Chapter 563: Who Lacks Self-Awareness?
Ronald thought Selina was scared and sneered, "Of course!"
Selina narrowed her eyes. "Is that so..."
Then her tone shifted. "But if Piper were here today, would you dare say the same thing in front of her, Mr. Ronald?"
Ronald’s face stiffened, his mind buzzing—Piper here today?
No, impossible. Selina had to be bluffing!
He had impersonated Piper’s student for years without ever being exposed precisely because he knew Piper would never hear about it. He had investigated thoroughly: Piper would never come to City A. She hadn’t appeared in years—maybe she was already dead in some forgotten corner of the world!
So Selina must be lying.
Reassured, Ronald steadied himself. "Miss Clark, words aren’t to be thrown around carelessly. I know very well whether my teacher is here or not. And even if you insist she is—what of it? Even if Piper were here, how would that prove you didn’t plagiarize?"
The audience nodded. True—no matter what Selina said, it couldn’t erase the accusation of plagiarism.
Selina gave a half-smile. "That’s not necessarily true."
"Ha!" Ronald, long used to standing on high ground, didn’t sense the danger at all. He just found her words ridiculous.
"I say you plagiarized Piper, and your only defense is to argue whether Piper herself is here. Selina, let me tell you—even if Piper walked in right now, you’d still be nothing but a plagiarist. Our fragrance world will never welcome trash like you!"
"And besides—what are you implying? That if Piper were here, she’d prove you innocent?"
Ronald’s lip curled. "Don’t tell me you’re about to claim you are Piper?"
He barked out a laugh, leading others to do the same. It was absurd.
But Selina remained calm, her smile faint. "And what if I were Piper, Mr. Ronald? Then what?"
Ronald laughed even harder at that.
The judges frowned.
"Miss Clark, don’t make a farce of this. Ronald is Piper’s student. If you really were Piper, would he not recognize you?"
That logic seemed unshakable, and almost everyone concluded Selina was lying.
Yet she tilted her head and replied evenly, "Good point. Then let me ask—if Ronald is truly Piper’s student, why doesn’t he recognize me?"
What?! She actually agreed? Was she losing control of her own lie?
Ronald sneered harder. "Really now, Miss Clark—you actually believe your own nonsense? Plagiarizing so badly you’ve forgotten who you even are? Everyone in Country Y knows I was trained by Piper. And you? Who do you think you are!"
"I think you’re the one who doesn’t know who you are!"
Suddenly, the studio doors burst open.
In strode an older man radiating authority, trailed by frantic staff and bodyguards. "Mr. Edwin, please, slow down..."
The entire hall fell silent.
Edwin.
Everyone knew that name. A living legend, he pioneered modern perfumery and founded the world-renowned EW brand. This was the man whose legacy defined the entire industry.
And this very competition’s top three were supposed to collaborate with EW through Reid Group.
But why was Edwin here in person?
And more importantly—had he just rebuked Ronald?
Ronald hurried forward, obsequious. "Mr. Edwin! What an honor, I didn’t know you’d be gracing us today. Forgive me for not welcoming you properly. May I ask what brings you—"
"Selina," Edwin said, his tone warm and familiar. "It’s been a long time."
Edwin didn’t spare Ronald a single glance. He walked straight toward Selina, his demeanor gentle, almost like an elder seeing a cherished younger generation—yet in his eyes flickered something no elder should show: respect.
People thought they were imagining it. Respect? Edwin looking at Selina with respect?
Selina gave a calm nod. "Sir, it really has been a long time."
Edwin seemed very pleased. He had already heard overseas that Selina was married, and though he wanted to ask who her husband was, he also knew now wasn’t the right moment for personal talk. Instead, he turned to an organizer. "Get me a seat."
Ronald, feeling humiliated, tried to recover, "Mr. Edwin, you and Miss Clark are... old acquaintances?"
For the first time, Edwin looked at him directly. "What of it? Surprised?"
Ronald clenched his teeth. He’d nearly cornered Selina, and suddenly Edwin appeared to ruin everything. "Mr. Edwin, forgive my bluntness. It’s not that I don’t respect your friend, but I cannot condone plagiarism. Especially since Selina plagiarized my teacher!"
"As everyone knows, my teacher is Piper. Selina stole one of her formulas. The evidence is undeniable, and yet she refuses to admit it. I—"
"Plagiarized Piper?"
Before Ronald could finish his righteous speech, Edwin’s gaze darkened.
His shout cut like thunder: "Ronald! You don’t even know who you are, and you think my words were praise?!"
The hall froze in silence.
Everyone was confused. Wasn’t Ronald defending his teacher against a plagiarist? Why was Edwin standing on Selina’s side?
Someone, worried Edwin didn’t know the details, hurried to explain: "Mr. Edwin, it’s not Ronald’s fault. Your friend copied Piper. The evidence was presented already..."
Edwin didn’t even bother listening. He let out a cold laugh. "Piper is your teacher?"
...
...
Wait. Why was Edwin asking the exact same question Selina had?
Ronald’s instincts screamed danger. "Of course..."
"Is Piper male or female? How old? What do they look like? Their build? Their nationality? Their personal interests? Where do they live?"
One question after another slammed into him, and Ronald’s face drained pale.
"I..."
Edwin sneered. "Not a single answer? And you dare claim Piper as your teacher?"
All eyes zeroed in on Ronald.
Panic set in. He had once worried about being exposed, but pretending to be Piper’s student had gone so smoothly he had almost forgotten he was nothing more than a fraud.
Now, under direct questioning, he trembled. "I... I don’t know the details. My teacher always contacted me online, so I..."
Edwin cut him off coldly. "Then let me tell you! Piper is from Country M. She’s a woman. In a few months she’ll turn twenty-two. She resides in City A. Until recently, she was a student—just graduated from City A University. She now serves as the chairwoman of SL Group. Need me to be any clearer?"
The description... people’s eyes slowly turned toward Selina.
Selina smiled.
Edwin’s contemptuous gaze snapped back to Ronald. "You dare impersonate Piper’s student, accuse her of plagiarizing her own work—tell me, who’s the one here that doesn’t even know who they are?"