Married First, Loved Later : A Flash Marriage with My Ex's 'Uncle' novel Chapter 546

Chapter 546: The Wager Agreement

Someone pretended to be clueless and deliberately said, "Don’t talk nonsense. If Mr. Ronald is lying, then doesn’t that mean this isn’t actually Country Y’s way of making friends? Then why would Paula go out of her way to insult Miss Clark like that?"

"That’s right, that’s right. I believe this really is Country Y’s custom. Miss Paula only wanted to befriend Miss Clark. So now Miss Clark only wants to befriend Mr. Ronald. Isn’t that fair?"

"Exactly, exactly!"

Selina’s lips curved into a smile.

When Paula had insulted her under the name of the Country Y royal family, had she ever imagined it would come to this?

Now, would Ronald admit it or not—would he accept her as a "friend"?

If Ronald kept fuming and demanded an apology, then it would prove that Paula’s words had never been a friendly joke at all, but a deliberate insult.

But if Ronald didn’t admit he was lying, then he’d have to swallow Selina’s insult along with his pride.

Ronald clenched his teeth so hard his jaw trembled. After a long silence, he finally chose the lesser of two evils and ground out the words: "Yes. This is indeed our Country Y custom! Miss Clark—this friendship, I will accept!"

The last line was spoken through gritted teeth, every word biting, the threat behind it all too clear.

Selina remained utterly unfazed. She turned slowly, her tone unhurried. "Mm. I’ll remember this friendship with Mr. Ronald as well."

"Miss Clark—"

Just as Selina was about to leave, Ronald sneered. "I hear Miss Clark is also competing in this perfume contest? That you’ve even made it into the semifinals?"

Selina arched a brow. "And what of it?"

"I just wanted to remind Miss Clark—the judging is strict. I am one of the judges. Bribery will absolutely not be tolerated!"

At those words, the entire hall went silent again.

A moment later, Selina let out a soft, scornful laugh. "What’s this...? Is Mr. Ronald insinuating that I would buy my way into a ranking?"

Ronald gave a helpless smile, as if none of the earlier unpleasantness had happened. "I heard Miss Clark is the chairwoman of SL Group, busy with business. But perfumery requires not just talent—it takes time and dedication. Compared to professional perfumers, Miss Clark must be lacking a little... I was merely worried you might insist on winning a place, so I offered a kind reminder."

A kind reminder?

Selina suddenly recalled—when Paula had handed her that nightclub dress, she had said it was out of "kindness" too.

Selina gave a derisive laugh. "There’s no need for Mr. Ronald to trouble himself. Whether I make it to the finals, whether I win a place—that has nothing to do with you."

Ronald feigned sudden realization. "Oh, I see. Miss Clark is just here for fun, right? After all, when it comes to perfume, no one in the world can surpass Country Y. If Miss Clark is interested and wants to broaden her horizons, of course we understand."

Then Ronald burst out laughing. "But as for the championship, that’s already reserved for us in Country Y! Who would’ve thought—Country M is so large, with so many people, and yet not a single one worth putting on the stage. Hahaha!"

His words made the perfumers of Country M burn with fury.

But the worst part was—Ronald wasn’t wrong. They couldn’t refute him. All they could do was clench their fists in anger.

"Is that so?"

Selina’s sudden, light laugh cut through the air, silencing Ronald’s laughter in an instant.

Her gaze swept over him casually, her tone faint yet sharp as a blade. "Then please, Mr. Ronald—watch closely. Let’s see who the champion really is."

At that moment, Paula arrived at the scene as well.

The instant she laid eyes on Selina, she felt her anger surge. The memory of being humiliated in front of so many people the night before—forced to apologize to Selina—made her blood boil.

Paula felt as if she had finally vented her humiliation. Wanting Selina to lose face even more, she lifted her chin arrogantly. "Miss Clark, you look as though you’re not convinced. Why don’t we make a bet?"

"If the champion turns out to be from Country M, I will publicly apologize to every perfumer from Country M—and I’ll invest twenty billion in your SL Group."

At the mention of twenty billion, Selina’s brows lifted. A sudden thought flashed through her mind.

She remembered—that twenty billion was originally meant to be invested in Perry Group and Reid Group. But if she could seize it for herself...

Ronald felt something was wrong and tried to intervene. But Paula only grew more excited, speaking faster, not giving him a chance to cut in.

"If you lose, you must admit that Country M perfumery is inferior to Country Y—and you must give me twenty billion!"

The hall fell into dead silence.

The perfumers of Country M felt deeply insulted. They tried to dissuade Selina—if she accepted, she would be walking right into Paula’s trap.

Some were genuinely concerned for her. This wasn’t just about an apology—this was about twenty billion. The stakes were far too high.

"Twenty billion..."

Selina tilted her head slightly. "Miss Paula, that’s quite a gamble. But with such a huge sum, if Miss Paula were to go back on her word afterward, who would I turn to for justice?"

Paula almost laughed herself sick. Did Selina seriously think she could take first place?

With a sneer, she said, "I have twenty billion in assets. I can have the whole world bear witness, and I’ll have the best legal team draft the wager contract. The only question is—do you dare?"

Do you dare?

Selina’s lips curved into a relaxed, serene smile. "All right."