Married First, Loved Later : A Flash Marriage with My Ex's 'Uncle' novel Chapter 542

Chapter 542: Victory Is a Must

They were now standouts in their respective fields, and quite a few had achieved notable success in perfumery as well.

After hearing Selina’s words, everyone decided to enter the competition.

Contestants could submit newly blended perfumes or previously unreleased works—no format restrictions.

However, compared with the perfumers from Country M, the sheer number of perfumers from Country Y—virtually a nation of fragrance—was overwhelming. Selina could already imagine that, among the fifty finalists, two-thirds would be from Country Y.

Selina went through her mother’s belongings, pressed her lips together, then put them back. In the end, she dug out the piece she had once been most satisfied with.

Soon, the news set off a storm in the perfumery world. Everyone was saying Logan had gone crazy—competing in perfumery against Country Y? Did he have so much money it was burning a hole in his pocket?

— Logan’s definitely going to lose this time!

— Exactly. Signing a wager with Country Y’s royal family was outrageous enough, and it’s actually about perfumery... How are Country M’s perfumers supposed to compete with Country Y?

— If the champion turns out to be from Country M, fine, that solves everything—but is that even possible?

— As long as the winner is from Country Y, Logan won’t just lose money; he’ll lose his reputation. Who told him to make such a blunder?

— Did the other shareholders of Reid Group really agree to let him pull this stunt?

— Am I the only one who thinks Mr. Reid is going all in to do something for the future of perfumery in Country M?

— Our perfumery tradition in Country M has been passed down for thousands of years. It’s not inferior to foreign scents—we just lack global exposure.

— I support what Logan’s doing. Even if he loses the bet, I’ll still support him.

— Have you heard of a mysterious perfumer named Piper? If she competes, Country M will definitely take first place. She’s incredible—her perfumes are world-renowned and nearly impossible to get. I really hope she shows up...

— Forget it. We can’t even be sure Piper is from Country M.

...

The online uproar didn’t affect Logan.

He had two reasons for taking such a risk. First, he believed that in a vast, resource-rich nation like Country M, it was impossible that they couldn’t find even one perfumer who could stand up to Country Y’s. Impossible.

Second, even if he lost, the loss wouldn’t be that great.

In other words, even if the champion wasn’t from Country M, as long as a perfume from Country M made it to the finals, it would still raise the profile of Country M’s perfumery.

Selina, however, didn’t see it that way.

She wanted first place.

She had to take first place.

When it came to perfumery, she wouldn’t lose to anyone—so she intended to win that title for Logan.

...

A few days later, the open auditions began. After round upon round of screening, only one thousand perfumes remained for the semifinals.

From this already top-tier thousand, only fifty would be chosen for the finals—so one could imagine how breathtaking those fifty bottles would be.

Naturally, Selina received the news: her perfume had made the cut.

She hadn’t publicized her participation in the competition, yet Amelia still knew.

Meanwhile, Paula was gazing at Logan with a lovestruck expression. Soon, she would become his wife. That annoying woman beside him would end up humiliating herself at the fragrance convention!

Logan didn’t spare Paula so much as a glance. He simply held Selina’s hand. "Let’s go take a look over there."

Watching their backs, Paula grew anxious. "Aunt Amelia, didn’t you say you’d definitely make sure Brother Logan married me? Why hasn’t he agreed yet? Don’t you still want that two hundred billion?"

Amelia pretended to be helpless. "Of course I want it. But Selina hasn’t committed any major mistake. Logan won’t divorce her. We’ll just have to wait."

Suddenly, Paula asked, "In your Country M, does embarrassing your husband count as a mistake?"

A flash of inspiration crossed Amelia’s face. "Embarrassing him in general doesn’t count. But if it happens at a truly important occasion—if Selina disgraces Logan, the Reid Family, and the Reid Group all at once—then even if Logan is unwilling, the shareholders of Reid Group and the elders of the Reid Family will force him to divorce her!"

...

Selina chose a blue-gray fishtail gown and was about to pay when Paula suddenly blocked her way.

Behind Paula hung a red dress. She asked the sales assistant to take it down, then looked at Selina with an innocent smile.

"Miss Clark, I think this dress looks nice. What do you think?"

Selina narrowed her eyes.

That red dress—if you wanted to be polite, you could call it a gown. To be blunt, it was more like a nightclub dress.

Two thin straps for sleeves, a neckline plunging all the way to the navel, not a scrap of fabric on the back. What little material there was clung tightly around the waist, and then...