Chapter 57
Sophia Kensington’s breath hitched as the words sank in.
Absolutely not!
Years ago, she had poured a fortune into tracking down Scarlet Snake.
Rumors claimed Scarlet Snake was a reclusive figure in her sixties, long vanished from the public eye.
Back then, Isabella Sinclair had been nothing but a penniless orphan stranded on a desolate island.
There was no way she could have afforded a trip to Leswington to enter a prestigious competition, let alone study perfumery.
“I’m not Scarlet Snake,” Sophia admitted, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands.
“But I learned from her. Over time, people began mistaking me for her, and correcting them became impossible. She was my mentor.”
She had to reveal it now. There was no other choice, not with everyone watching.
If her carefully constructed facade crumbled here, it would be catastrophic.
Sophia forced herself to remain composed, refusing to glance at Ethan Blackwood beside her.
She dug her nails into her palms, the sharp pain grounding her against Isabella’s relentless provocation.
“Isabella,” she said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear with feigned calm.
“Don’t make baseless accusations without proof. I respect my mentor too much to let you tarnish her name. I have no idea why our perfumes share similarities, but let’s not forget—Scarlet Snake won the first perfumery competition when you were sixteen. Forgive me, but back then, you were a destitute orphan. You couldn’t have afforded international travel, let alone elite perfumery lessons.”
His words sent murmurs rippling through the crowd.
Gossip had always painted Isabella as a simple country girl, far removed from the world of luxury and high-end perfumery.
Ethan remained silent, but his thoughts churned.
For years, he had believed Sophia was Scarlet Snake.
Her friends had even praised her as a prodigy worthy of the legend after the cruise incident.
She had never outright denied it.
Modesty, he had thought. He had admired her humility.
But now…?
Ethan clenched his fists, memories flooding back—the night Sophia had saved him five years ago, the trust he’d placed in her.
Had it all been built on a lie? Was she merely imitating the real Scarlet Snake, profiting off someone else’s legacy?
“Sophia is right,” he finally snapped, his voice dripping with disdain as he turned to Isabella.
“You were a nobody then. You couldn’t even afford a plane ticket, let alone elite perfumery classes. And now you’re here, trying to discredit Sophia? You’re nothing but a fraud, too proud to admit it!”
Before Isabella could respond, a commanding voice boomed across the room.
“Enough of these unfounded accusations!”
Heads turned as the crowd parted, revealing an elderly man clutching a thick stack of papers.
Reginald Kingsley, one of the most revered names in the perfume industry, stepped forward.
His mere presence silenced the room.
A legend in his own right, he had mentored countless perfumers—many of whom stood in this very room.
“I’ve heard there are doubts about our competition results,” Reginald said, his deep voice resonating.
“Let me make this clear—we have video recordings of all ten finalists. And for the record, I’ve already met Scarlet Snake.”
Ethan straightened, his expression hardening as he sneered at Isabella.
“Did you hear that? A man like Reginald Kingsley won’t tolerate a fraud like you standing here. If I were you, I’d leave before this gets worse.”
“Stop it, Ethan!” Sophia hissed, tugging at his arm.
“It’s fine. If Isabella benefited from my perfume, let her have it. The real Scarlet Snake chose to live in anonymity. She wouldn’t care about public opinion.”
Sophia was desperate to end this. If the real Scarlet Snake appeared, she’d be exposed—humiliated beyond recovery.
“Just… learn your lesson and don’t try this again, Isabella,” she added weakly.
But Olivia Montgomery, standing beside Isabella, scoffed.
“What’s wrong, Sophia? Afraid the truth will come out? Seems to me like you’re the one with something to hide.”
Reginald’s gaze shifted to Sophia, his expression unreadable.
“No. This won’t be swept under the rug. The truth comes out today.”
With deliberate steps, he approached Isabella.
“I must admit, I expected you to still be using the name Scarlet Serpent. But it seems you’ve switched to ‘Lemonade’ this time. A clever move—but your talent still shines through. What kept you away for so long, our true prodigy?”
His words detonated like a bomb.
Because of his stature, his words carried weight.
So Lemonade had won the first Perfumery Competition as Scarlet Snake?
The room erupted in gasps and frantic whispers.
Scarlet Serpent? Here among them? Competing under a different name?
Sophia’s knees nearly gave out.
“No… no, that’s impossible,” she whispered, her vision blurring.
