Chapter 23

Julian was in disbelief, “What did you say?”

“I gave you an opportunity, yet you still wish for me to shoulder the blame. Do I seem like a fool, Julian?” Seraphina coo lly retorted, her words laced with biting sarcasm.

A cold shiver ran through Julian. He took a long, hard look at the woman standing before him. She was hardly recognizable from the woman he had known for years. She was sharper, more unpredictable, and no longer in his control.

“What exactly are you implying, Seraphina? You don’t trust me anymore?”

“I believed in you so much that I wasn’t even aware of being betrayed,” Seraphina replied, withholding much of what she really wanted to say. “Now, I’m relieved you never formalized a contract with me. As of now, YOUR Prosperian Company and I no longer share any connection.”

She emphasized on the word ‘your’, intending to bypas s Julian and make her exit. But Julian was a step faster, holding on to her arm tightly although he was still grappling with utter confusion. He understood that he couldn’t just let her walk away.

“Are you still upset over that missing formal contract?” Julian asked cautiously. “Scraphina, don’t be childish. Is that all it takes to upset you? Why didn’t you voice it out straight away and avoid this whole debacle? Prosperian Company is as much yours as mine. It’s ours. Can’t you see that your actions are driving everyone up against the wall?”

His grip tightened, making Seraphina wince.

“Unhand me,” she snapped.

“I am not letting you walk away until we have resolved this issue,” Julian quipped, briefly pausing to soften his hostile tone.

After a brief period of silence, it seemed to dawn on him. He raised his gaze to meet Seraphina’s, and then bit the bullet, “Seraphina, are you jealous?”

In reality, Julian wasn’t scared of Seraphina discovering his relationship with Vivian. Seraphina so deeply loved him that he was confident she would remain oblivious. A sweet word here and there from Julian was enough to assuage any suspicion. She wouldn’t dare question him, However, Seraphina’s recent behavior, especially around Vivian, had raised Julian’s doubts. As a result, he decided to bring up the matter himself. “Are you envious of Vivian?” Julian observed the expressions playing on Seraphina’s face as he pressed.

Seraphina merely gave Julian a passing glance before falling silent.

Her silence gave Julian a sense of affirmation. “Seraphina, you cannot be serious,” Julian sighed heavily. He slackened his grip on her arm slightly and said, “We’ve been together for so long. I believed that nothing could shake our relationship, thinking it was impervious to test. How could you… I don’t know what you’ve seen or heard, but there’s definitely some misunderstanding. We’ve known each other for a considerable amount of time. If something was brewing between me and Vivian, it would have surfaced long ago. Don’t pay heed to idle gossip. Those people are merely drama seekers. Sera, don’t let them manipulate you!”

Julian released her arm and attempted to reach out for her shoulder, intending to hug her.

Desisting. Seraphina stepped back to avoid his touch and asked, “Really?”

Caught unaware, Julian followed his train of thought and continued, “Absolutely! Didn’t we agree to file for a marriage license after sealing the win at this competition? If you’re still skeptical, we could make it official now and tie the knot!”

At this point, Julian was solely focused on persuading Seraphina.

Seraphina found this somewhat amusing. She had been waiting to hear these words for years but hearing them now, they sounded utterly sarcastic.

“Secure a marriage license, get married? Not a chance!’ she thought.

Brushing off her sarcastic smile, Seraphina sighed and said, “There’s no need. There’s an easier way for you to prove your point.”

he leaned. in and reassured her. “Exactly! We need to trust each other. Just like always, you’ll help us sail us through this crisis too, won’t you?”

Having observed Seraphina’s response, Julian figured he’d convinced her, s0 “Indeed.” Seraphina nodded, “In fact, I have a plan not only to clarify there’s nothing between you and Vivian, but also to salvage the company’s reputation.”

“What’s your idea?” Julian probed enthusiastically.

This could be a game changer, Julian thought. Despite his best efforts in public relations, public sentiment continued to be harsh, impacting Prosperian Company significantly an effect evident in their dwindling sales.

Particularly for a budding company like theirs, reputation was crucial.

Seraphina, sensing Julian’s apprehension, remembered how she had always helped him. maneuver past myriad challenges. She used to pour her heart and soul into the development of new products and ideas, under the impression that it all was going towards building their shared future. She had never envisioned it all being just for others.

“It’s easy. Seraphina smiled and slowly said, “We return to the press conference for a final statement.

Simply inform the media and journalists that I was the one who developed all Prosperian Company’s best-selling perfumes, and I rightfully deserve the accolades. Can you do that?”

Julian widened his eyes and stared at Seraphina. She was two steps away from him, but he felt that she approached him so close that he was out of breath.

“You’re backing me into a corner!” Julian hissed through gritted teeth.

Seraphina’s laughter rang out, she retorted, “Definitely not! Isn’t that the truth? It was my around-the-

clock efforts that spouted the top-selling Prosperian fragrances. All I ask is for you to relay the truth-is that so difficult?”

“Seraphina, you never gave importance to these things earlier. When did you become so obsessed with status? Is your fame more vital than our relationship?” Julian asked. It was apparent he wasn’t fond of Seraphina’s idea; he rather defensively refused the proposal, leaving Seraphina feeling as if she was the one at fault.

‘Obsessed with status? Fame?’ Seraphina thought, amused by how Julian was still trying to sway her with such glib phrases-just as he did in the past. Now, he seemed intent on suppressing her with such cliches.

Seraphina arched an eyebrow and smiled at him, “Yes. While before these things never enticed me, now they do. I want recognition, fortune, and justice. Can you provide that?”