Ethan Sullivan's eyes darkened as he held the testing strip of Perfume No.5 between his fingers.
Lemon?
This was unmistakably the work of Crimson Serpent.
He was certain. Among all the entries, only this fragrance carried Crimson Serpent's signature. The scent profile was identical—soothing his restless headaches, the extraction technique flawless.
"Congratulations on your victory, Ms. Sullivan," Ethan said, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Who knew you hid such talent? That perfume from years ago... It wasn't just some discontinued find, was it? You crafted it yourself in Italy."
He recalled Sophia's casual explanation when they first met. Suspicious, he had ordered every perfume in the city to be collected for comparison.
All turned out to be cheap imitations. A wasted effort.
Sophia met his gaze evenly. "In terms of reputation, I could never rival you, Mr. Sullivan. Breeze Perfumes is already legendary. Though... this base note feels familiar."
She hadn't expected Ethan to be the founder of Breeze.
Nor had she imagined their past encounter would lead her to miss a crucial clue about her mother.
His words were sharp, yet Ethan showed no anger.
"Naturally. It's my family's secret formula," he replied with a faint smile. "Using lemon as your theme—now that's true modesty, Ms. Sullivan."
Ethan was now convinced—she was Crimson Serpent.
This woman continually surprised him. From the Royal Princess Cruise to Potter's Town, and now this perfumery competition. He couldn't help but want to uncover more of her secrets.
Sophia knew Ethan held vital clues, but this wasn't the place for deeper discussions.
Both concealed their thoughts behind polite congratulations and veiled probing. Their locked gazes sparked like crossed blades.
Isabella Robinson, oblivious to the tension, sighed regretfully. "What a shame you married the wrong man. You could've shined on the international stage years ago. You might even be sitting on the judges' panel today!"
Her voice brimmed with sympathy.
Sophia lowered her eyes, fingers tracing her wristband. "No regrets. I chose my path. Even if it was wrong, I own it. It's not too late to start anew."
Her words claimed indifference, but a faint bitterness still stirred within.
Early in her marriage, she had poured her heart into creating a special fragrance for Liam Winston's birthday—only for him to shove it away with disgust, calling it trash and demanding she "know her place."
That disappointment had been real. But it was all in the past now.
She had only married him out of gratitude. Letting emotions get involved had been her mistake. She had no one to blame but herself.
Liam's expression twisted with conflict.
His earlier mockery now felt like a slap to his own face. Snatching up Perfume No.5, he took a sharp inhale.
His brows furrowed. "This smells similar to Chloe's perfume."
His words ignited whispers. "Could this be cheating? The scents do resemble each other."
Doubt sliced through the applause and chatter.
All eyes turned to Liam, whose confidence grew.
"Chloe is Crimson Serpent. How could Sophia possibly outperform her? Focus on the base notes—don't they match?"
The cheating allegation made eliminated contestants perk up.
People compared the fragrances skeptically. Indeed, the base notes shared similarities—cedarwood and violet blended with masterful precision.
Crimson Serpent's mysterious, dangerous style was nearly impossible to replicate.
Liam confronted Sophia directly.
"Did you steal Chloe's formula?"