Chapter 267: Chapter 267

Taking advantage of the free time these days, Anna Thornton visited the factories under her family’s company, and the results weren’t promising.

The ’Cute Lord’ brand has been discontinued due to too many consumer complaints.

Similarly, the sales and reputation of the company’s children’s toy and shoe brands have also sharply declined in recent years.

Holly Sutton is smart enough to know business. The money and customer flow lost from the Thornton Family’s company must have been shifted to the brands she secretly established, ending up in her pocket.

Now, Anna Thornton can only start with the industry she directly controls and revive the ’Cute Lord’ children’s clothing brand to regain consumer confidence in The Thornton-Sinclair Group.

The first step in making clothing is to address the issue of fabric collaboration.

Anna Thornton visited several factories and discovered that the biggest problem was the poor fabric quality.

"Who is currently responsible for fabric procurement business?"

"It’s Manager Sutton."

"Which Manager Sutton? William Sutton?"

After Holly Sutton took full control of the company, she arranged for all her distant relatives and various family members to come in.

As expected, the lucrative position of procurement manager was given to her brother.

Anna Thornton investigated and found that the company’s fabric suppliers were negotiated directly by William Sutton, and the purchase price was surprisingly higher than market price, indicating how much profit the siblings must have skimmed off the top.

Everyone tacitly acknowledges the benefit, but the fabric they’re using is too inferior. Anna Thornton casually touched a piece of black fabric, and it left stains on her fingers.

Such poor quality fabric is harmful to adults, how could it be worn by children?

"Where’s Manager Sutton?"

Anna Thornton went to the procurement department planning to have a serious talk about this issue, but couldn’t find William Sutton.

"Manager Sutton has some family matters today, so he took leave and can’t come to work."

"Does he frequently take leave?"

"Uh... but this time it’s really something, I heard it seems that his child is missing."

The last time Anna Thornton met William Sutton in Aethelgard, he left immediately.

Now returning to the company for inspection, he conveniently took leave?

Could it really be such a coincidence?

Anna Thornton felt that William Sutton was intentionally avoiding her?

"Excuse me, is this Miss June Irving?"

In an Italian restaurant, facing Anna Thornton’s proactive greeting, the woman took off her sunglasses: "Who are you?"

"My surname is Thornton, I’m Anna Thornton, I contacted you before by phone."

"Oh, are you the one wanting to hire me as a brand designer? I’m sorry, I’ve already decided not to design children’s clothing anymore, please leave."

"Miss Irving, you once swept all the international and domestic children’s clothing design awards, and served as the chief designer for the top children’s clothing brand globally. I heard three years ago you announced your retirement from children’s clothing design, which I found regrettable. Now that I’m here, even if I face rejection, isn’t it worth giving me a chance to speak with you?"

Saying this, Anna Thornton casually sat opposite June Irving and ordered a drink.

June Irving didn’t drive her away nor pay attention to her, her gaze remained fixed outside the restaurant window.

"By the way, I brought a gift for you today." Anna Thornton took out some documents from her bag, which contained photos of children’s clothing design drafts, "Are you familiar with a children’s clothing brand called ’Little Seagull’?"

"Why not take a look at these, did they plagiarize designs from your previous children’s clothing competition entries?"

Upon hearing this, June Irving briefly glanced at the documents Anna Thornton handed over, then indifferently set them down: "Domestic plagiarism of my designs is rampant, there’s nothing I can do. I neither have the time nor money, nor the energy to protect my rights, such a distasteful gift is better left unseen."

"You’re misunderstanding; the gift I want to give is not just these. I’m willing to hire a lawyer to defend your rights, I’ll bear the costs, and I’ll find someone to gather evidence. It won’t waste much time, you’ll only have to appear in court as the plaintiff."

"Protecting originality is everyone’s responsibility." Anna Thornton replied with a smile.

Moved by her sincerity, June Irving finally looked at Anna Thornton directly: "Miss Thornton, I appreciate your kindness, but I’m afraid I’ll still disappoint you; please leave."

"I see." Anna Thornton stood up regretfully, but didn’t leave, instead she gazed in the direction where June Irving had been looking through the window.

"Miss Irving, you like coming to this restaurant and sitting in this spot because there’s a kindergarten across the street, right? It should be just after school now, and from above you can see the little kids lined up like little carrots walking out, so cute!"

"Yes, children are indeed very adorable!"

When her gaze fell on the cute ’lined-up little carrots,’ June Irving’s expression softened.

"After announcing my retirement, to make a living, I actually transitioned to designing adult women’s clothing. But it was criticized as losing my touch; they said the spirit in my work was gone."

"That’s not losing your touch; you poured all your passion into the field of children’s clothing. Because you genuinely liked kids, as long as you’re willing to return, inspiration is always there."

"Miss Thornton, thank you for your comfort, but I can’t do it! You also said inspiration comes from passion; I do love children, but I couldn’t even protect my own child. What right do I have to talk about love?"

Anna Thornton, having decided to invite June Irving as her brand designer, naturally prepared thoroughly by researching.

She knew that June Irving announced her retirement due to depression resulting from a double blow of a boyfriend’s infidelity and a miscarriage.

A talent in fashion design thus ruined by a scumbag.

"Miss Irving, I understand your feelings. You’re not the only one who lost a child; I’ve experienced it too. My child... I watched as he lost his breath right after birth. The environment during my pregnancy was unbearable, coupled with poor mental and emotional state, I always blamed myself for causing his death."

Hearing this, June Irving looked at Anna Thornton in surprise. Updates are released by novelFɪre.net

It seemed hard to believe that someone so young had such experiences.

"I’ve also been abandoned by a man, even more despairing than you. Four years ago, right after my father’s death, I sought refuge with a man, hoping he could save me, only to be deceived and end up pregnant."

"At that age, I knew nothing, and when I realized, it was beyond deciding whether to keep it or not; I could only reluctantly accept reality. But fate is cruel, when I learned to anticipate their arrival in a hopeless environment, I lost one due to a difficult delivery... To be honest, inviting you as a designer this time to rebuild my brand is to avenge my lost child."

"The incident has happened, we must either atone, avenge, or forget; we have to choose a path to continue."