Chapter 20
Seraphine's POV
I froze, looking up to see Octavius walking in, surrounded by a group of people. Dressed in a suit, he stood out from the crowd, aloof and cold, instantly capturing everyone's attention.
Just as I was about to go over and greet him, a figure flashed past me. Brielle, dressed in a custom-made gown and looking radiant, sashayed up to him.
"Mr. Capulet! Your presence truly brings honor to our press conference!" she said in a cloying voice, then, as if suddenly remembering something, she turned and pointed at me. "I'm so sorry, my sister was supposed to receive you, but unfortunately, for some reason, she suddenly had a severe allergic reaction. Her face... it's just not presentable!"
Brielle's tone was laced with schadenfreude. "I'll have to take her place on stage today. I'm sure Mr. Capulet won't mind, will you?" After she finished, she deliberately glanced at me, her eyes full of provocation.
Everyone else fell silent, their gazes shifting between Octavius and me. It was clear they still thought he hated me after I had publicly humiliated him. Except for Heath, no one knew we had met several times. Brielle's eyes were even more eager, as if she was certain Octavius would also gloat.
I stood my ground, a small smile playing on my lips.
The next second, Octavius completely ignored Brielle and walked briskly past her towards me.
Everyone was stunned. Brielle's eyes widened in disbelief as she watched him. He walked up to me, his brows slightly furrowed, his gaze falling on my heavily concealed face, and was about to speak.
Just then, a voice cut in. "Seraphine!"
I turned to see Mitchell, a smile on his face, waving an invitation at me. "Thank you for still inviting me. I knew you still had me in your heart!"
My heart sank, a bad feeling washing over me. I quickly looked at Octavius.
Octavius glanced at Mitchell, then his gaze fell on me, sharp as a knife, filled with undisguised questioning and coldness.
'Oh no! Octavius is angry.'
The invitation had been sent out half a month ago. I had been so busy these past few days that I had completely forgotten to retract it. I opened my mouth, wanting to explain immediately, but he had already looked away, his face as if covered in a layer of frost. He turned and walked towards the guest seats, not sparing me another glance.
Mitchell approached me, trying to pull me, his tone affectionate. "Seraphine, did you receive the roses I sent you? What happened to your face? I'm so worried about you."
I took a sharp step back, avoiding his touch. "Mitchell, how can you be so shameless as to appear in front of me?"
Under everyone's watchful eyes, being scolded by me like this, Mitchell's face fell. He feigned hurt. "Seraphine, your words are too harsh."
"It's completely over between us. Please stay away from me! Or there will be even harsher words to come."
The smile on Mitchell's face froze, his eyes turning sinister for a moment, but he ultimately managed to hold back. "Alright, if you don't want to talk to me, I'll just quietly stay away from you, okay?"
I couldn't be bothered with him and rolled my eyes, turning to leave.
The press conference was about to begin, and the announcement sounded. I took a deep breath and quietly moved to the guest seats, sitting down in the empty seat next to Octavius.
"Mr. Capulet." I called out to him in a low voice, trying to explain.
Octavius stared straight ahead, as if I wasn't even there. I started to panic. The last time in his office, I could still tease him with words, but this time, he seemed to have completely shut me out.
Octavius was genuinely angry because of Mitchell. Would he still do the little favor we had agreed on? I sat restlessly, my heart pounding with uncertainty.
Just then, the stage lights came on, and the live broadcast officially began. Brielle, in a grand gown and high heels, walked to the center of the stage. Several partners who had come to show their support began to whisper among themselves.
"Seraphine always wears a women's suit when she hosts a press conference. Why is Brielle dressed so gaudily?"
"Is this a beauty pageant or a new product launch? It's so inappropriate!"
I turned to look not too far away. Heath had clearly heard them too, his brows furrowed in disapproval. Amara was patting his arm, trying to say something.
I looked back at the stage. Brielle held the microphone, a sweet smile on her face. "Dear esteemed guests, friends in the live stream, I apologize to everyone. My sister was supposed to host today, but unfortunately, due to a severe allergic reaction on her face, she is unable to face the camera. I will be her temporary replacement today. I hope everyone can understand."
As soon as she said this, the live stream's comment section exploded.
[What? Ms. Seraphine Whitaker can't make it? I love her! She's so professional and elegant!]
[Why the change? Isn't this Brielle the one from that video...]
[Yeah, her on stage? Is the Whitaker Group out of people?]
[I came for Ms. Seraphine Whitaker. If she's not here, I don't want to watch.]
The large screen for the live stream was right next to Brielle, so she could see the comments too. I smirked, watching the comments scroll by. Was this what Brielle called easily stealing everything from me? She couldn't steal the director's position, and she certainly couldn't take away the reputation I had built with my perfect performance.
The smile on Brielle's face faltered, but she quickly composed herself, straightened her back, and raised her voice. "Please believe me! Although my experience may not be as rich as Seraphine's, I also graduated from a prestigious university! I have a certain understanding of the smart technology field and new product development. I will do my best to present a wonderful press conference for everyone."
She played up her prestigious school background, her tone sincere, and the wave of opposition in the live stream did indeed subside a little.
I sat in the audience, calculating the time in my head, my peripheral vision always on Octavius beside me. He remained expressionless, as if everything happening on and off stage had nothing to do with him.
I cleared my throat, wanting to speak to him. But Octavius seemed to sense it and deliberately turned to look in the other direction.
I froze, my fingertips curling. Had he really decided to ignore me completely?