Chubby Mommy: Scheming Daddy, Surrender Now!-Chapter 448: A Magnificent Speech

Under the spotlight, Ruby Sullivan was radiant, her smile warm and gracious, her voice calm, "Everyone might think my pose just now was an act of bravado, and indeed... you’re right, it was. I hope everyone remembers, the latest ’Wings Spread’ series of fragrances from Nirvana is about to be launched."

The audience burst into warm applause amidst laughter.

The audience today consisted mostly of domestic media and people related to the fragrance industry, including raw material suppliers, distributors, and many well-known influencers. Apart from recognizing Ruby Sullivan as the sole apprentice of Dr. L, most people knew of the love-hate entanglements between her, Ethan Sterling, and Rhonda Sullivan, while few actually knew Ruby, so her humorous opening added to their impression of her.

Ruby Sullivan had participated in many perfumer exchange forums abroad. Besides the halo of being Dr. L’s apprentice, she had no tabloid news; she was the elegant, beautiful, and unattainable goddess, composed and confident. Yet today, despite her thorough preparation and familiarity with her speech, she was still nervous.

Even after a good start, she remained alert for potential disruptions.

At every public presentation in her home country, she could never completely rid the venue of ’bugs,’ as if cursed, and now with so many attackable weaknesses, all her calm composure was placed on her face, while her inner anxiety never ceased.

She discreetly took a deep breath during the applause, then looked up again, imagining all the audience as pumpkins, a trick Honey taught her. Although it required a strong imagination, it was fortunately her forte, so the effect was quite good.

"Many people ask me what a perfumer does; I believe it’s similar to a cotton candy vendor. Those colorful, fluffy, sweet-smelling cotton candies have brought sweet and happy memories to countless people. A perfumer exists like this, encapsulating happiness in scent, hoping the world’s beauty can be felt by all who smell it."

Ruby spoke again, her voice now tinged with tenderness, "Under the influence of modern commercialization, perfumers have gradually turned from crafting scents based on inspiration and preference to formulaic calculations, seeking fragrances the public likes and scientifically calculating raw material modules. Of course, this isn’t bad; science has changed the world, and there’s no reason the fragrance world would reject it. But I always believe some emotions in this world escape scientific perception, like the age-old question no scientist can answer: what is love?"

She spread her hands and feigned difficulty, triggering more laughter and applause from below the stage, "So if you ask me the secret to making a fragrance, it’s to abandon the cold data and trust your nose. Just like a singer would say: your voice is the most sensitive and versatile instrument in the world, capable of any sound, if you desire."

The twenty-plus-minute speech ended amidst waves of laughter and applause. Everyone in the audience gained a new understanding of Ruby Sullivan. Her beauty and elegance were not just skin-deep; her unflappable demeanor and witty, humorous speech made her even more charming.

Ruby Sullivan descended from the stage and walked towards the seating area. Ethan Sterling stood up and embraced his wife, "That was wonderful."

"Thank you." Ruby Sullivan smiled sweetly.

The most exciting aspect of the speech was being able to gauge the audience’s reactions constantly. As she laid out each point, she received the anticipated feedback, allowing her to speak with increasing fluency. At this moment, she was very certain her speech was particularly successful.

Afterward, the host went on stage, said a few connecting words, and started the buffet dinner segment, where everyone left for the banquet hall upstairs.

Ruby Sullivan, arm-in-arm with Ethan Sterling, not only garnered praise for her on-stage elegance but also for her affectionate display with Ethan Sterling, making several women envious, yet secretly gnashing their teeth in jealousy.

In their eyes, common desires deemed Ruby Sullivan an inappropriate match for a high-quality man like Ethan Sterling, no matter the reason.

Once in the banquet hall, Jack immediately began searching for Ruby Sullivan. It was a rare opportunity; he really wanted to meet her and express his admiration!

"Ah, there she is!" Jack said excitedly.

Rhonda Sullivan saw his happiness, akin to a kid eating candy, and curiously asked, "Who?"

"Wenny, let’s go meet her. You two will definitely have many opportunities to see each other in the future." Jack was oblivious to the domestic gossip but saw his girlfriend’s face instantly turn sour, and assuringly hugged her, saying, "Dear, my admiration for Wenny is purely platonic, like a fan; surely you won’t be jealous of that?"

Rhonda Sullivan hugged his waist, playfully asking, "Then tell me, who’s more beautiful, her or me?"

Not far away was the dance floor, their affectionate gesture wasn’t too conspicuous.

Jack laughed, "Of course, it’s you, darling, that isn’t even a question."

His sweet words, casually spoken, turned Rhonda Sullivan into a docile little bird, unwilling to fuss over such trivialities any longer.

"Alright, then I’ll share a little secret with you. Actually, I am Ruby Sullivan’s half-sister, same father, different mother, and, well, we don’t get along very well."

Jack was momentarily stunned by this revelation but soon appreciated his girlfriend’s honesty, understanding her earlier distaste. He realized not all siblings get along and didn’t intend to question their discord, only regretfully saying, "If you don’t like it, let’s forget about it."

Seeing him this way, how could Rhonda Sullivan bear it? She took his arm and generously said, "Come on, I’ll introduce you. I also wish to present you to her."

Jack smiled, "That’s great."

Ruby Sullivan, seeing Rhonda Sullivan approaching with a male companion, instinctively went into defense mode, her features suddenly tensed.

Ethan Sterling squeezed her hand, quietly reminding her, "Relax."

Only then did Ruby Sullivan realize her whole body had tensed up, and she let out a long breath. Indeed, this woman wasn’t worth her tension.

"Ruby, your speech just now was fantastic!" Rhonda Sullivan praised with a brilliant smile.

Jack eagerly added, "I really liked your speech today, it was completely different from your style at The Lawson Group. By the way, I also really like your current fragrance style and am looking forward to Nirvana’s men’s fragrance."

His Chinese was just passable; while he could listen and express normally, longer, heartfelt expressions were challenging, so he habitually switched to the more familiar French. He had heard Ruby Sullivan speak French years ago at the Jasmine Festival in Veridia and knew she was fluent.

Ruby Sullivan looked at this unfamiliar man, merely giving a formal smile, and replied in French, "Thank you." It was a bit intriguing... the man standing beside Rhonda the quite was expressing admiration for her.