Chapter 8 Shameless

"These two bottles, one provided by Neogenito Fragrances and the other by Liavian Perfumes, Mr. Scott, you can try to see if there is a difference."

She raised both hands high, and everyone could see the bottles in her hands.

"So what if there is a difference or not?" Liam squinted slightly and said disdainfully, "Even the judges said that their ingredients and scent are very similar. What does this prove?"

"This can prove why Neogenito Fragrances won." Evelyn continued, "Mr. Scott, you believe that I stole Liavian Perfumes' work. If I did indeed steal your work, but my work is different from yours, then obviously your quality should be better. Since you think it's unfair, this is your best opportunity to prove yourself in front of your peers and the media."

She always spoke softly, her voice gentle, accompanied by a faint smile. Due to past misunderstandings, many people had biased views of Evelyn. But at this moment, faced with her smile, they couldn't say anything harsh.

Liam frowned as he watched her, unsure of what trick she was playing.

He thought, 'What has gotten into Evelyn today? She has caused such a commotion here, and she's not even listening to me.'

"Well, Mr. Scott, it's understandable that you're not confident, considering you're not a professional perfumer," Evelyn teased, glancing at Vivian standing behind Liam. "But since Ms. Reed claimed that 'First Love' was personally made by her, she should be able to tell, right?"

Vivian clutched her wine glass tightly, suppressing her inner panic. She was all too aware of the origin of 'First Love'.

Evelyn's sudden inquiry caught her off guard, and she struggled to discern her intention.

Biting her lip, Vivian said, "The competition has turned out like this today, which is detrimental to both Neogenito Fragrances and Liavian Perfumes. The formula for 'First Love' has already been leaked, so what's the point of distinguishing the real one now?

"Evelyn, no matter what, we are friends and colleagues. I won't pursue the matter of 'First Love' anymore."

After saying that, she turned around and prepared to leave, holding her skirt as she wanted to exit the stage.

"But I want to pursue it, what should we do?" Evelyn's crisp voice carried a hint of mockery, not giving her any chance to retreat.

Vivian stopped in her tracks, suddenly turned around, and stared at her with wide eyes.

Lowering his voice, Liam turned his head to avoid the camera below and reprimanded impatiently, "Evelyn, you've gone too far!"

"And this is considered going too far?" Evelyn sneered, putting two bottles on the table and uncorking them. She looked around at everyone and said loudly, "Everyone, the inspiration for 'First Love' comes from the subtle emotions between men and women. It also aims to evoke people's nostalgia and longing through this scent.

"On the basis of sweetness, there should also be a slight bitterness, but with a lingering aftertaste. The difference between these two perfumes lies in... the base notes."

Some curious people approached and smelled them, while others tried them with test strips, but they still had doubts.

"The scents are indeed very similar, almost the same. What's the difference in the base notes?"

Perfumes needed some time to evaporate, and waiting for the base notes also required time. Now that Evelyn had aroused everyone's curiosity, they no longer had that patience.

Evelyn smiled and said, "In fact, everyone has already experienced the difference in the base notes."

"When did we experience..."

Someone realized it first and said, "It's the scent from just now!"

Vivian, standing beside him, wore a look of panic. Finally, she understood the source of that strange smell!

She glared at Evelyn, thinking, 'She actually tampered with the First Love sample?!'

Evelyn smiled slyly at her, yet her eyes remained icy cold.

It was Evelyn who had instructed Laura to add something to the sample—something that would emit a fishy odor during the dry-down stage. She knew Vivian, seeking attention, would undoubtedly spray the First Love sample on herself just as the base notes began to emerge.

"Indeed, that's why I smelled a fishy scent earlier."

"Who would have thought that the top notes would be so similar, but the dry-down notes would be so different."

People started discussing among themselves, but soon someone raised a doubt, "But whether it's plagiarism or theft, it should be completely identical. Why such a big difference?"

"It's obvious that someone wants to frame Vivian."

Liam turned his head and glanced at Evelyn, then walked over to Vivian and said, "Even if there were mistakes in perfume formulation, it wouldn't result in such a big issue. Besides, Ms. Reed has put a lot of effort into this work and has conducted multiple experiments.

"Furthermore, even if it were plagiarism or theft, who would modify the formula and intentionally make the product flawed? It's obvious that someone stole the formula of First Love and tampered with our products, deliberately trying to frame us."

At this point, Liam paused. His eyes were particularly sharp as he looked directly at Evelyn. "Ms. Taylor, we initially didn't want to hold you accountable because of your contributions to the company over the years. But now that you're being aggressive, I have no choice but to resort to legal means to protect the reputation of both myself and Ms. Reed.

"Today ends here. I will file a lawsuit later. If Neogenito Fragrances insists on protecting such a thief, then I will have to sue them as well."

He stood there, exuding confidence as he spoke, convincing everyone that Liavian Perfumes was indeed the victim.

"This is outrageous!"

"The competition should clarify things! How did the judges select the winners?"

"Isn't this distorting right and wrong?"

"A person like her shouldn't be standing here. Get out!"

The crowd seethed with anger. Despite the Seraphian Group's backing of Neogenito Fragrances, they couldn't quell the crowd's fury.

Some journalists couldn't wait to file the story and started live-streaming, preparing to post this exposé online.

…

In the VIP room, a distinguished man suppressed his anger, yet his gaze remained fierce. He'd navigated the cutthroat business world for years, encountering all sorts, but someone as shameless as Liam was rare indeed.

Watching his newlywed wife standing helpless on stage, he tightened his sleeve buttons, ready to leave.

But just as his fingers brushed the handle, a clear, pleasant voice echoed.

"Yes, I changed the formula and swapped the samples."

Samuel paused, turning his head slightly to see Evelyn's slightly raised face on the big screen. Under the spotlight, she was dazzling.

She remained calm and composed, and her confident gaze made Samuel feel guilty. He thought, 'Maybe I should trust her more.'