Chapter 5

"Don't bother about that. I want you to inform everyone that I want to have a meeting in ten minutes," Lucille said.

Samuel had worked for her for four years, so he knew her style was to keep things simple and concise. She wouldn't waste her breath saying useless things, and she wouldn't waste her time on needless stuff.

"Yes, Ms. Johnson," he said.

During the ten minutes before the meeting, Lucille quickly reviewed some documents and made some decisions.

When it was time for the meeting, she strode into the conference room. She wore a simple outfit of a white blouse, wide-legged trousers, and cream-colored heels. She looked like a cool, regal queen.

It made everyone present in the conference room sit up tensely. They didn't dare to make a sound at her entrance. They'd all seen what she was capable of and were fearful of her despite her youth. She'd always been ruthless and decisive.

Lucille glanced at Jesse Jones, the head of the marketing department. "Marketing team, how's the testing of the Timeless series going?"

Jesse sat up and said, "The testing is over, Ms. Johnson. The customers who participated in the testing have given us positive feedback. These are the results of our survey."

He handed over the report he was holding. Samuel took it and passed it to Lucille. She flipped through it, then said, "Good. We're launching the line at noon today."

Everyone was taken aback. Hadn't they agreed to launch the new line at the end of the month?

Someone asked, "Ms. Johnson, didn't we set the date for the launch to be at the end of the month?"

Lucille looked up and swept her gaze over everyone present. She smiled faintly and said, "Yes, but that's only what we want the outside world to think."

Some people were stunned, while others realized what was happening. Lucille had let out a smoke bomb to confuse the competition!

"B-but the overall design and packaging have yet to be finalized," someone said.

Ashley Carlson, the head of the design department, glanced at that person and said, "Our team came up with the designs half a month ago. Ms. Johnson's given them the green light."

When Samuel saw that some people still wanted to object, he said, "Ms. Johnson has also already given the necessary instructions for the press conference. There's nothing to worry about, ladies and gentlemen."

With that, Lucille swiftly gave out more instructions before ending the meeting.

In Whiteloop City, everyone knew that Star&Ciel Group's Starbright Scents and Johnson Group's Ambrosial Fragrances were direct competitors. Both companies were on equal standing, but Johnson Group had been trying to defeat Star&Ciel Group for ages.

Reputation-wise, Johnson Group was probably slightly better than Star&Ciel Group, but it was only because of Sabrina. She was known for having gotten the first runner-up in the National Perfumery Competition two years consecutively.

Star&Ciel Group's strategy to launch their new perfume line earlier than announced wasn't a move to steal the limelight. It was something Lucille had intended to do from the beginning.

They held a press conference at 11:30 am and launched the new line at 12:00 pm sharp. By 12:30 pm, the news went viral, and sales skyrocketed.

At 1:00 pm, the sales department's employees whooped and cried with joy. The Timeless series' revenue had hit ten million within the first hour of being launched—these were numbers they'd achieved without any advertising beforehand. All they'd done was hold a press conference.

Samuel stood in the CEO's office and looked at the increasing numbers on his tablet. He exclaimed, "This was a great tactic, Ms. Johnson. We didn't even have to spend a dime on advertising!"

Lucille's tweets about calling off her engagement with Harold and the insinuated cheating were still trending. Starbright Scents belonged to Star&Ciel Group, so anything related to the company or Lucille herself would direct traffic to the Timeless series' launch. It was a form of advertising on its own.

Starbright Scents entered the market three years ago, and it owned about half of the perfume industry's market share. The general public loved its scents, product philosophy, and packaging. Every new launch caught the public's attention.

Lucille eyed the results of the new launch, which were displayed on her computer's monitor. Something occurred to her, and she told Samuel, "Tell everyone that I don't want there to be any issues with the product's quality. Keep a close watch on that."

"Understood, Ms. Johnson."

…

Meanwhile, the top floor of JM Corporation was caught in a figurative blizzard. Anyone who approached would get hurt by the frostiness. No one knew what had happened to Spencer. All they knew was that they felt like they were trapped in a freezing abyss.

Spencer was in the CEO's office. He'd received a call from James after a meeting. "Hi, Grandpa."

"I've arranged for you to go on a blind date tonight, brat. You're not allowed to be late, nor are you allowed to skip out on it. And don't say no!" James commanded.

Spencer sat on the couch and held a hand to his forehead. He looked helpless. He asked, "What will it take for you to give up, Grandpa?"

"I'll leave you alone once you get married."

Spencer massaged his temples. James continued, "Don't stand her up, young man. If you do, don't you dare call me your grandfather in the future!"

He continued nagging until Spencer said, "Tell me the venue."

James immediately said, "The Moonstone Room at Zaytun Pavilion."

It was almost as if he were afraid Spencer would go back on his word.

…

Something similar was happening at Star&Ciel Group. Lucille received a call from Marie Ronson, her grandmother. Marie stayed at a sanitorium.

"You must be joking, Grandma. You want me to go on a blind date?" Lucille said helplessly.

"Why would I joke about something like this, sweetie? Are you against the blind date because you're still hung up on the Quall brat?" Marie asked.

Lucille fell silent. Marie had rendered her speechless with that. "Grandma, I—"

Marie cut her off. "I know the Johnson family hasn't treated you well, Lucy. My only wish is that you'll be happy. I've long since told you the Quall brat isn't the right man for you. Since you've already called off the engagement, don't think about turning back."

She lounged on a bench at the sanitorium and enjoyed the sunlight while advising Lucille. "I've found you someone who's much, much better than the Quall brat. The Quall family can't compare to this young man's family! Leave the Quall brat for sickly Sabrina. He's not worthy of you, okay?"

Lucille pinched her nose bridge as she listened to Marie. She sighed to herself and said, "Alright."

Marie laughed excitedly at that. "I knew you would say yes, darling. That's why I love you. Remember to go on the blind date, okay? And you don't have to come here so often. There are plenty of people who can care for me here. Focus on your love life!"

Lucille would do anything to please Marie. She was the only person Lucille still considered family and who genuinely loved her.

…

At 5:30 pm, Lucille drove out of the company's basement parking lot in her Mercedes-Benz G Class. She headed to the address Marie had given her—Zaytun Pavilion. She hadn't expected her first blind date to be at such a high-end location.

Zaytun Pavilion was a place that gathered various cuisines. One had to make a reservation there a month ahead of time. It was also a status symbol. Anyone who could afford to dine there had to be either affluent or powerful. It was also one of the upper crust's favorite places to show off their wealth.

The blind date was a last-minute affair. It couldn't have been scheduled earlier, so whoever had managed to reserve a room at Zaytun Pavilion had to be someone important.

Marie hadn't mentioned who it was, so Lucille had no idea who she would be meeting on this blind date. She gave the front of house the private room's name. After that, a server led her upstairs.