Chapter 21
Seraphine's POV
Octavius never once turned his head.
On stage, Brielle managed to control the situation and began to formally introduce the new product. However, the audience's reaction was lukewarm, the live stream's popularity began to decline, and the number of viewers slowly dropped. Sighs of disappointment could be heard from the audience from time to time.
I lowered my head and took out my phone, sending a message: [You can start now.]
Soon, the host I had arranged walked onto the stage with a microphone. He walked up to Brielle and said with a beaming smile, "Thank you, Ms. Brielle Whitaker, for your introduction! I believe everyone has a preliminary understanding of our new product, but there must be more you're curious about! So next up is our interactive session! The big screen will randomly select questions from the live stream audience, and Ms. Brielle Whitaker will answer them on the spot!"
As soon as he said this, the smile on Brielle's face instantly froze, and the color drained from her face. She gripped the microphone and subconsciously retorted, "What? Why is there this session?"
A low murmur rippled through the audience. I sat below, watching her flustered state, a small smile playing on my lips. Of course, there was no such session. I had deliberately left it out of the final agenda but had privately instructed the host. The purpose was to catch Brielle completely off guard! This was the most crucial part of my entire plan. She thought she had stolen my thunder, but she didn't know it was a trap I had already laid for her.
As expected, the big screen began to select questions. The host looked at the first question and read it aloud: "What are the specific advantages of the new product compared to similar products on the market?"
Brielle was clearly stunned. She stammered, her eyes darting nervously to Sable in the audience. Sable was also anxious, silently mouthing words to remind her, but Brielle couldn't understand at all.
"The advantage is... it's more innovative in design." she said vaguely, which was as good as saying nothing. The live stream was immediately flooded with question marks and complaints.
Seeing this, the host quickly smoothed things over with a smile and asked a simpler question. "Let's switch to something lighter. What are the specific aspects of the new product's style?"
This was a question that anyone with a basic understanding of the new product could answer. But Brielle must have been so focused on hosting that she hadn't seriously read the materials.
"It's reflected in... the innovation of the design concept..." She became more and more flustered, clearly at a loss for words, her forehead beading with sweat, like a clown being roasted over a fire.
Just then, I saw Heath's chest heaving violently. He was clearly about to lose his temper. The time was right.
I immediately took off my mask and sunglasses and said in a low voice to the still-cold-faced Octavius beside me, "I'm not having an allergic reaction. Don't worry."
Octavius glanced at my cheek, a flicker of understanding in his eyes, but he retorted coldly, "Who's worried?"
A pang of disappointment shot through me, but now was not the time to dwell on it. I quickly left my seat and went to the backstage lounge, wiping the marks off my face with a makeup remover wipe. In the mirror, my skin instantly returned to its smooth state. I quickly applied some light makeup and, as I walked back to the entrance of the press conference venue, I saw Brielle, her face completely flushed, unable to say a word.
The murmuring in the audience grew louder, and Heath's face was extremely ugly. Amara was also anxious, glaring at Sable. The scene was in chaos.
I looked at Octavius and took a deep breath. It seemed he was unwilling to add the final fuel to the fire.
Just as I was about to walk over myself, Octavius suddenly stood up and walked to Heath. Everyone looked at this most un-offendable big shot and automatically fell silent.
Heath quickly stood up, his face full of embarrassment. "Mr. Capulet, this..."
Octavius interrupted him. "Mr. Whitaker, is this the press conference that your Whitaker Group had me clear my schedule of other important work to come and watch?"
"No, Mr. Capulet, please let me explain..."
Octavius interrupted him again. "To have such a joke happen at a new product launch, your company's capabilities are nothing special. You are wasting my time!" He made a move as if to leave.
I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although he was harsh with his words, he had still done what he had promised me.
I immediately seized this opportunity and walked forward quickly. "Dad, Mr. Capulet, please wait! I just took some special medicine, and the rashes on my face are barely visible now."
Amara instantly frowned, staring at me intently.
My expression was calm. "Since Brielle is not familiar enough with the product, why don't I go on stage to save the situation?"
Heath looked at my restored face, a little puzzled. "How did your allergy clear up so quickly?"
"I'll explain that later. Dad, resolving this crisis is the most important thing right now." I urged calmly.
Heath was relieved and nodded repeatedly. "Seraphine, go quickly! You must stabilize the situation!"
I nodded, my eyes meeting Octavius's for a brief moment. A faint hint of worry flashed in his eyes before he resumed his aloof expression. I took a deep breath, straightened my back, and walked firmly onto the stage.
The spotlight converged on me. The entire venue fell silent.
I walked up to the sweat-drenched Brielle and snatched the microphone from her hand. She stared at me with wide, astonished eyes, her expression as if she had seen a ghost.
"You... your face... how could..." Yes, I had deliberately let Brielle see my face when I left this morning, covered in red rashes that could have been described as horrifying blotches. The more she had gloated then, the more stunned she was now.
I ignored her and turned to face the live stream cameras and the audience. "Everyone, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Now, I, Project Director Seraphine, will continue to introduce our new product in detail."
Brielle stared at my flawless face, dumbfounded. "Seraphine, you did this on purpose!" She took a step forward.
I stepped back, my voice low. "If you're going to have a tantrum, do it offstage. Don't lose your composure in a place like this."
Brielle refused to leave, desperately trying to grab me, her voice shrill. "Seraphine, you..."
"Brielle!" I suddenly raised my voice, interrupting her, my voice booming through the microphone. "The press conference is still live. The audience is full of guests and media. Do you really want to throw a tantrum like a lunatic in front of everyone?"
Brielle's outstretched hand froze in mid-air.