"Alright, Nathaniel, we'll be leaving now. Goodbye, Celia." Mrs. Song took Zane Song by the hand and walked out.
As the office door closed, Nathaniel Fu turned his gaze back to Celia."Did Zane see your face just now?"
Celia nodded lightly. "I was covering my face with a book, but Young Master Song rushed over and snatched it away... President Fu, why are you looking at me like that?"
"What look?"
Celia frowned and mimicked him. "That one—the angry look. What are you angry about?"
Nathaniel himself wasn't sure why. His chest tightened with an odd irritation. He reached out and pinched her delicate cheek. "I don't like other men staring at you."
That face of hers—so luminous, so breathtaking—was dangerous. No man could resist it. He'd already clashed with Zane before because of her, and he didn't want another rivalry born of jealousy.
Celia gently pushed his hand away. "President Fu, I can't keep hiding behind this scar forever. Sooner or later, I'll have to face the public."
She was right. Nathaniel realized he was being irrational. Getting upset just because Zane had caught a glimpse of her was childish. Still, Zane's eagerness to pull away her book gnawed at him.
"Go and rest. I still have work to finish." He leaned down, brushing a kiss against her cheek.
"Okay."
Meanwhile, Rosalie froze as she saw her name dominating the trending searches. This wasn't what she wanted at all.
Her plan had been simple: deceive people by posing as King—convincing Mrs. Song and Nathaniel Fu so she could secure everything she desired.
But now, her fabricated identity had gone viral. Everyone was talking about it. Her overzealous fans were already celebrating, and the noise was spiraling out of control.
What if the real King saw this?Her heart skipped. If that happened, her lies would unravel completely.
Worse yet, she hadn't anticipated Celia recording their conversation and leaking it to reporters. What was Celia planning? Was she deliberately cornering her?
The doorbell suddenly chimed. Ding-dong.
Rosalie went to open it. Standing outside was Old Madam Su, flanked by several attendants.
"Rosalie, is it true? Are you really King?" Old Madam Su's voice trembled with excitement. "My heavens, you're the world's top perfumer! Why didn't you tell us? Rosalie, you'll always be the pride of the Su family."
Su Changrong's face glowed with pride. "Rosalie, my phone hasn't stopped ringing. Since the news broke, companies are lining up to collaborate with Su's Perfumes. Our family is about to rise higher than ever!"
Li Lan quickly added, "Rosalie, come home with us at once."
Rosalie's head throbbed. She was already uneasy, and seeing her family swarm her like vultures only deepened her irritation.
Jiang Meiling frowned, suspicion written all over her face. "But how could you be King? The perfume you gave nearly killed little DouDou. Someone capable of such recklessness can't possibly be the legendary perfumer."
Rosalie's expression tightened. She forced herself to respond coldly, "To me, I am King."
At that moment, Su Mo glanced at his phone. "Wait—CC's official account just posted something!"
Rosalie's stomach dropped. Her fingers clenched against her dress.
Old Madam Su's eyes widened. "That's wonderful! Surely CC is confirming that Rosalie is King. We're truly blessed—our family raised a genius!"
"Let me see!" Su Changrong hurriedly unlocked his phone.
But when the post loaded, the room fell silent.
The official CC account had written:
"Our King, born amidst brilliance, raised in splendor, single-handedly built the legend of CC, radiant with unmatched light. Tell us, Rosalie—who are you?"
The words weren't confirmation. They were a challenge.
And hidden between the lines was something sharper, like an unseen blade waiting to strike.