Chapter 89
‘What the hell?‘ Beau thought, nearly tripping over his own feet in astonishment.
He quickly winked at Patrick, silently urging him to stop Juliette. He thought, ‘If she stands up and accuses Bianca of plagiarism now, won’t she be ripped apart?‘
Thinning his lips, Patrick couldn’t decipher Juliette’s plan, but he resolved to support her nonetheless.
The crowd reacted with a mix of comments, some finding the situation so humorous they burst into laughter.
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“It seems Juliette is set on relentlessly attacking Bianca. Starting with spreading rumors online, she now dares to make false accusations at the competition!”
“She might be acting this way because her ex–fiancé hurt her badly. Not even a famous actor like Patrick could help her.”
“Bianca is incredibly talented! She can play piano, dance, act, create perfumes, and even run a company – her sister, Juliette, is just a socialite. If I were a man, I’d choose Bianca too.”
Based on the names given to them by Mr. Vaughn, the Vaughn family seems to treat them equally. Many poems pair dusk and moonlight, like the most famous one, “The Sky Clears at Dusk, the Moon Begins to Bloom. However, Juliette doesn’t try to better herself and blames Bianca for outshining her.”
The commotion continued as Bianca smiled, noticing Juliette standing up. Bianca had wondered who would accuse her of plagiarism, and the answer, ridiculously, was Juliette.
“It’s incredibly hurtful that you would spread lies about me online. My lawyer has been in touch, haven’t they? And then you show up
here to humiliate me even further?” Bianca said.
Leighton’s eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of Juliette, a flicker of sympathy crossing her face. “Juliette,” she reminded her, “if you’re going to accuse someone of plagiarism, you must provide proof.”
Bianca said, “We grew up together. You’ve never been interested in managing the company’s affairs, and I’ve never seen you develop a perfume at home. Juliette, you must know when to stop, or you’ll only hurt yourself.”
Juliette responded, “If you’re doing something wrong, it’s best to stop before it gets worse and you find yourself in trouble.”
Juliette, unfazed by the crowd’s taunts, stepped forward. Their insults were nothing compared to what she had endured. Locking eyes with Bianca, she boomed into the microphone, “Do you have the audacity to claim the work you presented today is your own?”
“Of course, I know that! The National Perfume Competition requires all entries to be personally crafted, and I wouldn’t dream of breaking such a basic rule.” Bianca felt no remorse.
Even if she had used Juliette’s formula before, Juliette could never prove it. She also discovered the formula for the perfume she’s competing in today, though the only record was a missing first draft, making it impossible to prove its original ownership.
A throng of reporters crowded around Juliette, eager to question her. “Mrs. Clarke, you’ve repeatedly claimed Bianca plagiarized your work. Does a personal grudge fuel this accusation?”
“Mrs. Clarke, are you clinging to this because you still harbor feelings for Mr. Montgomery? Have you thought about how Mr. Clarke would feel if you went through this?” a reporter thrust a microphone toward Juliette.
Seeing this, Patrick forcefully pushed the microphone away, sending the reporter stumbling back a few steps. Patrick’s face
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turned cold, and his imposing presence filled the room. His aura was so powerful that everyone was intimidated and afraid to approach him.
Patrick glanced at the crowd and said, “My wife believes Bianca plagiarized her work, and I believe her.” Juliette gave him a grateful look.
A reporter asked, “Mrs. Clarke, you have never designed a perfume before, so how could Bianca plagiarize your work? Are you certain you’re not mistaken?”
“What actions are you prepared to take if I can prove she plagiarized my work?” Juliette responded.
“I will broadcast myself drinking liquid waste live!” the reporter answered.
Juliette sneered. “Then you’d better get ready.”
The crowd deemed Juliette arrogant. The mysterious figure from the perfume industry was relentless in framing Bianca. juliette rose from her seat and carefully passed the thorns towards the podium, finally standing shoulder–to–shoulder with Bianca.
Beau frantically gestured for Patrick to pull her back, but he remained rooted, focused solely on shielding Juliette from the pressing crowd. Beau was stunned by his inaction.
Juliette asked, “Before I present the evidence, I have a question: when did you develop ‘Rose Blood‘?*
Bianca, already prepared, noted, “I have a record on my workbench for September 20th.”
Juliette said, “Alright.”
Bianca demanded, “Is there anything else?”
“While it’s true that I don’t have my perfume line,” Juliette proudly announced, “Francis Kim, a nationally renowned perfumer, does!”
“Francis Kim is incredibly well–known in this industry. Surely you’ve heard of them?” Bianca retorted.
“Would you not plagiarize my perfume because I am unknown in the industry, yet you copied a fragrance from Francis Kim, who is well–known?” The accusation hung heavy in the air.
The silence was deafening. Accusing Bianca of plagiarizing Juliette’s perfume seemed absurd. However, the possibility was much more believable if she plagiarized Francis. The question remained: what was the connection between Francis and Juliette?
Before anyone understood, Juliette had already sent Beau a video call request. Before answering, Beau checked to make sure it was from Francis’s WhatsApp, not Juliette’s.
Juliette appeared in the video, with the perfume competition in the background.
Beau was stunned and confused.
“Mr. Harrison, please let everyone know who I am,” Juliette said.
‘An introduction?‘ Beau thought, stunned.
He had never met Francis before and pictured them as an elderly person, deeply experienced in the perfume industry, much like his grandmother.
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He thought, ‘What? Juliette, is Francis Kim? So young and beautiful? Is she pretending to be Francis to defeat Bianca? But the consequences of impersonating would be disastrous.
Beau swallowed hard, his eyes catching the sporadic messages between Francis and the other user. He was sure this account belonged to Juliette. “F–Francis Kim,” he stammered.
The room collectively gasped when Beau confessed. Astonishment rippled through the crowd when it was revealed that Juliette was, in fact, Francis Kim.
