Kellan's gaze remained inscrutable as he held up the scent strip of perfume number five. "Lemonade?" The doubt lingered: this was Scarlet Snake's signature, meaning Allison was Scarlet Snake!

The realization hit Kellan like a lightning bolt. Of all the fragrances, only this one carried the unmistakable hint of Scarlet Snake. The scent was strikingly similar and had a calming effect on him—only Scarlet Snake's extraction technique could achieve that.

"Congratulations, Miss Clarke, on your victory," Kellan said, his words measured. "I must admit, I didn't expect it to be so well hidden. That strange fragrance you mentioned stumbling upon… was it one of your creations?"

His mind flashed back to their first meeting in his office, when she'd claimed to have casually purchased the perfume. He'd then ordered his men to search the most exclusive downtown perfume stores, yet none came close. Each attempt paled in comparison, like fool's gold next to genuine gold.

Allison, ever sharp, detected the implication in his tone. "I could never compare to your reputation, Mr. Lloyd. Carisma is a legend. But then again… your base scent doesn't exactly scream originality."

Allison hadn't anticipated Kellan was Carisma's founder. The revelation left a bitter taste in his mouth; he'd been so close to finding clues about his mother years ago. His eyes searched his for any offense, but to his surprise, found none. The veiled accusation of plagiarism didn't faze him.

"Of course not," Kellan said, a slight smile playing on his lips. "It's a family secret, passed down for generations. And using 'Lemonade' as an alias? You've kept a much lower profile than I thought."

He was sure. Allison was Scarlet Snake! He marveled at her. From the Royal Princess cruise to Athton, and now this perfume competition, she'd continually revealed herself in layers, each revelation more shocking than the last. And Allison knew Kellan held the answers she sought, but now wasn't the time or place. Not yet.

Their congratulations dripped with subtext; their fixed gazes told a different story—a silent duel, like clashing magnets, opposites undeniably drawn together. Sparks flew, unnoticed by anyone else.

Rebecca, oblivious, sighed wistfully. "What a pity. If you hadn't married that scum, you would have swept the international market ages ago! Hell, you'd probably be sitting with the judges right now!" Her lament was sincere.

Allison's eyes briefly dropped to the bracelet she was fiddling with. "There's no shame in it. I chose my path. The wrong path, yes, but I got off it in time." Her voice was confident, though regret flickered. She remembered marrying Colton with hope, even creating a custom fragrance for his birthday, only to be met with cold disdain. He'd called it useless. It had hurt, but she now saw it as part of a larger mistake: misplaced loyalty to a man undeserving. She only had herself to blame.

Nearby, Colton wrestled with his emotions. His earlier taunt felt like a slap to his own pride. His face darkened as he picked up perfume number five and sniffed it. His expression soured. "This smells like Melany's perfume."

His comment sent a wave of unease through the crowd. "Could it be cheating? They smell similar," a murmur spread, silencing the room.

Colton, encouraged by the growing suspicion, escalated. "Melany is Scarlet Snake! There's no way Allison could have bypassed her. Sniff everyone—number five is almost identical to Melany's perfume."

Amid rumors of cheating, several contestants outside the top ten looked on, intrigued. One by one, they leaned in to compare. Base notes of pine and violet lingered, artfully blended, yet undeniably familiar. Scarlet Snake's unique style—layered, intricate, and enigmatic—was not easily imitated.

Emboldened by the audience's hesitation, Colton turned to Allison, his voice accusatory. "Did you steal Melany's formula?"