Half an hour later, the deep, resonant ringing of an ancient bell reverberated through the walls, signaling the official start of the contest. The sound permeated every corner, reaching each contestant. Some were on the verge of collapse, clinging to their perfume tubes as if they were life preservers; others were drenched in sweat, their eyes wide with anxiety. But there was no escaping the ever-vigilant cameras, positioned in every room to prevent cheating.
Allison, however, had already calmly finished her work. She took a scent strip, gently passed it under her nose, and inhaled. The perfume she had created was relatively simple: an evolution of a previous creation, capturing the essence of the vast ocean.
Once all contestants had presented and numbered their perfumes, the samples were taken to the judges for evaluation. An elderly judge with silvery hair picked up perfume number five, his eyes widening in admiration.
“This… is magnificent,” he declared. “The top notes are pure sunlight on the sea—so bright, so full of life. But the base notes…” He paused, taking another deep breath. “There’s a storm brewing below. A stroke of brilliance! How they’ve managed to balance traditional violet with rosemary, giving it that almost ethereal quality… And yet, nothing is out of place; in fact, it adds layers of depth. But there’s something… familiar about the base note.”
The judge beside him was equally impressed, immediately awarding a perfect score. “It reminds me of the fragrance that won the first Leswington competition a few years ago, but this one seems more refined, more mature.”
The perfume received unanimous praise, with no score below a nine.
In the waiting room, Rebecca found Allison as she left. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve been through quite the ordeal,” Rebecca said, handing Allison a glass of wine. She knew that creating scents often brought back memories for Allison. With a mischievous smile, Rebecca teased, “Think of this as your victory toast.”
Allison’s thoughts, however, were tangled up with the mysteries of the Charisma Company. Could this contest be her gateway to meeting its elusive CEO? To finding out more about her mother’s past? She smiled at Rebecca and said, “The results haven’t been released yet. Maybe we should wait to celebrate.”
“With your ability? First place is practically yours,” Rebecca said confidently. “Don’t worry. When the results come out, I’ll keep an eye on Violet Moon. Anyone who can develop charisma is someone worth watching. She’s definitely in the top ten.”
Two hours later, the results appeared on the screen. All the contestants’ eyes were glued to the scrolling names, revealing the top ten perfumes, each accompanied by its number and description. In the hall, the perfumes were proudly displayed. A staff member, smiling brightly, tied a red bracelet around Allison’s wrist.
“Congratulations, Miss Allison Clarke! You have won first prize!”
On the screen, the name “Lemonade” was proudly displayed at the top. In second place was “Violet Moon,” with a note identifying it as representing the Charisma Company. Melany placed third.
Allison wasn’t surprised by her win, but she was focused on something else. Scanning the crowd, her eyes found Violet Moon. It wasn’t long before she saw a staff member fastening the second-place wristband onto Kellan’s wrist.
“Congratulations on your second place, Mr. Lloyd. No one would have guessed that you are the CEO of the Charisma Company.”
Kellan’s eyes met hers, giving her a look that spoke volumes.
Around her, the room buzzed with chatter. “Congratulations!” rang out from contestant to contestant, though some congratulations sounded hollow. Others whispered behind fake smiles: “Lemonade is so young! Where did she come from? She must be some big shot using a fake name. I have to smell her perfume later.”
“You don’t know Allison Clarke? She’s Colton Stevens’ ex-wife! But she didn’t come out of nowhere. Who knew she was so talented?”
“This pageant is full of surprises. Who would have thought that Kellan Lloyd, with his luxury empire, was Violet Moon, and also the mind behind the Charisma Company?”
“And he already has the biggest business in the world. Does he need to get into the perfume industry too? Some people seem to win at everything.”
The room was a cacophony of congratulations, forced smiles, and barely concealed envy. Yet amidst the clamor, Allison and Kellan stood stock-still, their gazes locked. Their reflections in each other’s eyes mirrored an unspoken connection, as if the rest of the world had vanished.