lu held my hand tightly, giving me strength.

"Don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of this," he whispered in my ear, his tone firm yet gentle.

I nodded, saying nothing. I knew this wasn't that simple. Why did Isabella do this? Who was behind it? Everything remained a mystery.

The collaboration with the mysterious family fell apart, and my work was shelved indefinitely. I once again became a target of public criticism, and those who once praised me now avoided me for fear of getting into trouble.

I lost everything: my reputation, my career, even my friends. I felt like I was back to the time when I first came into this world, penniless and alone.

But I didn't give up. I told myself I couldn't let myself be defeated. I had to stand up again and use my own strength to take back everything that belonged to me.

The night before leaving this ancient manor, I packed my few belongings, feeling a sense of emptiness. I had once thought this would be the place where my dreams began, but I never imagined it would end in such a dismal way. Lawrence Lu helped me load the last suitcase into the car, his face stoic, his emotions invisible.

"Have you really decided? I can help you..." He hesitated to speak. I knew what he wanted to say, which was to use his power to help me get justice.

I shook my head and interrupted him, "No need, Yuxuan, I don't want to get entangled with them anymore. This incident made me realize that some things cannot be obtained by talent and hard work alone."

He was silent. I knew he respected my decision, but felt bad for the injustice I'd suffered. I forced a smile and said casually, "Don't worry, I'm fine. This blow isn't enough to break me. Besides, a blessing in disguise."

He smiled helplessly and ruffled my hair. At this moment, my cell phone rang. It was the housekeeper who said that I seemed to have left something in my room and asked me to go back and check.

I returned to the room and looked around, but didn't find anything I had missed. Just as I was about to leave, my eyes suddenly fell on the bedside table. It was an old book I had never seen before. The cover had no words, only strange patterns.

Curiously, I flipped open the book, and a faint sandalwood scent filled my nostrils. The pages were yellowed, like an ancient tome from a distant past. Strange symbols covered the pages, none of which I recognized. Yet, I felt inexplicably dizzy, as if something had exploded in my mind...