Chapter 19
It was, however, fortunate that Cecily self-destructed — had the plagiarism scandal not occurred, who knew how prominent she'd be in the perfumery world today.
Ophelia certainly didn't want Cecily to reach such heights.
Ophelia fixed her gaze on Elysia. "You'd better hope everything you've told me is true. If our next quarter's perfume sales don't outperform Star Rise Group, I won't care about your past achievements; you'll lose your lead perfumer position. The Flores Group doesn't indulge incompetence. Also, I'll have you know, I'm quite interested in Star Rise Group's lead perfumer. What if I offer her double to jump ship? Would there even be a place left for you, who is constantly bested by her?"
Ophelia had brought Elysia into the Flores Perfumery as the leading perfumer based on her national championship win.
Who would have guessed she'd be so ineffective?
Being overshadowed all these years by a perfumer from an obscure company was disconcerting. The question lingered whether it was Elysia's incompetence or the competition's supremacy.
Elysia clenched her fists intensely, "I understand. I won't disappoint you again."
Internally, Elysia seethed with hatred for that perfumer – what right did they have to consistently overshadow her?
She tried to investigate the perfumer, only to find that there seemed to be no trace of the person’s background whatsoever.
Elysia felt like she was caught between a rock and a hard place. Cecily, that despicable woman, on one side, and the enigmatic perfumer on the other. She was under siege from all sides and had no choice but to keep sweet-talking Ophelia.
With this in mind, Elysia stifled her inner fury and continued plastering a sycophantic smile for Ophelia.
"Ophelia, I've been working on the new fragrance formula, and I promise it won't disappoint you. As for Cecily, she's a nobody who foolishly thinks she can compete with you. Your engagement party with Mr. Darian is around the corner, and once you're Mrs. Fitzgerald, dealing with Cecily will be a piece of cake."
Ophelia loved hearing Elysia's flattering remarks.
She was right, once she married Darian and became the most esteemed woman of Silver Frost Capital, Cecily wouldn't even be worth her attention.
But there was still that nuisance, Rowan, a ticking time bomb. She had to find a way to rid herself of him soon.
"Ophelia, isn't there something else you find peculiar?"
"What?"
"How in the world did Cecily manage to get in good with the owner of Dragon's Wok Restaurant?"
Ophelia sneered, "How else? The only asset she has is her pretty face. You tell me how she managed it."
Listening to Ophelia's mocking words, Elysia laughed in agreement, "True, someone like her is only fit to be played. Once the owner tires of her, she'll be nothing."
…
At the Fitzgerald residence.
Darian had been unable to rest properly for several nights in a row; Cecily had been infuriating him to no end. His head was throbbing with unbearable pain.
Thus, he had no choice but to call Dr. Declan Martinez over. After examining Darian, Dr. Martinez couldn't help but heave a sigh.
"Mr. Darian, your condition is getting more serious. Even sleeping pills are no longer effective for you. Didn't I tell you to seek out that doctor in Dorde? Did you go see her?"
The moment he said this, the room fell into a hushed silence.
Larkin, standing to the side, grimaced with concern.
He quietly lifted his gaze, eyeing Mr. Fitzgerald puffing on a cigarette by the window. Sure enough, he saw Mr. Fitzgerald's demeanor darken instantly.
"I have sought out that doctor," Darian's voice, thick and slightly hoarse, filled the room.
Declan Martinez stood up, anxious. "You did? Then why has your condition not only failed to improve, but actually worsened? Is the talk about her just rumors? Impossible. If she weren't that skilled, her reputation wouldn’t be so solid."
Declan was genuinely baffled.
"What do I do if I don't seek her treatment?"
"Wait to die!"
Darian’s frown deepened; his icy gaze brushed over Declan Martinez. "You're saying, without her, I'm just waiting for death?"
Declan adjusted his frameless glasses. "Your health is indeed in a dire state now. If this continues, overwhelming exhaustion could lead to a stroke or other serious ailments."
Declan wasn't exaggerating the severity of his condition; Darian was in real danger.
After a moment of thought, Declan added, "Maybe you should see a psychologist again and put up one last fight."
Darian was silent.
"Though I doubt it would help much. My advice? Don't waste time and pin your hopes on that doctor."
A cryptic smile tugged at Darian’s thin lips.
He couldn't believe he ended up relying on a woman like Cecily.
Just thinking about Cecily's behavior today triggered a piercing headache.
She was as stubborn as she'd been five years ago.
Then there was a knock at the door, and a bodyguard walked in, handing over a USB drive. "Mr. Fitzgerald, here's the surveillance footage from the Dragon’s Wok Restaurant you asked for. It just arrived."
Darian's brow creased. Larkin took the USB, connected it to the computer, opened the video, and played it in front of Darian.
Watching the footage, a vein throbbed in Darian's temple. The cameras clearly showed Ophelia and Elysia approaching Cecily first.
A verbal spat had erupted among them—Elysia had started it by throwing shade at Cecily, then Cecily and Aurelie had clapped back. While Aurelie's comments weren't exactly kind, it was true that Cecily never brought up Ophelia's kid.
Elysia's frustration boiled over into a scuffle, and that was when Cecily retaliated.
Darian reviewed the footage of Ophelia's fall twice, furrowing his brows deeply. It seemed like Cecily had simply tried to shake off Ophelia's grasp, which led to the tumble. In reality, Cecily hadn't even applied much force.
So, Ophelia had fallen on her own.
A flash of anger crossed Darian's eyes.
After watching the footage, Declan quipped with a sly smile, "Mr. Darian, your fiancée is missing her calling in acting." His eyes widened in realization, "Wait, that woman...hold on, Mr. Darian, isn't that your wife? She's supposed to be dead, right?"
Declan's face was a portrait of surprise as he alternated glances between the video and Darian.
But Darian wasn't in the mood to address Declan's questions; he had genuinely wronged Cecily today.
Darian lifted a hand to his forehead; the memory of the disappointment in Cecily's eyes made him feel inexplicably suffocated.
Larkin's phone pinged with a message.
He glanced at it and his face went pale. Shaky, he looked towards his boss, "Mr. Fitzgerald... there's been trouble."
Darian looked up, annoyed, "What now?"
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