Mny realized she was trapped, cornered by the two people in front of her.


    Anger red up inside her chest.


    “Since Mr.


    Lloyd and the judge have spoken, I’ll take it as my mistake.


    Prolonging this is a waste of everyone’s time.


    So fine, I’ll admit defeat.


    You can all leave now, and let’s assume Allison is Scarlet Snake.


    ”


    The unspoken message in her words was strong enough for anyone paying attention.


    Her eyes, tinged with a slight redness, added to the effect, making it seem like she was a victim of Allison''s influence and the power of her group, leaving her with no choice but to back down.


    “Mny, what are you so afraid of?” Colton asked, his voice harsh as he grabbed her wrist tightly.


    His gaze shifted to Allison, filled with disdain.


    “Haven’t you done enough? Even with the truth right in front of your nose, you’re still lying through your teeth? If you confess that you cheated on me today and apologize to Mny, maybe I’ll show you some mercy.


    ”


    Mny whispered, “No need, Colton.


    You don’t have to go that far for me.


    Who doesn’t know that Mr.


    Lloyd controls everything around here? I lost fair and square.


    No need to apologize.


    ”


    Reba, who had already been stunned by Colton’s audacity, was speechless, watching them try to shift all the me onto Allison.


    “Do any of you think before you speak? You demand proof, but you have nothing.


    You’re just making wild guesses.


    If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Allison was your mother, you’re all so obsessed with her!” she mocked.


    Allison looked at Colton in disbelief.


    “I didn’t realize how blind you’ve been this whole time.


    ”


    Her voice was calm, but the biting sarcasm cut deep, making Colton feel as if everything he''d said was meaningless to her, like a child''s tantrum.


    Under everyone''s gaze, Allison calmly picked up the bottle of Mny''s perfume and sniffed it carefully.


    "Cedarwood, musk, and violet.


    The base is simr to mine, of course, but you''ve left out the rosemary.


    Can you tell, Mny?"


    Mny froze.


    She realized that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t reproduce the original scent.


    Allison’s voice softened, but she remained focused.


    “Cedarwood is cool, musk is heavy, and violet is light.


    You got the proportions right, but you missed the rosemary at the end.


    That’s the difference.


    ”


    The key.


    It tempers the weight of the musk and lifts the cedarwood, allowing its fragrance to blossom.


    As Allison spoke, her tone changed to one of deep concentration, a concentration that only came when she talked about perfumery.


    She could diagnose the exact problem just by smelling Mny’s work.


    “Your proportions are off.


    The musk is the base.


    If you wanted a lighter fragrance, you had to bnce it, not just reduce the amount.


    The result is superficial and cheap.


    Itcks real depth.


    ”


    Allison''s exnation was so detailed that even the most inexperienced could understand it.


    Even Mny felt her heart pound with fear: Allison had not only seen through her, but had practically gone through the entire process and pointed out every w.


    Forcing a thin smile, Mny replied: “You know what you’re doing, no doubt.


    But it just shows that we share simr techniques.


    That’s all.


    ”


    Mny kept her voice steady, even though her nerves were fraying her.


    Allison might know a lot about perfumes, but there was no way she could be Scarlet Snake! ording to her research, all the information on Scarlet Snake pointed to a person who must have been over sixty years old.


    “And like I said, Allison, I’m not going to dwell on this matter any further.


    Consider it your victory.


    We just happen to be unusually in sync, that’s all.


    No need to argue.


    ” His words dripped with subtext.


    Even if the base notes were simr, that didn’t prove anything.


    Many great perfumers refined their creations for years before releasing a ssic.


    As long as no one could prove the chronology, Mny was confident she could keep her lie hidden.


    Allison, with a hint of amusement,mented, “So you think a shared base note amounts to giarism?”


    “I’ve never said that,” Mny replied, her kind, dignified smile firmly in ce.


    “I just think we’re extraordinarily in sync.


    It’s unfortunate that others doubt us, throwing around usations like giarism.


    ” With the contest being anonymous, the real Scarlet Snake wasn’t likely to step forward.


    The argument over who introduced the base note first seemed like a dead end, and Mny was banking on it.


    “It annoys me that he’s always on top of things, especially when ites to proportions in perfumery.


    ” Allison looked up, sarcasmced in her words.


    “This perfume was created using a temperature-contrasting mixing technique.


    I’ve had detailed records of it on my phone for eight years, though they were never made public.


    So I have the chronology, the technique, and the test.


    Would you like to see it?”