Chapter 333

The perfumery competition wasn't exactly the most prestigious event in the industry.

It was more of a talent hunt—a platform for fresh faces to shine.

Only independent perfumers and representatives from emerging companies were invited.

NouveauDrama.Org hosted the event.

Solo participants received preferential treatment—they were exempt from the first round.

That meant fewer competitors in the initial stage.

As Phoenix Labs' representative, Evelyn Carter had no choice but to start from the beginning.

The task was straightforward.

Five perfume bottles.

Identify the ingredients and base notes by scent alone.

Child's play for Evelyn.

Victoria Sterling had once given her a similar test—except hers was ten times harder.

Evelyn finished quickly.

She expected a high pass rate, but nearly a third of the participants were eliminated.

So much for an elite-only competition.

The real shock?

Vanessa Blake made it through.

"Guess she hasn't completely wasted her years," Evelyn mused.

What she didn’t know?

Lucien Dubois had secured the answers through questionable means.

Vanessa had simply memorized them.

The second round—a written exam on fragrance theory—would begin that evening.

Half the remaining contestants were cut after this brutal test.

Only a handful advanced to the finals.

The organizers arranged flights home for the losers.

The finalists had three days to kill before the last challenge.

Evelyn groaned internally.

"Adrienne Laurent is definitely going to babysit me the whole time."

She could already feel the boredom creeping in.

Then, like clockwork, entertainment arrived.

"Didn’t expect you to last this long," Vanessa sneered, flipping her hair. "Phoenix Labs must’ve invested a fortune in training you."

Evelyn gave her a sidelong glance—the kind reserved for circus clowns.

"Why the surprise? Even you managed to scrape through."

Vanessa’s smirk didn’t waver.

"Jealousy doesn’t suit you. I passed on merit."

For once, she didn’t explode in rage.

Instead, she purred, "The finals will decide everything."

Evelyn shrugged.

"We’ll see."

She turned to leave, but Vanessa blocked her path.

"Think you’ve already won?"

Evelyn’s lips curved.

"I don’t know about the others, but against you?"

She let the implication hang.

Vanessa’s face darkened.

"Arrogance doesn’t become you."

Evelyn laughed.

"Confidence is earned. Do you have any?"

With that, she walked away, leaving Vanessa fuming.

Outside, Adrienne waited impatiently.

The real challenge?

Surviving the next three days without losing her mind.