I Left My Earring, He’s My CEO

Chapter 6: The Design Trap

Harvey’s question hung in the air, heavy and loaded with lethal intent.

"Who did this to you, Jennifer?" he repeated, his hands gripping my shoulders.

I swallowed hard, pulling the thick comforter tighter around my chest. "It was Blair," I whispered, my voice still rough. "She was furious about what happened in your office during the presentation. She sent me down there to organize files, and then... she locked the door and cut the lights."

A terrifying silence fell over the room. Harvey didn't shout. He didn't curse. The absolute stillness of his body was somehow far more terrifying than an explosion of rage. He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.

"What are you doing?" I asked, panicking.

"I am calling the head of security to have Blair Pierce forcefully escorted off the premises," Harvey said smoothly, his thumb hovering over the screen. "And then I am calling my team of corporate lawyers to ensure she never finds a job in this hemisphere again."

"No! Wait!" I lunged forward, grabbing his wrist.

Harvey frowned, looking down at my small hand wrapped around his massive forearm. "Jennifer, the woman tried to kill you. I am not letting her walk back into my building."

"She'll claim it was an accident," I argued, my mind racing. "There are no cameras in the basement hallway, Harvey. She'll say she didn't know I was in there when she locked up. It will be her word against mine, and she's a senior director. HR will just give her a slap on the wrist."

Harvey's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I own HR. I don't need proof to fire her."

"I know," I said softly, looking up into his eyes. "But I want proof. I want to destroy her professionally."

Harvey paused, lowering the phone. A flicker of surprise, followed quickly by a gleam of dark, possessive pride, sparked in his eyes. "Go on."

"Blair has been stealing my designs since I started at this company," I explained, my voice growing steady with conviction. "She takes my drafts, tweaks them slightly, and submits them as her own. The 'Eternal Promise' collection she pitched to you today? I drew those months ago. But I have a new design. A masterpiece. It’s for the upcoming international jewelry competition. I deliberately left the final file on my office computer, unprotected."

A slow, wicked smile spread across Harvey's face. He leaned closer, his dark eyes shining with anticipation. "You're setting a trap."

"Exactly," I nodded. "If I take a few days of sick leave to recover from tonight, Blair will assume I'm out of the way. She's desperate to impress you. She will definitely steal that design and claim it as her own magnum opus at the final internal review next week."

Harvey reached up, his long fingers gently brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. His touch sent a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold. "You are ruthless, Miss Morris. I like it."

"Will you help me?" I asked, my heart pounding as he leaned in closer.

"I will give you the stage to execute her," Harvey murmured, his lips brushing my jawline. "But for the next three days, you are staying in bed. And you are not arguing with me."

Harvey was true to his word. For the next three days, I was placed on mandatory paid medical leave. But what shocked me was that the billionaire CEO of Aurora Designs personally showed up at my cramped, shabby apartment every single evening.

He didn't care that my sofa had a tear in the cushion, or that my kitchen was smaller than his office closet. He brought expensive takeout from five-star restaurants, forced me to eat, and sat at the edge of my bed, reviewing corporate documents on his tablet while he kept a watchful, protective eye on me. The domestic intimacy of it all made me fall terrifyingly, hopelessly hard for him.

By Tuesday morning, I was fully recovered and ready for war.

I walked into the Aurora Designs headquarters wearing a sharp, tailored black blazer and a crimson red lip. No more frumpy beige. No more hiding.

When I stepped into the design department bullpen, Blair was standing by the coffee machine. When she saw me, she nearly dropped her mug.

"Jennifer?" she gasped, her face paling slightly before she quickly masked it with her usual arrogant sneer. "You're... back. I thought you caught a nasty flu over the weekend."

"I recovered perfectly, Blair," I smiled sweetly, walking past her. "The weekend rest did wonders for my clarity."

I logged into my computer and checked the company's shared cloud drive. A jolt of adrenaline hit my veins. The trap had been sprung. The master file I had left on my desktop—titled 'The Empress Diamond'—was gone.

Two hours later, the intercom buzzed. The final internal review for the 'Eternal Promise' competition was commencing in the main boardroom.

The room was packed with senior executives, department heads, and Harvey, who sat at the head of the massive mahogany table like a king holding court. When I walked in and took my seat at the far end of the room, his dark eyes immediately snapped to mine. A secret, knowing smirk touched the corner of his lips before he quickly masked it.

Blair stood up, smoothing down her tight designer skirt. She looked triumphant, practically glowing with arrogance. She walked to the front of the room, plugging her flash drive into the projector.

"Mr. Bass, members of the board," Blair announced loudly, making sure all eyes were on her. "I know we have been struggling to find a flagship piece for the upcoming international competition. But over the weekend, I experienced a stroke of pure, unadulterated genius."

She clicked a button on the remote.

A massive, breathtaking 3D render of a diamond and sapphire necklace flashed onto the screen. It was stunning. It was perfect.

And it was one hundred percent my design.

A collective gasp echoed through the boardroom. The executives immediately began whispering in awe.

Blair smiled, soaking in the praise. She picked up a thick, leather-bound portfolio containing the physical blueprints and strutted over to the head of the table.

She proudly set the portfolio down right in front of Harvey.

"Mr. Bass," Blair purred, her eyes shining with greed. "I present to you, my magnum opus."