Chapter 22
Seraphine's POV
Brielle looked at the countless disdainful and amused gazes from below the stage, then met my icy eyes, and shuddered violently. She was a smart person; she knew without me saying that if she made a scene now, she would be the only one to lose face, and it might even completely ruin her future at the Whitaker Group. Heath wasn't biased; he only doted on capable children.
Brielle bit her lip hard, her lips trembling. Dressed in a gorgeous gown, she stood there like a clown for people to laugh at.
I blinked and deliberately asked, "Brielle, aren't you going to get off the stage?"
Under the gaze of countless eyes, Brielle's face turned pale. Heath gave a look to the staff, and two female staff members quickly came up and half-led, half-supported her off the stage.
"No, I'm not leaving!" Brielle tried to shout, but one of them covered her mouth. She seemed to have been drained of all her strength, her face ashen, her eyes glaring at me with venom.
I didn't even glance at her retreating back. I turned to face the cameras and the audience, a calm smile returning to my face. "I apologize for the small interruption. Now, I will continue to give you a detailed introduction to the new jewelry line created by our Whitaker Group."
The rest of the time became my personal show. I spoke without a script, explaining in detail the craftsmanship and technology of the new products, and answered every question from the live stream with ease. This press conference was my brainchild from beginning to end, like my own child. No one knew them better than I did.
Below the stage, the previously restless audience was gradually captivated, bursting into applause from time to time. The comments in the live stream also completely turned around, filled with admiration and praise.
[This is the level a director should have! So strong!]
[Was that other woman here for comic relief? This is professional!]
[Ms. Whitaker is so beautiful and cool!]
I smirked, taking in the results. I saw that Heath's eyes in the guest seats were already full of relief and pride. When he saw me looking, he didn't hesitate to give me a thumbs-up. I smiled at him and subconsciously searched for Octavius. He hadn't left, as expected, and had returned to his seat, his gaze on me. Although his face was still expressionless, I could feel a subtle hint of admiration in his eyes.
Just then, Amara rushed out of the lounge. Our eyes met, and her expression changed from astonishment and unwillingness to pure anger. I stood in the spotlight, met her gaze, and smiled, silently declaring my victory. Finally, my gaze went past her to the corner where Sable stood, pale with fear. It was time to settle the accounts.
The press conference ended successfully. Octavius was surrounded by several business partners. He glanced at me and then left with the crowd. I knew he had his own obligations to attend to. Although I really wanted to explain the misunderstanding about Mitchell to him right away, I also understood that business came first. I would have to find another opportunity later.
I breathed a sigh of relief and was about to deal with Sable when another figure appeared. Mitchell, holding a large bouquet of gaudy red roses, a self-proclaimed affectionate smile on his face, walked up to me in a high-profile manner under the watchful eyes of the many guests and media who had not yet left.
"Seraphine!" he said loudly, drawing the attention of everyone around."Congratulations on the successful press conference. Your performance on stage just now was absolutely perfect. This bouquet is for you."
All the probing gazes converged on us. I looked down at the flowers, my last ounce of patience gone.
"Please accept it, it's just a simple celebration..."
I didn't wait for him to finish his hypocritical words and directly raised my hand to block the flowers he was offering. "Mitchell, I think I've made myself clear enough. From the moment you betrayed me, there is no possibility between us. Please don't appear in front of me again, and don't do these meaningless things. Your flowers and you yourself, they both disgust me."
The surroundings instantly fell silent, all eyes focused on us. The smile on Mitchell's face completely froze, his hand holding the flowers suspended in mid-air, looking extremely awkward.
I didn't look at his embarrassed face again and turned to find Sable in the crowd.
"Ms. Wallace." I said calmly. "Come with me for a moment."
Sable's body trembled violently, her face turning pale, her eyes flustered. But under my gaze, she didn't dare to disobey and could only lower her head, following me like a criminal awaiting judgment.
I took her directly to the underground parking garage and got into my car. The atmosphere became even more oppressive.
Sable forced herself to remain calm, her hands clutching her bag strap tightly, her voice trembling slightly. "Ms. Seraphine Whitaker, you were looking for me? Today's press conference was so thrilling. It's a good thing you saved the day. But how did your allergy clear up so quickly? And that live interactive session, it wasn't in the agenda you gave me. If I had known, I would have definitely reminded Ms. Brielle Whitaker to prepare well."
Even at this point, she was still trying to fish for information and absolve herself of responsibility.
I sneered and took out my phone, pulling up the surveillance footage and pressing play with the screen facing her. On the screen, she was furtively taking a small bottle of medicine from her bag.
Sable's eyes widened instantly, and she slumped into the passenger seat, her face ashen.
"Do I still need to explain why my allergy cleared up so quickly?" I put away my phone, my voice icy.
Sable suddenly came to her senses, shaking her head, on the verge of tears. "Ms. Seraphine Whitaker, I was wrong! I really know I was wrong!"
She grabbed my arm, tears streaming down her face, and pleaded incoherently, "It was Ms. Brielle Whitaker! It was Mrs. Whitaker! They forced me! They said if I helped them this time, they would give me money and guarantee me a smooth career at the Whitaker Group. I was momentarily blinded by greed! Please forgive me this once! I can't lose this job!"
I shook off her hand, my gaze sharp as I stared at her. "You only helped with the drugging? Did they also force you to alter the documents? The script Brielle had on stage today, you prepared it for her, didn't you?"
Sable completely broke down, collapsing in tears, only able to nod repeatedly.
I crossed my arms and waited for her to calm down for a few seconds before saying, "Now, I'll give you a chance to make amends."