Chapter 378

Chapter 378:

“That’s a great idea,” the director said. “The top notes are a light citrus scent, and the base notes feel cool and refreshing. It’s truly remarkable to achieve such complexity. Your studies abroad seem to have been worth it, Jada. Even some of our most experienced staff might find it hard to reach this level.”

“Thank you,” Jada responded with a smile, though the subtle disappointment in her eyes went unnoticed. She hadn’t anticipated that Susan’s perfume would be so outstanding.

Susan had never received formal training in making perfumes, so how did she achieve this? Jada, however, was a seasoned professional. By smelling it, she could tell that Susan’s perfume was flawless, capturing its intended essence with exceptional accuracy. Many in the industry, even after years of experience, couldn’t achieve such a result. It seemed she had made the right decision to execute this plan. She needed to get Susan out of the company before she became a significant threat.

“Indeed,” Esteban said, a rare smile softening his normally stern expression. “Jada, I didn’t realize how much you’ve advanced with your studies abroad.”

“Dad, I would never want to let you down,” Jada replied gratefully.

“According to company policy, your bonus for this month will be doubled due to your exceptional performance,” Esteban announced. The company had a straightforward rewards and penalties system: excel, and your salary goes up; fail, and you face penalties or even dismissal. This method had kept the company’s profits strong.

“Thank you, Dad.”

Jada hesitated briefly before saying, “There’s something I’m not sure if I should bring up.”

Everyone turned their attention to Jada, intrigued.

“What’s on your mind?” Esteban asked.

“Well, I noticed that Susan’s perfume smells almost identical to…” Jada said, glancing at Susan.

Susan, who had been absorbed in improving her extraction process, was taken aback. She looked at Jada, seeing right through her pretense, and asked with a cold edge, “What are you trying to say, Jada?”

“I’m sorry, Susan,” Jada said, pretending to be innocent. “But when I smelled your perfume just now, it seemed almost exactly like mine. I hope it’s just a coincidence.”

Esteban’s face grew serious as he turned to Susan. The director frowned, “Let’s compare the two perfumes then.”

Susan nodded and handed over her bottle of perfume. As Esteban and the director smelled her fragrance, their expressions shifted dramatically. The fragrances were indistinguishable!

In the perfume industry, creating an exact duplicate by chance was nearly impossible. Such a precise match pointed to possible plagiarism.

Esteban’s expression grew stern as he demanded, “Susan, explain this!”

Susan frowned, puzzled at first, but as she sniffed Jada’s perfume, her face turned to one of shock. “No… this can’t be real!”

She spun around to Jada with an accusing glare. “Did you steal my formula?”

“Susan, what are you talking about? How could I have stolen your formula?” Jada replied, feigning innocence. “I’ve never been near your desk. Everyone here can confirm that.”

Suddenly, someone murmured, “But I’ve definitely seen Susan at Jada’s desk before.”

“Oh, that? I was just searching for something I misplaced,” Susan defended herself.

Her face grew pale as she grasped how bad this looked.

She staggered back, insisting, “I didn’t plagiarize; it’s Jada! She copied my formula!”

Jada bit her lip and said gently, “Susan, I’m confused about why you’re accusing me of this. I went abroad to study making perfumes and spent years honing my skills. Why would I need to resort to plagiarism? Honestly, I didn’t even know you had the ability to make perfume.”

The staff murmured in agreement. “Jada’s too skilled to need to copy anyone,” one of them said.

Another chimed in, “I actually think it’s Susan who’s stolen her formula.”

“It’s pretty obvious who’s the true professional here. Jada doesn’t need to steal your formula, Susan.”

It appeared that people were more inclined to trust Jada, given her education at a prestigious university, rather than Susan, who had graduated from a less renowned institution.

Susan turned to Esteban. “Do you also think so?” Esteban’s face remained stern, and he didn’t reply right away. After a long pause, he finally said, “I’ll carry out a thorough investigation before making any decisions.”

His statement left everyone stunned.

Jada was caught off guard; she hadn’t anticipated that Esteban would hold off on making a decision.

Susan was just as surprised. She had thought her father would definitely support Jada in this situation. The room was buzzing with frustration. People couldn’t grasp why Esteban needed to investigate what seemed so obvious. Everyone assumed the investigation would be a mere formality.

Jada was clearly the victim in all of this.

The way everyone glanced at Jada was full of sympathy and concern.

Jada lowered her head, her eyes glistening as if tears were on the verge of falling. But she quickly pulled herself together and smiled at Esteban. “It’s alright, Dad. It’s no big deal. Maybe Susan was just feeling the pressure from the upcoming evaluation. I’m not bothered by it.”

Her graceful composure made everyone’s sympathy for her grow even stronger.

“Wow, Jada is incredibly forgiving.”

“I always heard Jada was a nice person, and this just shows it.”

“But she shouldn’t be too kind. People might start taking advantage of her.”

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