Melanie was wearing a beautiful dress and exquisite makeup to look her best, but she dared not walk in alone.MN Inc. was insignificant in the venue where all the big names gathered. She could have gained some points by having Frank by her side, but now, she was alone. Who would notice her? She would be ignored and neglected as soon as she got to the hotel entrance and got off the car. She could not accept that.When she got in the car, she persistently called Frank’s phone, but no one answered. He made it clear that he did not want to answer her call."Ms. Thayer, it's almost time." The driver turned his head to remind her."Why are you in a hurry when I'm not?!" She reprimanded irritably.Just as she was about to try calling Frank again, she raised her eyes and saw a Rolls-Royce slowly approaching. After pondering for a second, she patted the front seat, "Quick, drive over, follow them but don't get too close!"Melanie's car was opposite the hotel. The driver turned the steer
Melanie's dress was rather heavy, and it slipped down after a few steps, almost exposing the edge of her bra. Melanie immediately blushed. Covering her chest with her purse, she hurried to the venue.…Lily was tired after walking around the venue, greeting people, and meeting a few peers Jenny introduced to her.Even before the official sampling event began, Lily almost had enough. Sure enough, socializing was more tiring than researching products. Lily found a quiet corner and waited for the event to start while holding a small tray of snacks. She only wanted to see new products by the industry masters and then head back.Meanwhile, it was not the first time Jenny had attended this kind of event. She dealt with her peers with ease. When she turned her head, she could no longer see Lily. It took her a while to find Lily in the corner stuffing her face, and Jenny couldn't help laughing. "I brought you here to attend the event, not for you to eat," Jenny said while rolling her e
Jenny was stunned for a moment. She looked at Lily carefully and said, "Well, if you were angry, I couldn’t tell.”Lily chuckled, "I don’t have to show it on my face. We are representing the company in such an important event. Why would I put all my emotions on my face for someone like her? I’m not crazy."“Haha!” Jenny laughed at what she said.“Still, it is pointless to be angry. As the old saying goes, revenge is a dish best served cold. I am not in a hurry to get my payback. I want to see who the last woman standing is," She said nonchalantly.Nodding thoughtfully, Jenny gained a deeper understanding of Lily and appreciated her even more."I have a question," Jenny said hesitantly. It seemed like a difficult question. Lily raised her eyebrows and responded., "Sure, ask away."She also regarded Jenny as a friend now. She knew Jenny had been difficult in the past due to distrust and instinctive dislike of plagiarists and betrayers. After all, Jenny was a stand-up person, and
With that thought in mind, Melanie no longer insisted on looking for Frank as she could not find him. Even if she did, Frank might not care unless she…Melanie’s heart erratically pounded when she thought of what Frank had said to her earlier. ‘No, Frank only wants my body. The only person I need to hang on to is Nate.’The host introduced the creators for each product on stage alongside their inspiration and creativity when making the scents. He also described the products’ notes and the type of people the scents would suit the most. Occasionally, the host would call people to the stage and ask if they had any thoughts or opinions about the products.Melanie did not want to go up, not because she did not want to be in the spotlight, but because she could not afford to be in it. She knew many industry professionals were around, and they would call her out and ridicule her if she misspoke. So, she decided to remain quiet just in case. Melanie tried her best to hide in the crow but sa
The nervous heaved a sigh of relief, and everyone in the audience laughed.“You have a good sense of humor, Ms. Christian. Indeed, being a senior resembles being an object to the learning juniors, but not everyone can understand the true essence of a senior’s work. How much do you think you can understand, Ms. Christian?” The host asked provocatively, trying to add excitement to the conversation for the audience.Everyone was in high spirits because of the little episode earlier. They all waited for Lily’s answer. The question seemed simple but was quite tricky to answer. Lily would appear too arrogant if she gave an exaggerated answer but would seem unconfident if she was too reserved.Lily smiled at the host. “I dare not say I can understand the essence of a master’s work. As perfumers, we all know very well that every perfumer has their own inspirations and ideas. Each product has the creator’s unique perception. Even in the creation process, there would be different approaches a
"What's your name?" The host asked enthusiastically."..." "Hello?" Upon seeing her in a trance, the host called to her again."..." Suddenly coming back to her senses, Melanie looked at him, "I..."She realized her voice was a little hoarse as soon as she opened her mouth. Clearing her throat, she clenched the microphone tightly. Her mind went blank.Melanie was no stranger to the spotlight, having received many awards and applause over her career. However, this time she panicked. Her hands and feet were icy, and her entire body was trembling.Melanie would be humiliated if she made a mistake on stage, especially since Lily was present. She could not let that happen. "This young lady may be a little nervous. It’s alright, have a rest if you’re tired. Let's get someone else." Melanie interrupted the host, who was trying to salvage the situation, "I'm sorry… I was just distracted." Melanie tried to make her smile look natural. "My name is Melanie Thayer. I’m a perfumer at M
At that moment, it was difficult for her to back down. Melanie, conscious of the audience's eyes on her, forced herself to recall the process and to keep a level head.It was not only a matter of taking a sample, stating a few words, or even figuring out the general formula and ingredients. What if Melanie said something wrong that she could not take back? Due to the overwhelming tension, even holding a test strip made her hands tremble.After she completed a series of procedures, there was still a faint lingering aroma on the tip of her nose. She thought long and hard about the ingredients so that she could give a brief description of them. That would be preferable to saying nothing at all. "Ms. Thayer?"As soon as the host spoke, she responded quickly, "I like this fragrance. Light and elegant scents are my go-to, and this one has won me over. Whoever the perfumer is, I imagine they value peaceful silence and enjoy a serene garden view with birds and blooming flowers.
He lifted her hand and planted a kiss on the back of it. Clap, clap.The audience erupted into applause as Melanie withdrew her hand immediately. Most people could only see the kiss Frank planted on her hand, but he had also licked her hand. It was brief, and he released her hand instantly after. It was as if it had never happened. The area he had licked and kissed her burned. It was a tickly feeling, like a cat's tongue. It made her heart skip a beat. Melanie's cheeks flushed red, but she did not dare expose what he just did in front of the audience. She smiled and lowered her head shyly, acting like all the praises she had just received embarrassed her. Only Lily narrowed her eyes at them and looked at Melanie with a smirk. Lily was too far away to see what Frank had done, but based on Melanie's reaction, it was not due to the compliments she had gotten. Melanie was the type of person who would claim credit for something that was not hers, so she certainly was not on
Lily tilted her head up to fight back her tears, saying, “There’s something I find strange.”“What is it?” Mike asked after comforting his son.“Instead of detaining Prince Ross, Her Majesty has sent him back to Yudonia. If so, why couldn’t we reach him?”After some thought, Mike answered, “There are two possibilities. It’s probably due to poor signals, or he doesn’t want us to contact him.”The two shared a look, knowing what each other was wondering.‘Why can’t we contact Ross? Is he planning something?’…Three days later, Lily inserted the last needle into the queen’s leg and looked up at her, saying, “You should start feeling your legs tomorrow. Still, it’ll take some time before you can stand.”Suddenly, Lily chuckled.“Why are you laughing?” Yasmin touched her legs. She had begun to regain sensation in her legs over the last two days. She then began to believe that she could get up. However, the queen was hesitant when the queen heard Lily chuckle.Lily shook her head
Lily straightened up and said without resentment, “Of course, you wouldn’t.”“That’s… quite a pity,” the queen murmured thoughtfully.“Well, there’s a price to pay for everything. That’s how the world balances itself,” Lily continued, “I can’t stop you if you must carry on with R10. Still, I won’t witness whether or not it succeeds. I just wish the outcome isn’t something you’ll regret.”Lily smiled and turned to head out the door.Rick heard their conversation as he stood guard outside. After exchanging looks with Lily as she brushed past him, he entered the room and saw the needles in Yasmin’s legs. “Your Majesty, those needles—”The queen waved dismissively. “It’s okay. Lily will remove them later.”Even so, Rick was wary. “You’re being too careless, Your Majesty. What if that woman—”“She wouldn’t,” Yasmin interjected, shaking her head."Why do you trust her so much?" Rick asked despite himself. The queen fell silent. If Rick had not asked her that, she would not have rea
Lily took out a cloth and unfolded it, revealing a row of silver needles inside. Yasmin was surprised she carried the needles with her.“Tell me. What do you want?” The queen took a deep breath to calm herself. She then reminded herself that she could always say no to Lily’s request. Still, Yasmin was cautious about Lily trying to trick her.Lily casually said, "I left because Prince Ross wanted to help me. I hope you don’t punish him.""That's it?" Yasmin thought she had misheard Lily. 'Is she trying to talk terms with me just so that I won't punish my son?' she wondered in disbelief."Ross is my son. I won't harm him. Don't you think you've wasted an opportunity by making such a request?" The queen shook her head. "I wasn’t sure if you’d blame him, but he did rescue me once. If I don't do anything, it would be ungrateful of me," Lily said gently, "Also, didn’t you already lock him up?"Yasmin was puzzled. "No, I only sent him back to Yudonia. He kept trying to get me to sto
"Three days," Lily replied.“That’s it?!” Yasmin was in disbelief. She thought Lily would try to buy some more time and suspected she would say the process would take several months or even years.‘I haven’t felt my legs for over a decade. I wouldn’t mind waiting for three more days.’“Are you sure I can get up and walk in just three days?” Yasmin pressed her legs hard but felt nothing. She would have treated her legs long ago if it were that easy.The queen had visited many famous doctors from various countries, but they could only stop her legs from getting weaker. However, Lily confidently told Yasmin that she could fix her legs so quickly.Yasmin wanted to believe it.After some consideration, Lily said, “I can’t guarantee that you’ll walk as fast as you once could. After all, you haven’t used your legs for a long time, and your muscles have atrophied. Still, you’ll recover slowly.”Yasmin nodded repeatedly, thinking it was good enough. She never dreamed of walking as well a
“Because only our opinions matter." Lily thought of something and said, "Unless you choose to believe Rhea.""I… don't trust anyone." Yasmin’s expression stiffened as she turned her wheelchair away."Your Majesty, I know you're dedicated to the experiment, but there are other things in life. Have you ever considered letting go of your burden to sightsee? You’ve done enough as a queen over the last few decades. Aren’t you tired of living a lonely life?”Lily gently spoke as she gazed at Yasmin’s back.The older woman caressed her knees with both hands and stared down at her legs, murmuring, “Sightsee, huh? I’ve forgotten what that’s like.”Yasmin had not used her legs for many years. Initially, she could still stand up and sometimes took a few steps. However, she could no longer get to her feet.She had grown accustomed to sitting in a wheelchair, but she felt a pang of sorrow after hearing Lily’s suggestion.Lily asked, “What if I can help you stand again? What if you can walk a
"Yes, I returned not just for him but also for you," Lily said, "I'm sure you were anxious for my return, weren't you?"Yasmin scoffed dismissively. "Why would I be? I have my bargaining chip. Besides, did you honestly think I couldn’t bring you back?""Bargaining chip? Do you mean Nick?" Lily shook her head with a smile. "Don't forget that he's not my son. Do you think he'll be much of a bargaining chip to you if I choose to ignore him for my three children?"She did not wait for Yasmin to reply and continued, "Besides, Nick still has a father who’s willing to die for him. If Mike decides to take drastic action against you— Yes, you're a queen, and you don't care much about an insignificant businessman.“However, don't forget that his business spans worldwide. There's no guarantee what he might do. Who knows, he might spread information that can affect Your Majesty and Yudonia's reputation?""You…" The queen was exasperated but could not retort.Lily noticed it and casually said
Rick could only remain silent at that moment.Yasmin then turned her wheelchair around and blandly said, “Bring Lily over. I’d like to see what excuses that sly woman can come up with.”"Your Majesty?" Rick was puzzled. "You know she'll just lie to you. Why must you—"Yasmin interjected, "I'd like to hear what she has to say."Rick had no choice but to leave and do as she said.As Lily was about to doze off, she heard noises from outside and opened her eyes. Immediately after, the door opened, and Rick appeared. He glared at her and spoke coldly, “Her Majesty wants to see you.”Lily glanced at Rick calmly and stood up as if she had expected his appearance. On the other hand, Mike rose before her and headed out.However, Rick stopped him as he reached the door. “You stay.”"But we came together!" Mike glanced over his shoulder at Lily, signaling her to persuade the man. Rick added, "The queen doesn’t wish to see you. Just stay here!"Lily patted Mike's shoulder and said gentl
Everyone was shocked when Lily returned to the embassy with Mike. One of the staff members quickly left to report the news to Queen Yasmin.Meanwhile, Lily saw people peering at her and Mike from the corner. Afterward, several guarded-looking men appeared. Lilt recognized them as the queen’s attendants. They brought Mike and Lily inside and then gave the duo a thorough search.The men only relaxed after finding nothing suspicious about the duo. Even so, Lily could not see the queen as the men told her to wait in an innermost room instead.After returning to the embassy, Lily felt a sense of strange familiarity. Although she knew the place well, her mindset had changed.She previously hated the embassy and simply wanted to escape. However, she had returned with a critical mission. Not only did she have to complete it, but she also needed to leave the place in one piece.While she was calm, Mike was somewhat anxious. He clasped his hands on his knees and glanced around as he sat dow
"I promise I'll do anything you want, okay?" Mike begged. He was desperate to see his son, so he decided to follow Lily when she insisted on returning to the embassy.Mike continued, “If any of you go with her, they might stop or suspect you. They won’t do that to me. It’s natural for me to want to see and rescue my son. I’m the best candidate because it makes sense for me to sacrifice myself for him.”After a short silence, Lily said, “You’re right.” She then looked at Alexander, who pondered before slowly raising his head and saying, “Me too.”Dominic tapped the table. "So do I."Cameron thought for a moment before saying, "I've no objections."Seeing this, Austin spread his arms and said, "Since you all agree, what else can I say? Let's do it!"It did not matter whether or not he agreed, but he just wanted to support Mike. The latter nodded and became emotional, saying, “Thanks, you guys!”"Why are you thanking us? Just be careful, and don’t be rash like you promised," Aust