Darcie naturally doubted that a young woman in her twenties could replicate this oil. The S-type essential oil was created before Freesia Hall's death, but it wasn't public knowledge until Darcie discovered it while sorting through her belongings after Freesia passed away. Over the years, Darcie and the perfume blending technicians she hired had tried thousands of methods to replicate it, even resorting to chemical analysis. However, they could never get the proportions right. Even their closest attempts fell short, with a slight difference making the scent of the recreated perfume miles away from the original. So, Darcie had to find ways to preserve the oil and minimize its evaporation. Nobody had been able to replicate it for years, so for Sonia, who had only smelled it, to claim she could make it was outrageous.Since Darcie couldn't believe it herself, she decided to give Sonia a chance. She hadn't even wanted Sonia at Caline in the first place; her resemblance to her father i
Jaylene was convinced Sonia wouldn't pull it off and started throwing shade early. "Quite the professional approach. Stella, how long do you think she'll take to pull it off?"Stella shot her a glance and responded casually, "At most, two hours. Didn't she say so? Are you deaf?"Jaylene scoffed, "If she actually manages to do it within two hours, that'll be something. The company wouldn't be harboring a slacker."Stella snapped back icily, "Hasn't the company always had a slacker around?"Jaylene paused for a moment, then realized Stella was talking about her. She frowned immediately and was about to snap back when Darcie cut in, "If you want to watch, keep it down. Speak, and you're out."Some people never change! Why bother arguing with her here?Jaylene clamped her mouth shut in frustration, waiting for Sonia to fall flat.Stella furrowed her brow, anxiously observing Sonia at work. She worried Sonia wouldn't pull it off, becoming the butt of jokes. But she also feared Sonia
The group moderator hesitated before calling out, "Ms. Hall..."For a brief moment, the group fell into silence.Someone piped up, "Ms. Hall, aren't you worried about losing with such a big bet?"Stella's response came calmly, "Taking a risk; maybe it'll pay off."With that, the chat erupted with praise for Ms. Hall's audacity.Soon after, several more bets against Sonia flooded in, with some even upping the ante.After a pause, the group moderator spoke up again, "Ms. Saun has bet against Sonia, wagering one hundred thousand."Stella paused, glancing up at Jaylene nearby.Meeting Stella's gaze, Jaylene smirked and tilted her head slightly, saying, "Just a bit of fun."Stella smiled back, mouthing slowly, "Have you recovered the twenty million you were swindled off?"Jaylene's expression stiffened momentarily, but she remained silent, catching Darcie's eye and eventually clenching her fists in frustration.As Sonia worked on her concoctions, adjusting proportions based on sc
Jaylene found herself irritated by Stella's smug tone and shot back, "What's with the attitude? You weren't the one who made it!"Stella blinked innocently and replied, "I brought in the genius talent through the back door for the company. Why wouldn't I be proud?"Then, glancing at Darcie, she continued, "Ms. Arnold, now that Sonia has successfully replicated it, should we address the unjust accusation of her smashing the oil, and whether withholding Wren's bonus is justified? Has someone exploited this to settle personal scores? Shouldn't the company's board of supervisors look into it?"Darcie gave her a calm glance and responded, "The scent is quite similar, but we still need to test its usability."Stella chuckled, "Then let's start by investigating the incident of the smashed oil."Just as she finished speaking, Darcie's phone rang. "Ms. Arnold, the police are here. Someone reported damage to the company's finances, and no one is owning up to it, so they're here to investiga
Trevor would show up three or four times a week, always chatty but kind of dim, with a knack for uttering the most mundane things. Every now and then, in the middle of conversation, he'd casually mention that if his sister were the same age, she'd probably be just as cute.Then, when his sister fell ill, he vanished for two whole months. Her dad took her to visit, and she met his sister, Jaylene. But she didn't find her cute at all; she seemed rather silly, nothing like him.As they were leaving, he tousled her hair and teased her, "You little heartbreaker. You call the doctor 'brother,' but I've known you for almost a year. Why don't you call me 'brother'?"She replied, "Because you're silly."Trevor was taken aback, as if he'd just heard something monumental.Sonia didn't see what was wrong with what she'd said. He was indeed a bit silly; it had been six months, and he still hadn't passed his pilot's license test. She wasn't even sure what he'd been learning.But this comment r
Stella was caught off guard, quickly turning her head.It wasn't anyone else speaking; it was her driver, Larry Bard.Her expression shifted slightly as she asked in a low voice, "Larry, what are you saying?"Larry's face paled, his slender frame slightly hunched, giving off an air of not quite fitting in with everyone else.His lips moved, and he spoke hoarsely, "Ms. Hall, I broke it. While I was cleaning in there today, I accidentally dropped it. I know the stuff in there is valuable, and I... I got scared, so I didn't dare to say anything." Bowing toward Stella and the others, he whispered, "I'm sorry."Stella frowned, her tone stern. "The company has cleaners, so why would you be cleaning?"Larry hung his head, afraid to meet her eyes. "I applied for the job with the company. I could earn thirty an hour. I wanted to make some extra money to get my son a cochlear implant..."Stella's expression darkened.The reason Larry gave left her unable to even get angry.This turn o
"I find it strange. The place where the S-type essential oil was stored was supposed to be locked. If there was a lock, Larry shouldn't have been able to access it. The fact that he could easily take it out suggests that it wasn't locked at the time. Larry probably doesn’t know these things, and there was no manager around to remind him. He accidentally broke the essential oil during his work, without any intention to cause harm. If we talk about responsibility, both parties should share it."But because Sonia made the S-type essential oil, this incident didn't actually cause us much damage. It's more like a stroke of luck. I think if we just fire him outright, the punishment would be too severe. With this precedent set, if another employee makes a mistake in the future, they might hide it intentionally out of fear of being fired, which could lead to bigger problems. Punishment should be a means of correction, not an end in itself. What do you think?"Before Darcie could respond, Jay
Wren felt a wave of panic. "I really don't need...""Just take it!" Aubrey insisted coldly. "It's a gesture from Ms. Arnold. Don't let her down."Wren's eyelashes trembled as she reluctantly accepted the money, bowing deeply. "Please thank Ms. Arnold for me."Aubrey's eyes flashed with a hint of disdain, which quickly disappeared. "Ms. Hall speaking up for you means she values you. You should appreciate her kindness and not take it lightly."They didn't want her to sour her relationship with Stella…Wren kept her head low, speaking softly. "When I was in need, it was Ms. Arnold who offered me a job. A helping hand in times of need is more valuable than in times of abundance. I'll always remember that."Aubrey looked at her unexpectedly for a moment, then said, "That's good to know. Keep the money safe and hidden."Wren took off her coat and tucked the money into her clothes.Aubrey seemed satisfied as she patted Wren's shoulder and left.Wren felt her tense nerves relax slight