Chapter 7

The crowd was astonished. Few knew Lily's whereabouts after her disappearance from the industry, let alone her relationship with Nathaniel.

The reporters, however, were ecstatic. They had initially anticipated a routine news story. No one expected revelations of plagiarism and betrayal. The sheer possibility was thrilling.

Nathaniel approached Lily, saying regretfully, "You were part of MN Inc. When did you become a social climber and move to another company without informing me? And you even took my company's product?"

His voice was soft, but the nearby microphone ensured the audience heard every word.

"She's a traitor! Now I see why the plagiarism," someone exclaimed.

"Everyone overpraised her. Remember the media hype when she won Best Newcomer? Look at her now," another scoffed.

"Stealing company secrets is a crime! Call the police!" shouted another.

"She's heartless and unscrupulous. She's beautiful, yes, but what good is that when she's a thief?"

The vitriolic comments directed at Lily barely concealed Nathaniel's smugness. Regardless of the situation's complexities, he'd seemingly salvaged his company.

Turning to Rebirth's representative, Nathaniel feigned concern: "I believe there's a misunderstanding. Your company is not at fault. However, everyone knows a product belongs to its creator. First Love belongs to MN Inc."

"Mr. Hall," a voice interrupted, cutting through Nathaniel's words.

Lily maintained an impassive smile. Turning to Nathaniel, she calmly asked, "You said I work for MN Inc.?" Her composure unnerved him, though the watchful crowd helped mask his anxiety. He replied, "You won't be with us in the future. It's regrettable this happened."

Lily chuckled, as if amused. "Was I ever an MN Inc. employee?"

Before Nathaniel could respond, she continued, "Mr. Hall, I never signed a contract. Do we have a written agreement? Did you ever issue a paycheck? Any proof of my employment?"

"Proof? Everyone at MN Inc. can testify. What proof do you need?"

"So you have none?" Lily's casual question silenced him.

He'd exploited her loyalty, omitting any contract or paycheck to prevent her from using it against him. Her salary had been inconsistent, as she was unconcerned with money. He'd automatically paid her rent, and she wasn't extravagant; he'd considered a paycheck unnecessary.

However, her move to another company, coupled with this revelation, left him vulnerable. Even in court, he'd appear unreasonable.

Melanie, unable to remain silent, interjected harshly, "This isn't a place for you to grandstand. As a former friend, I won't pursue this further, but leave now!"

Nathaniel seemed to remember something. He grasped Lily's sleeve, saying, "Lily, we'll talk later, regardless of any misunderstanding."

His gaze was a warning: comply or face consequences. But Lily wasn't the same.

Stepping back and freeing herself from his grasp, she said, "Mr. Hall, why haven't you defended your rights, considering the committee identified you and Ms. Thayer as plagiarism victims? The judges will be fair." Smiling, she addressed the host. "We've submitted First Love's research data and samples; we trust the outcome will be just."

"Wait!" Nathaniel interjected. "Ms. Christian was my employee; she could have accessed our data and samples. If the information is identical, how will the committee decide?"

He lacked confidence. The data and samples originated with Lily; they would be virtually identical.

Unable to stop Lily, he decided to abandon her, framing her as a traitor. It was his only chance to save his company's reputation.

Someone whispered to the host, who straightened and addressed Nathaniel: "Mr. Hall, the judges have reached a decision. While the information, data, and samples are similar, there are minor differences."

"Oh?" Nathaniel was taken aback.

Melanie felt uneasy. How could their data differ? Those near her subtly distanced themselves; she detected a faint, unusual odor, though she chose to ignore it.

"The judges declare Rebirth's First Love the winner! Congratulations!" The host announced.

Nathaniel turned pale. "Impossible! My company invested heavily in First Love! How can Rebirth win?! First Love belongs to MN Inc., and we have proof! The committee can't suppress small businesses like us because Rebirth has La Beauté Group's backing! It's unfair! This will disappoint MN Inc. and other hard-working small companies! You're suppressing us!"

Many agreed. Small perfumery companies relied on competitions for exposure and market share. Suppression by larger corporations was a significant concern.

"He's right! The products are similar; why did Rebirth win?"

"This is highway robbery! Mr. Hall, call the police!"

Lily raised an eyebrow, watching Nathaniel's righteous performance. "Mr. Hall, you keep mentioning evidence. Let me show you some." She turned and received two small bottles from a Rebirth employee.