Married To My Billionaire Stepbrother

Chapter 265: The Truth

The judges turned to Briena. "What do you have to say about this, Ms. Briena?"

Briena, still stunned, hesitated before saying, "I think it was a coincidence..."

"Coincidence?" Ms. Taylor exclaimed, frowning. "Such a coincidence that you created only half of the perfume and didn’t even realize it was incomplete? Which perfumer doesn’t know their own creation is unfinished? Have you truly created it?"

Briena froze under Ms. Taylor’s sharp words but quickly tried to defend herself. "I knew you wouldn’t accept it. You’re siding with Natalie. I saw you at her perfume event, standing with her. I’m sure you’re colluding with her!"

Ms. Taylor’s expression hardened. "Are you blaming me for your failure to complete a formula? How does it even show that I’m siding with her? The other judges here can also see through what’s happening."

One of the male judges finally spoke, his voice stern. "Ms. Briena, think carefully before accusing us judges. We are here to give a fair judgment, and everyone in this hall can see the situation clearly. If you present an incomplete perfume like this, you don’t deserve to be a perfumer."

"Stop accusing my daughter!" Clara exclaimed, stepping forward. "You’ve seen in the other rounds how she created incredible perfumes that all of you couldn’t help but praise. But now, just because of a small coincidence that her perfume matched Natalie’s, you’re accusing her? She must have been under pressure from the competition, which caused her to make this mistake."

Just then, a scholarly-looking man in a black suit entered the room, his presence commanding attention. He was a lawyer.

"Ms. Briena," the man said firmly, "on behalf of my client, I have filed a formal complaint against you for stealing their work and presenting it in this competition as your own."

"What?" Briena exclaimed, her face pale. "I... I didn’t steal Natalie’s work! If I had, why would I have stolen only half of it? I..."

"I am not talking about stealing Ms. Natalie’s work," the lawyer said, placing a large brown envelope on the table in front of Briena. "This is on behalf of my client, the famous perfumer Dew."

A collective gasp echoed through the hall. Dew was a renowned perfumer, known for creating only one perfume a year. Each creation was produced in limited quantities and auctioned at exorbitant prices. Dew’s identity was shrouded in mystery—no one knew whether Dew was a man or a woman, nor had anyone ever seen them in public.

"I... I didn’t steal anything from them!" Briena cried out in disbelief, her face pale.

Just then, the screen behind the stage lit up, displaying a series of perfume formulas registered under Dew’s name for over a year. These were the exact formulas Briena had used in the previous rounds of the competition.

silent, stunned by the

"Ms. Briena, do not attempt to claim this as a coincidence. Every formula

you have that my daughter

evidence of the formulas being sold and bought

formulas. They were caught and have confessed everything. Additionally,

whispers filled the hall as the evidence was displayed. The judges exchanged shocked looks, while the

one voice in the audience

be here

behind her mother. "Mom, I

your doing! My daughter could never do anything wrong. You envy her success and are taking revenge on her because Ivan chose her over a despicable woman

nothing wrong," Natalie replied coldly. "Back then, she stole my work and pretended to be Aroma—even then, she did nothing wrong. She faked her own accident because

by Natalie’s calm yet

not done, while you conveniently turned a blind eye and

daughter like this?" Clara shouted, her voice trembling with anger. "I can sue you for

mother and daughter. "Back then, I was powerless to prove anything. But this time,

her. "Don’t even think

already done yourself by not teaching

evidence: footage of Briena tripping on the stairs during the piano competition. It showed Natalie trying to save

air. Clara’s face turned pale as she watched the proof

heartbreaking conversation between a young Natalie and Sephina Ford in the waiting room of an event hall. In the small, confined space, Natalie was seen

steal anything.

the Ford family that I accept, while you are nothing but a disgrace. From this day onwards, Briena is Aroma. You can cry all you want, but no one will believe you. And if you don’t stop right here, it won’t

do this," Natalie begged, her voice trembling. "My mother taught me everything. She

let you disgrace the family name. From now on, only Briena is

the screen, young Natalie knelt in front of Sephina, her tears streaming.