Chapter 265: The Truth
The judges turned to Briena. "What do you have to say about this, Ms. Briena?"
Briena, still stunned, hesitated before saying, "I think it was a coincidence..."
"Coincidence?" Ms. Taylor exclaimed, frowning. "Such a coincidence that you created only half of the perfume and didn’t even realize it was incomplete? Which perfumer doesn’t know their own creation is unfinished? Have you truly created it?"
Briena froze under Ms. Taylor’s sharp words but quickly tried to defend herself. "I knew you wouldn’t accept it. You’re siding with Natalie. I saw you at her perfume event, standing with her. I’m sure you’re colluding with her!"
Ms. Taylor’s expression hardened. "Are you blaming me for your failure to complete a formula? How does it even show that I’m siding with her? The other judges here can also see through what’s happening."
One of the male judges finally spoke, his voice stern. "Ms. Briena, think carefully before accusing us judges. We are here to give a fair judgment, and everyone in this hall can see the situation clearly. If you present an incomplete perfume like this, you don’t deserve to be a perfumer."
"Stop accusing my daughter!" Clara exclaimed, stepping forward. "You’ve seen in the other rounds how she created incredible perfumes that all of you couldn’t help but praise. But now, just because of a small coincidence that her perfume matched Natalie’s, you’re accusing her? She must have been under pressure from the competition, which caused her to make this mistake."
Just then, a scholarly-looking man in a black suit entered the room, his presence commanding attention. He was a lawyer.
"Ms. Briena," the man said firmly, "on behalf of my client, I have filed a formal complaint against you for stealing their work and presenting it in this competition as your own."
"What?" Briena exclaimed, her face pale. "I... I didn’t steal Natalie’s work! If I had, why would I have stolen only half of it? I..."
"I am not talking about stealing Ms. Natalie’s work," the lawyer said, placing a large brown envelope on the table in front of Briena. "This is on behalf of my client, the famous perfumer Dew."