Rebecca nearly burst out laughing at the name "Scarlet Snake." She cast a disdainful glance at Melany, her lips curling into a sneer. "I'd bet money you're an imitation," she said. "You can't even prove who you are."

Melany's face paled further, her hands balling into fists. It was clear Rebecca and Allison were trying to get under her skin, and they were succeeding. The mere thought of her identity being checked made her stomach churn. Biting her lip, she said quietly, "I never said I was Scarlet Snake. Sure, I won championships before, but that was a long time ago. Now, I only trust in my skills."

He [presumably referring to a male character not yet introduced – needs clarification in the original text] didn't confirm or deny anything; he just dropped enough breadcrumbs to keep them guessing, subtly hinting at past success. Her red eyes and stubborn expression made her look like someone caught in a fight she couldn't win.

Colton, noticing her distress, immediately stood in front of her. "You two need to stop playing this game. She's not here to prove anything to you. Melany just doesn't want to flaunt her identity. Some of you probably won't even make the top fifty. I wonder how you'll handle that humiliation."

Kellan stood still, showing no reaction. Years ago, the one who had beaten him in the first Leswington Perfumery Competition was Scarlet Snake. Could Melany really be her? Kellan glanced at her briefly. If she was Scarlet Snake, the image he'd held in his mind for years felt shattered, twisted.

Allison, meanwhile, kept her composure, watching Colton's growing agitation with a calm smile. "Well, let's congratulate Melany in advance for winning this year's competition. That should clear any doubts about her abilities."

Her smile was like a punch in the stomach. Colton's face darkened further, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "If jealousy worked, we wouldn't need cameras, right? I don't care how you snuck into the SVIP section, but let's get one thing straight: fake can never pass for real!"

I was sure. The whole area was under surveillance to prevent anything unusual. Each contestant's work was to be judged by an anonymous panel of international experts; cheating was impossible.

Allison's smile widened. "Exactly. Fake will never be real."

Though his tone remained measured, the sting of his words made Melany look away. Then Kellan spoke, his voice cutting through the tension. "I've always wondered what kind of people bring down the collective IQ."

He had a way of making even a single sentence sting. "If it was just contacts that were needed, Mr. Stevens, why didn't you bring your girlfriend into the SVIP section as well? Are you too principled for that, or are you simply out of your depth?"

The title "Mr. Stevens" brought back Colton's humiliation suffered in Athton at Kellan's hands. His expression soured, but he quickly recovered. "I was joking earlier. What I meant was that if you have nothing to hide, there's no reason to feel guilty."

Seeing Kellan, Melany instinctively sat up straight, forcing a smile. "I didn't expect to meet you here, Mr. Lloyd. It seems like fate, considering our last encounter in Athton."

Kellan didn't bother to answer. His eyes flicked to Melany, then moved on, clearly uninterested. He [the narrator] was trying to use past humiliations to forge some sort of connection. Pathetic. He turned to Allison, his tone casual. "Did you enter that first Perfumery Competition?"

"Of course," Allison replied. Her gaze met his, and without words, she understood the depth of his answer. "Let's not waste time with these old and tiresome games. How about we get down to business?"

Kellan's smile grew, something familiar flickering in his eyes. "What was your ranking in that contest?"

The revised passage improves grammar, punctuation, and flow. It also clarifies some ambiguous pronouns. However, there are still some places where the original text leaves the reader wondering who is performing certain actions (e.g., "He didn't confirm or deny anything"). Adding more context or clarifying who "he" refers to would further enhance the passage.