Chapter 58:

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Mack’s icy gaze fixed on Melany as he finished speaking. “You claimed your creations echoed the style of the renowned Scarlet Snake, yet you didn’t even recognize her. Then you dared to throw around baseless accusations. This is outrageous!”

Melany’s face went pale, scrambling for a defense. “That’s not what I meant, and besides… how could she possibly be Scarlet Snake?” But what if she was?

The terrifying thought flickered across Melany’s mind, only to be quickly shoved aside. No, it couldn’t be true. She couldn’t bear to imagine how many secrets Allison could be hiding if it were.

“Melany’s only emulating Scarlet Snake’s style. It’s more of a tribute, really. Deciding whether this crosses into plagiarism isn’t something that can be settled in a few words! We’d need concrete evidence.” Colton was the first to regain his composure.

Allison had once claimed she’d met Emanuel on a deserted island, which could explain her knowledge of pottery. But claiming to be Scarlet Snake, the winner of the very first Perfumery Competition? It was beyond absurd.

“Besides, the rules of that first contest were entirely different from the ones today. All participants remained completely anonymous. The organizers guaranteed that from the moment perfumes were submitted to when finalists were selected, no one was privy to the contestants’ identities, only their code names.” The current SVIP channel was set up for the top ten competitors in the first Perfumery Competition, but the staff only had access to the rankings, not any of their detailed information.

Colton’s face hardened as he continued, “Maybe someone’s trying to con the judges into thinking they’re Scarlet Snake. It wouldn’t be the first time someone tried to pull a stunt like that.”

Whether it was jealousy, disbelief, or something else entirely, Colton was convinced. He couldn’t accept the idea that Allison could possibly be that kind of genius.

His words seemed to reignite Melany’s confidence. She couldn’t back down now. To admit defeat would undo everything. This was now a fight for survival.

“Mr. Lloyd, you’re an expert in the perfume industry with countless protégés. Everyone respects your opinion.” Melany’s eyes reddened as she looked at Mack, feigning a mixture of determination and wounded pride.

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“But the first contest’s rules were clear — no one was allowed to know the contestants’ true identities. So, unless you violated those rules, Mr. Lloyd, or were they just for show back then?”

Allison’s cold stare cut through the air. “You really are shameless. You still have the nerve to argue, even now, and you’re dragging others down with you.”

Melany was proving to be even more despicable than Allison had anticipated. Now, Melany was hinting that the judges themselves were part of some cover-up.

“Even if you are from the Lloyd family, you shouldn’t be playing favorites. This is about my reputation too,” Melany said firmly. “Come on, everyone can see how close Allison and Kellan are. If you’re going to defend her, do it differently!”

Melany used the rules from the first contest to challenge Mack. If he tried to protect Allison by saying she was the Scarlet Snake, it would be like breaking the rules. People might get the wrong idea that Allison had cheated. Melany was all in now. She knew that unless Scarlet Snake herself materialized, she could spin this situation however she wanted. Allison and Mack would be dragged down by this mess.

Mack’s eyes widened as he looked at the two standing before him. “You’re just making things up!”

In all his years, no one had dared challenge him like this. She was accusing him of lying — of dishonoring the integrity of the contest and its organizers. The sheer audacity!

Melany felt a wave of guilt deep inside but masked it with a defiant front. After all, the anonymity of that first contest had been ironclad. So many had tried, in vain, to uncover the contestants’ identities. The judges had always sworn they hadn’t looked into anyone’s true background — not even that of the illustrious champion, Scarlet Snake.

So even if Allison was Scarlet Snake, who could prove it?

“Mr. Lloyd, please, take it easy.” A bystander moved to support Mack, fearing he might collapse from the stress. Seeing this, Melany quickly stepped back, putting on a show of regret.

“Let’s just drop it. Maybe there were loopholes in the so-called anonymous contest, and the judges did poke around the champion’s identity behind closed doors.”

She was playing the game of confusion, throwing just enough doubt into the mix to muddy the waters for everyone present.

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