Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Seraphine's POV

Half an hour later, I returned to the Whitaker Group in a rather good mood.

In my office, Sable was organizing my files. When she saw me, she immediately flashed a sweet smile. "Ms. Whitaker, you're back? I've tidied up the office."

"Thank you for your hard work." I glanced at the neat desk and walked over, feigning nonchalance. I opened the core document about the new product for the press conference. As expected, several key product highlights and core technological concepts had been altered. The wording had become mundane and superficial, losing its original appeal. Even though the changes were minor, the effect during the presentation would be greatly diminished.

I sneered inwardly but showed no emotion on my face. I closed the file. "Alright, you can go now."

Seeing that I hadn't noticed anything amiss, Sable visibly relaxed, acknowledged, and left.

At six in the evening, the final core meeting for the press conference was held. Heath personally attended, and Brielle sat at the conference table as if she owned the place.

The meeting began. I briefly introduced the agenda and then looked at Sable, my tone as normal as ever. "Ms. Wallace, please report to everyone on the main content and highlights of our new product."

Sable stood up and began to read from the altered document. According to the revised content, the product had no highlights. Several shareholders frowned as they listened, and Heath's expression darkened.

"Seraphine." Heath interrupted Sable's report, his tone dissatisfied. "Is this what your project department has been preparing for so long? The quality has dropped so drastically?"

I lowered my head without speaking, catching a glimpse of Brielle's triumphant expression in my peripheral vision. She immediately seized the opportunity, standing up and fawning, "Dad, esteemed directors, I think Seraphine has been too busy lately and might have overlooked some things. I've also helped look at the materials these past two days and made some slight revisions and polishing. Perhaps it can make the content more outstanding."

As Brielle spoke, she produced another, more professional-looking document. Heath glanced at her, his expression softening slightly. "Is that so? You've prepared something? Let me see."

I said calmly, "Brielle, you just came to the company today and don't even know the specifics of the press conference. Where did you get the materials to look at? You even managed to prepare a backup plan, as if..." I looked up at her, a half-smile on my face, "as if you expected something to go wrong."

Heath reacted, frowning at Brielle.

Brielle immediately put on a wronged expression, biting her lip. "I wanted to participate in the press conference, so I looked into the new product's content on my own and practiced by preparing some documents. What's wrong with that?" Then, her eyes reddened as she looked at me. "Seraphine, you can't just spin conspiracy theories because I was diligent and happened to have prepared a document, can you?"

I watched her performance and smirked. "Alright, I misunderstood you."

The meeting ended. Heath didn't decide on the spot to use Brielle's proposal, but he clearly appreciated her initiative. After the meeting, Brielle deliberately stayed behind, walked up to me, and said in a low, provocative voice, "Seraphine, it seems your position as director isn't so stable after all. You still need me to help you check for omissions."

I stopped and looked at her coldly. "At least I earned my position as director through my own efforts, unlike some people who had to beg repeatedly just to get an internship, and Dad only reluctantly agreed."

Brielle's face instantly turned ugly. She glared at me, and just as she was about to speak, she saw Sable still standing nearby and gave her a subtle look.

'Idiot,' I thought to myself, pretending not to have noticed.

"Anyway, no matter what, Dad has already acknowledged my work ability!" Brielle finished, then turned and stormed off.

Sable immediately walked over with a freshly brewed cup of coffee, her face full of concern. "Ms. Whitaker, please don't take it to heart. Have some coffee to refresh yourself. I believe in your abilities. This was just an accident."

I took the coffee and, amidst the aroma, detected a faint, cloying sweetness. I had been drinking this brand of coffee for eight years and was extremely sensitive to the slightest change in scent. It was obvious that something had been added to this cup.

I pretended to take a small sip and nodded at Sable. "Thank you, it tastes good. Could you please help me pack up my files and my laptop?"

"Of course, Ms. Whitaker, no problem!" Sable, unsuspecting, eagerly went to gather the files.

While her back was turned, I quickly poured the coffee into a nearby potted plant, then sat down with the empty cup, pretending to have just finished it. When Sable turned around after packing, I took the laptop bag and handed her the empty cup, rubbing my temples. "I'm a little tired. I'm going to rest for a bit."

Sable looked at the empty cup, a glint in her eyes, and quickly took it. "Of course, Ms. Whitaker. Get some rest. Call me if you need anything."

After she left, I immediately returned to my office and locked the door. Sable's bag was at her workstation. I quickly went over and rummaged through it. Sure enough, there was a small bottle of transparent liquid with complex lettering. I opened it and sniffed; the cloying sweet smell was even more pronounced. I took a photo and put the bottle back as it was.

They were truly willing to do anything to get ahead. Fine, then let's see who plays the game better.

I immediately called Ondine. "Ondine, I remember you know an expert in the hospital's pharmacy department?"

"Why are you suddenly asking about that? Are you not feeling well?" she asked anxiously.

"No, don't worry." I said,"I just want him to help me look at a bottle of medicine that only has a name but no instructions."

"Sure, send me the photo, and I'll ask him."

I urged her, "As soon as possible, please get back to me within two hours if you can."

In less than an hour, Ondine sent me the drug's information. "It's a toxin extracted from a plant. It causes an allergic reaction, a rash on the face or body. Where did you get it?"

I narrowed my eyes, a wave of nausea washing over me. If I hadn't been so sensitive to the smell of coffee, I might have fallen for it by now.

"Nowhere, I just found it randomly and threw it away," I said vaguely to Ondine and hung up.

When I got home that evening, at dinnertime, Amara and Brielle gasped dramatically as soon as they saw my face.

"Oh my god! Seraphine! What happened to your face?" Amara covered her mouth, her face a picture of shock.

Brielle also showed a concerned expression. "Seraphine, are you having an allergic reaction? It looks so severe!"

Heath looked up at the sound and was also taken aback when he saw me. "Seraphine, what's going on?"

I looked up, my face covered in makeup pretending to be allergic, and shook my head with a sad expression. "I don't know. My face started to itch a little at the company this afternoon, and it turned like this when I got home tonight."

Heath frowned. "Have you seen a doctor?"

"I've already seen a doctor and got some medicine, but the doctor said this kind of allergy is quite stubborn and will take at least a week to clear up completely." I lowered my head at the right moment, my tone dejected. "The press conference is tomorrow. I'm afraid I can't go on stage like this. It will definitely affect the company's and the product's image."

Heath looked at my face, his brows tightly furrowed. He clearly agreed that it was highly inappropriate to go on stage with a face like that. He had already been somewhat disappointed with my performance at the meeting, and now he sighed. "Seraphine, how could you drop the ball at such a critical moment?"

Seeing this, Amara immediately seized the opportunity. "Heath, Seraphine really can't be seen like this. The press conference is a major event, and we can't afford any mistakes." She then pushed Brielle forward. "Fortunately, Brielle has also been involved in the preparations these past two days and is very familiar with the procedures and content. Why don't we let her take Seraphine's place as the host? It would also be a chance for her to make amends."

Brielle immediately straightened her back, putting on an obedient and reliable look. "Dad, I will definitely work hard! I won't let you or the company down!"

I said nothing, watching the mother-daughter duo eagerly vying for this opportunity. Sometimes, an opportunity can also be a trap, but those who desperately want it often don't realize it.

Heath paused, looking at my rash-covered face, then at Brielle. I knew he still had doubts about Brielle's abilities, but there was no better option at the moment.

He rubbed his temples wearily and finally nodded. "I guess this is the only way. Brielle, no more mistakes!"

"Thank you, Dad! I won't disappoint you!" Brielle was overjoyed, and when she looked at me, her eyes were filled with undisguised triumph.