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 exclaid, frowning. "Such a coincidence that you created only half of the perfu and didn’t even realize it was incomplete? Which perfur 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 perfu event, standing with her. I’m sure you’re colluding with her!"
Ms. Taylor’s expression hardened. "Are you blaming 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 judgnt, and everyone in this hall can see the situation clearly. If you present an incomplete perfu like this, you don’t deserve to be a perfur."
"Stop accusing my daughter!" Clara exclaid, stepping forward. "You’ve seen in the other rounds how she created incredible perfus that all of you couldn’t help but praise. But now, just because of a small coincidence that her perfu 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 exclaid, 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 perfur Dew."
A collective gasp echoed through the hall. Dew was a renowned perfur, known for creating only one perfu a year. Each creation was produced in limited quantities and auctioned at exorbitant prices. Dew’s identity was shrouded in mystery—no one knew whether Dew was a man or a woman, nor had anyone ever seen them in public.
"I... I didn’t steal anything from them!" Briena cried out in disbelief, her face pale.
Just then, the screen behind the stage lit up, displaying a series of perfu formulas registered under Dew’s na for over a year. These were the exact formulas Briena had used in the previous rounds of the competition.
The hall fell silent, stunned by the revelation.
The lawyer continued, "Ms. Briena, do not attempt to claim this as a coincidence. Every formula you’ve used in this competition belongs to Dew. My client has no intention of showing rcy."
"What proof do you have that my daughter stole it?" Clara demanded angrily, stepping forward.
The screen shifted, now showing evidence of the formulas being sold and bought illegally. The lawyer began explaining as more details appeared on the screen.
"A few days ago, soone working closely with Dew sold these formulas. They were caught and have confessed everything. Additionally, we have proof of money transfers to this individual from Ford Industries."
Gasps and whispers filled the hall as the evidence was displayed. The judges exchanged shocked looks, while the audience—both in the event hall and those watching on screens—was left in utter disbelief.
"She cheated through the entire competition?" one voice in the audience muttered, echoing the thoughts of many.
"Ms. Briena, the police will be here soon," the lawyer announced firmly.
Briena, with tears in her eyes, hid behind her mother. "Mom, I did nothing! They’re framing !"
Clara glared at Natalie, her anger flaring. "I’m sure this is all your doing! My daughter could never do anything wrong. You envy her success and are taking revenge on her because Ivan chose her over a despicable woman like you!"
"Yes, your daughter can do nothing wrong," Natalie replied coldly. "Back then, she stole my work and pretended to be Aroma—even then, she did nothing wrong. She faked her own accident because she knew she wasn’t skilled enough to compete in the piano competition. She then blad it on , claiming I was jealous and didn’t want her to participate."
Clara was taken aback by Natalie’s calm yet icy tone.
"Clara Ford, how many such things has your daughter not done, while you conveniently turned a blind eye and covered for her?"
"What? What proof do you have to accuse my daughter like this?" Clara shouted, her voice trembling with anger. "I can sue you for slandering my daughter—"
"But I won’t stop at just suing your daughter, Clara Ford," Natalie interrupted, stepping closer to her. Her piercing gaze cut through both mother and daughter. "Back then, I was powerless to prove anything. But this ti, I’m not. Trust , I will make your daughter pay for everything she’s done to . I am not the sa weak young girl now."
"You..." Clara stamred, shielding Briena behind her. "Don’t even think about harming my daughter!"
"That," Natalie said sharply, "you’ve already done yourself by not teaching her better."
She signaled for everyone to look at the screen behind them. The screen displayed clear evidence: footage of Briena tripping on the stairs during the piano competition. It showed Natalie trying to save her, in the process twisting her own wrist.
The hall fell silent, and the weight of the truth hung heavy in the air. Clara’s face turned pale as she watched the proof unfold before her, her defenses crumbling. Briena, trembling, stood frozen behind her mother, unable to refute the undeniable evidence.
The next video played on the screen, revealing a heartbreaking conversation between a young Natalie and Sephina Ford in the waiting room of an event hall. In the small, confined space, Natalie was seen crying in front of Sephina, Clara, and Briena.
"Grandma, you know I didn’t steal anything. I am Aroma. I—"
"Shut up!" Sephina’s sharp, nacing voice rang out through the screen. "You wretch, you don’t deserve any of it. If Briena had been given the opportunities your mother provided you since you were young, she would be far better than you. This all belongs to Briena. She is the daughter of the Ford family that I accept, while you are nothing but a disgrace. From this day onwards, Briena is Aroma. You can cry all you want, but no one will believe you. And if you don’t stop right here, it won’t take long to throw you out of the Ford family. Do you want to end up on the street as a beggar?"
"Grandma, please don’t do this," Natalie begged, her voice trembling. "My mother taught everything. She dread of becoming a perfur. If you do this, I won’t be able to—"
"Your mother?" Sephina interrupted with venom in her tone. "That good-for-nothing whore? You’re just like her. I won’t let you disgrace the family na. From now on, only Briena is my granddaughter and will receive everything a daughter of this family deserves."
On the screen, young Natalie knelt in front of Sephina, her tears streaming. "Grandma, please. Don’t do this to . You can’t—"
Slap!
The sound of the slap echoed through the hall as young Natalie fell to the ground, clutching her cheek.
"Accept the rcy I’m showing you," Sephina said coldly. "Say another word to anyone, and I will make sure you disappear to a place you’ll never return from. And you know I’m capable of doing that."
With that, Sephina, Clara, and Briena walked out of the room, leaving young Natalie behind, crying and broken.
The audience sat in stunned silence, their disbelief palpable. Briena and Clara were frozen, their faces pale as they stared at the screen. They were certain there hadn’t been a cara in the waiting room—how could this video even exist?
The hall remained eerily quiet.
Mia’s eyes brimd with tears, her heart aching for her friend. All she wanted was to rush to Natalie and embrace her, but she restrained herself, respecting Natalie’s strength in the mont.
Cathy placed her hand over Mia’s to comfort her, while she could only look at Natalie silently.
The judges, too, looked at Natalie with pity.
But Natalie stood there, calm and composed. Her expression was icy, unreadable, as though none of it could affect her anymore, she had long grown immune to any of such things.
"Wondering where it ca from?" Natalie asked, her tone mocking. "Don’t strain your non-existent brains too much. Just know this—this is the ti for you to pay for what you did to . Not just you two, but Sephina Ford will pay for it as well."
Clara and Briena stood frozen, unsure of what to do as the police arrived on the scene.
Natalie turned to the judges, her voice steady and composed. "Today’s formula was indeed stolen from , but she didn’t know it was made in two parts."
The hall remained silent. No one could refute Natalie’s claim—everything had been laid bare before them.
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