Chapter 38
1/2
Chapter 38
Armandine kept hold of Genevieve’s hand and chatted with her warmly in Frencian. “Darling, I read the first draft of the new formula you sent me. It’s brilliant.”
Genevieve answered in fluent Frencian, “It’s only an early concept. It still needs refinement. I’m honored to have your approval.”
When Zachary saw them talking like old friends, he dug his nails into his palm so hard that it almost hurt.
He took a deep breath, forced a stiff smile, and stepped forward. “Ms. Brunet, Cen… Gen’s achievements today also stem from the Lambert family’s support over the years. For this partnership, Lambert Group will spare no effort to—”
“Mr. Lambert.” Armandine cut him off. “I think I need to say this again. Modernis.m’s partner is Cen, and only Cen. It has nothing to do with Lambert Group, or with anyone else.”
Just then, Regina pushed her way out from the back of the crowd.
The moment she saw Zachary losing ground, she immediately switched targets.
“Ms. Brunet, hello. My name is Regina Sloane. I’m a perfumer too. I admire you and Cen so much-”
She hadn’t even gotten close before a man in a sharp suit extended an arm to block her.
He was Armandine’s assistant, Lucas Beaumont.
Lucas looked at Regina without a hint of warmth. “Ms. Sloane, we know who you are.”
Regina froze. Then, a rush of joy surged through her.
Was she really that well-known now?
“You-”
“Our legal department received an investigative report about you,” Lucas continued. “In a competition previously sponsored by Modernis.m, the entry you submitted matched the core structure of an unreleased private formula with a 93% similarity rate. How do you explain that?”
Regina’s face went pale.
The plagiarism accusations from the URI Corporation gala had barely cooled when another one detonated in public.
“Oh my God! She stole it!”
“It’s no wonder she accused Hannah. Guilty people always point fingers first!”
“She has no shame at all! And she still tried to suck up to them!”
Regina was shaking so badly that she couldn’t get a single word out. She just wanted to disappear.
Genevieve didn’t spare her a glance. She only gave Armandine a slight nod. “Ms. Brunet, we can discuss the process and timeline in detail afterward.”
“Of course.” Armandine smiled, then announced it for everyone to hear. “I’m formally declaring that Modernis.m’s new project with Cen will begin immediately. Cen will lead this partnership in full under the name of her independent studio.”
Her words settled the matter.
Genevieve drew a clean line between herself and the Lambert family.
Zachary stood there, stunned.
If Genevieve had this kind of power, why had she never told him?
X CLOSE
Chapter 38
2/2
The banquet ended on an awkward note.
Genevieve had just stepped out of the ballroom when a car rolled to a stop in front of her.
The window lowered, revealing Tristan’s unfairly handsome face.
“I’ll take you home,” he said.
Genevieve hesitated.
Tristan added, “If Zachary comes out, you can forget about a quiet night.”
With that, Genevieve quickly opened the door and got in.
An awkward silence filled the car as it slipped into the night.
After a while, Tristan finally broke the silence. “Zachary’s financial records over the past few years aren’t exactly clean. I’ve already had someone dig up some key evidence of internal violations. With that, you can strip him of everything in the divorce.”
Genevieve turned to look at him, a flicker of surprise crossing her cool eyes. He clearly had more pull than she expected.
“What do you want?” She knew that nothing came for free.
“You’re smart.” The corner of Tristan’s mouth lifted, quiet approval flickering in his eyes.
“I want to join your new partnership with Modernis.m. In exchange, I’ll help you finalize the divorce and get everything you deserve.”
Genevieve fell silent for a moment.
Working with Tristan was risky, but it was better than waiting for Zachary to tear her apart. And at least Tristan was upfront about what he wanted. It made him easier to deal with than Zachary.
“Fine,” she agreed. “We’ll be temporary allies.”
Tristan’s smile deepened. “I like that term.”
Y CLOSE
you chose her so i married better
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