Chapter 63
Ethan Blackwood stood torn between his need to shield Sophia Kensington and the chaos unfolding before him. He clenched his jaw, forcing down his rising irritation.
“Let’s not reopen old wounds,” he said, his voice tight with restraint. “Besides, Sophia didn’t steal anything. She merely enhanced your original formula. Now that it’s public, that formula is as worthless as a cracked hourglass. Still, I’m willing to compensate you—$200,000 should suffice.” The words left his lips like bitter medicine, each syllable dragged out reluctantly. “Let’s end this now. We can still walk away with dignity.”
Sophia’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her expression the perfect portrait of wounded innocence. “This isn’t Isabella’s fault. The misunderstanding is mine. Isabella has kept her identity as the renowned perfumer Scarlet Snake hidden for years, and truthfully, I’ve always admired her. That’s why I studied her techniques so closely.”
With practiced ease, Sophia sidestepped the real issue, redirecting attention from her deceit. But the crowd remained unconvinced, their silence thick with skepticism. Sensing the shift, Sophia burst into tears, expertly playing the victim.
“Isabella,” she quivered, her voice trembling with manufactured emotion. “I know you’ve always resented me, believing I ruined your marriage. I’ve carried that guilt for so long. I understand why you’re lashing out now—because Ethan and I are about to marry.”
As if on cue, she dropped to her knees, her sobs echoing dramatically through the room, painting herself as the sacrificial lamb. “Isabella, if this is what it takes to make peace with you, I’ll do it. But please, I beg you, don’t drag Ethan into this. You know how much this competition means to him…”
She twisted the narrative with the finesse of a seasoned storyteller, framing the scandal as a petty love triangle.
Olivia Montgomery, fed up, snapped, “What audacity! Plagiarism is plagiarism—stop trying to spin this into something else!”
Isabella Sinclair, icy and unyielding, added, “Sophia, no matter how you twist the truth, cheating and theft will be dealt with under the competition’s rules.” Her sharp gaze then flicked to Ethan, her tone cutting. “As for you—staying friends after divorce? That’s for people who enjoy messy entanglements.”
Her next words sliced through the air like a blade. “Dragging me into your mess is disgusting.” The impact left Ethan and Sophia reeling, their faces burning with humiliation.
Ethan’s expression darkened, his voice rising in defense. “We can settle this later, but for the record, Sophia did not cheat. If you actually read the rules—”
His words were abruptly cut off as the crowd hushed, parting like waves before a storm.
“Mr. Kingsley.”
A staff member spoke up as a man with tousled curls approached, his smile disarmingly warm. “Alexander, it’s good to see you here,” the man said casually. “Still hoping I’ll invest in your company?”
Beside Alexander stood Dominic Sterling, who smirked and added, “Strange, isn’t it? The Everett Group is always eager to back talent, yet with the Kingsley fortune, you’d think my investment wouldn’t be necessary.”
A murmur rippled through the room—Dominic Sterling, president of the Everett Group, was known for his razor-sharp mind. Today, however, his presence exuded an unsettling charm.
Beneath his easy smile lurked something far more dangerous.
“I think you’re riding the competition’s publicity wave to launch your new perfume, Charisma. How… convenient.”
Alexander chuckled, unfazed. “You don’t miss a thing, Dominic.”
Isabella observed their exchange with quiet calculation.
Dominic turned to her, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. “Miss Sinclair, I presume. I’ve heard much about you—winner of the first Perfumery Competition, correct?”
“Flattered, Mr. Sterling,” Isabella replied politely, though she sensed an unspoken barrier in his demeanor—one no one could breach.
He sighed, as if bored by the entire spectacle. “A shame the competition has been tarnished by unqualified entrants. It’s damaged its reputation.”
His gaze slid lazily to Sophia, and his voice dropped to a chilling whisper.
“And if there’s one thing I despise… it’s dishonesty.”
