Building The Strongest Family-Chapter 117: Knockoff War

Osborn Fashion & Cosmetics Headquarters – Skyview Conference Room

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The penthouse boardroom of Osborn Fashion & Cosmetics was nothing short of breathtaking, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing a stunning view of Neo Tokyo’s dazzling skyline.

Yet, despite the beauty outside, the atmosphere inside was anything but serene.

The tension in the air was palpable as Ashley Osborn,President of the company,stood at the head of a sleek obsidian conference table, her perfectly manicured nails rhythmically tapping against a tablet that displayed incriminating evidence.

"This is the fourth time in two months," she declared, her voice as cold as ice. Her expression betrayed none of her usual confidence; instead, it reflected frustration and determination.

Behind her, side-by-side comparisons flickered on a screen: an exquisite evening gown designed by Osborn next to a nearly identical knockoff from Mirage Couture,priced at half the cost.

"At first, they at least tried to make it look different. Now? They’re not even pretending anymore."

Her cousins, Olivia and Bella, the CEOs of Osborn Luxury Apparel and Osborn Beauty respectively, exchanged worried glances. Around them sat twelve division heads, their backs stiffened and expressions ranging from fury to unease.

Olivia leaned forward, her emerald-green blazer contrasting sharply with the white leather chair beneath her.

"It’s not just Mirage," she said urgently. "Silverthread has copied three of our men’s suiting patterns stitch-for-stitch! They’re using cheaper fabrics, but the designs are unmistakable."

She slammed a folder onto the table. "Legal says proving IP theft will take months. By then, these knockoffs will have flooded the market!"

Bella nervously twirled a strand of her platinum bob around her finger, a telltale sign of anxiety. "And it’s not just apparel! Our new jasmine-infused serum? Celestial Skincare launched their ’Jasmine Dew’ line just two weeks after we filed for our patent! Same active ingredients, different packaging."

Ashley zoomed in on the screen behind her, highlighting pixel-for-pixel similarities between Osborn’s signature perfume ads and those from a rival campaign.

"They’re data-mining our focus groups," she asserted fiercely. "They probably bribed someone in Marketing."

Vance, Head of Security and a grizzled ex-intelligence officer, cleared his throat before speaking up cautiously: "President Osborn... We’ve traced leaks to three junior staffers, all recently paid off by shell companies linked to..."

"Let me guess," Ashley interrupted sharply with narrowed eyes. "The Vesta Group?"

A murmur rippled through the room at this revelation.

The Vesta Group, a low-level conglomerate based in Aurelina Prime, had been quietly absorbing smaller fashion houses for years despite its relatively modest size.

Silence enveloped the conference room as everyone absorbed this news; worried looks were exchanged all around.

Olivia lifted her head, glancing at Ashley with a mix of curiosity and determination. "Big sis, what’s our next move?"

"Don’t worry! I’ve already devised some countermeasures," Ashley replied confidently as she tapped her tablet.

The screen flickered to life, revealing a flowchart titled Operation Silhouette. With a sly smile, she addressed the room, "We’re hitting back in three ways."

Nods of agreement rippled through the group as they absorbed Ashley’s plan.

Bella raised her hand eagerly. "I’ve filed injunctions against Celestial for trade secret theft! We’re also pushing for a Senate hearing on cosmetic patent reform."

With a smirk, Olivia chimed in, "We’re fast-tracking the launch of our ’Eclipse’ collection, fifty new designs featuring hidden biometric tags woven into the seams. Let’s see Mirage try to copy that before our lawyers raid their factories!"

Ashley’s smile turned icy as she added, "We’ll leak fake trend forecasts through ’compromised’ channels. Let Vesta waste millions chasing designs we’ll never produce."

Bella frowned thoughtfully. "That’s reactive; we need to crush them." She pulled up a spreadsheet on her tablet. "I suggest we buy out their suppliers and freeze their raw materials."

Olivia shook her head dismissively. "That’s too slow! We should sabotage their flagship stores and replace their testers with expired products!"

Ashley raised her hand to silence them both. "No! We play the long game." She pulled up a dossier on Vesta’s CEO and continued, "Lena Vesta has a weakness, her upcoming IPO. We short her stock before revealing the knockoffs. When shareholders realize half of her ’original designs’ are ours, it’ll be curtains for her empire."

A hush fell over the room as everyone processed Ashley’s ruthless strategy.

Olivia glanced at Ashley and muttered, "Now that’s vicious."

Just then, the doors to the Skyview Conference Room hissed open unexpectedly, interrupting Jessica mid-sentence about cosmetic supply chain vulnerabilities.

All heads turned as Arthur strode in dramatically, his black overcoat billowing behind him like a cape.

The rich scent of his expensive cologne cut through the floral perfumes that filled the room.

"Cousin!" Ashley exclaimed as her eyes lit up upon seeing Arthur; all traces of coldness vanished from her demeanor as she broke into a warm smile. Olivia and Bella mirrored her enthusiasm.

Arthur smiled back at them before acknowledging the other executives in the room with a nod.

Ashley waved dismissively at them, saying cheerfully, "The meeting is adjourned! You can return to your work!" With that command, everyone except Olivia and Bella stood up and left.

Arthur pulled up a chair and casually rested his legs on the table while Olivia hurried off to pour him a glass of red wine.

"Cousin, what really brought you here?!"** Olivia exclaimed, handing Arthur a glass of rich red wine.

Arthur took a sip and replied with a casual shrug, "I was bored, so I thought I’d check in on you guys. Looks like you have quite the workload!"

As he said this, his keen eyes scanned the screens displaying Operation Silhouette, a faint smile creeping across his face.

"Ugh! Don’t even get me started," Bella sighed dramatically. "The designs and recipes you shared with us were initially a hit! We were thriving and even planning our own collection. But now? These shameless fashion companies are just copying our designs!"

She pouted at Arthur, frustration evident in her expression.

"Right? It’s infuriating!" Olivia chimed in, her eyes sparkling with indignation.

Arthur was quite speechless as he looked at both of them.

Just moments ago, they had been all business,cool and collected, but now they were acting like little girls who felt wronged. The contrast was striking.

Shaking his head slightly, Arthur turned to Ashley and remarked, "Your plan is solid; I’ll give you that. But you’re missing three crucial elements."

He pointed to Jennifer Vesta’s dossier on the table.

Ashley looked intrigued as she asked, "What do you mean?"

"One," Arthur began while tapping the glass table for emphasis, "Vesta’s IPO has backing from the Blackstone Consortium. They will support her long enough to bury your legal challenges."

He stood up and walked over to the screens where he pulled up Vesta’s private jet logs. "Two: Lena has been shuttling between Kingston and Zurich for a reason,not just stealing your designs but also securing emergency liquidity."

Ashley clenched her tablet tightly as she pressed for more information. "And the third?"

Arthur flashed a knowing smile that wasn’t exactly comforting. "You haven’t fully utilized your biggest advantage." He nodded toward Bella. "Tell them what Celestial Skincare’s ’Jasmine Dew’ is missing."

Jessica blinked in confusion before stammering out, "The... stabilizing agent? Our patent-pending..."