Noah looked at Arianna and asked, “You ordered wine?" Then he opened the door and took the red wine in."You need to have wine to enjoy this beautiful scenery." Arianna stood up, took the red wine from Noah, and went to get two glasses. She opened the wine and poured it as she spoke, "To our strong alliance, cheers!"Noah held the wine glass and clinked it with Arianna’s, but he did not drink. Instead, he looked at her lightly. “When did I agree to join your alliance?""What? Didn’t we agree last time? Think about all the benefits I can bring to you!" After a pause, she sipped the red wine and continued, "As far as I know, although you have a good background, you’re not one of the most favored family members, am I right?“Also, you’ve had arguments with your family about perfumery. Do you honestly want to lose your family’s support and they end up abandoning you?"Noah looked at her. and his eyes turned deep.“To be honest, I’ve been a black sheep in my family for a long time too
“Noah." Arianna put down the wine glass and stumbled into Noah’s arms. "Don't overthink it. You have no better choice than me. The best is in your arms!" While putting her finger on his nose, Arianna looked at him with a drunken smile.Holding her loosely with one hand so she would not fall, Noah lowered his head and looked at her. She was indeed beautiful, and he probably could not trust himself alone with her. He noticed her bright red lips getting closer, about to touch him when he suddenly turned to avoid her.Arianna was stunned. She never thought Noah would avoid her kiss. Was there truly a man in this world that could resist a beautiful drunk woman in front of them?"You're drunk. You should leave," Noah said."Why?" Arianna asked, blinking.At this moment, he thought she was cute and pitiful. Noah sighed, raised his glass, and took a few sips of wine, "You are not suitable for me.""Why?" Arianna frowned and tilted her head. "You like Lily, don’t you?"Alexander was stil
“Are you telling me how to do things?" Noah turned and glanced at Arianna, sounding unhappy."No. It’s just a reminder.” Arianna smiled, opened the door, and left.After leaving Noah's place, Arianna's heartbeat became increasingly unstable. She thought everything was under her control, but it all went sideways in just two days.She felt she had weaved a web, with her at its center, watching others trap themselves. However, she slowly discovered she was on someone else’s web instead, ultimately becoming the prey.‘This can’t be! Something must’ve gone wrong!’…Lily’s luck was in the dumpster for the past few days. The Tanner Corporation wanted to sue her for colluding with internal staff and tampering with their perfume. Simultaneously, the Perfumers’ Society seized the opportunity to join in and accused her of illegally practicing perfumery.With both sides attacking Lily, some of her supportive fans became increasingly suspicious. Some had turned their backs on her, thinking
Obviously, she had to be aware of the rumors circulating online, but nothing had been confirmed yet. No matter what she said now, it would cause controversy. It was better to be quiet and do only what she needed to do. "Do you also know that you’ve become the joke of the town?" After giving the table next to him a quick glance, he placed a cup of coffee there. It seemed that he was not pretending to be calm. "Just let them be. It's hard to tell who’s a joke until the end." After clearing away all of the remaining weeds and placing all of the tools in the basket, she stood up and started to walk towards the house. Noah quickly got up and followed, seeing that she had disappeared from his sight. The room inside was much cooler than the outside. Lily put down the basket and unhurriedly organized her flowers and plants. She was cleaning, combing, and sorting everything in an orderly manner. Looking at her movements reminded Noah himself that he used to do these
Noah did not know it then but would soon realize what Lily meant when she said, “I can wait, and you should too.”Many posts regarding the Perfumers' Society appeared on the internet overnight. The contents and titles varied but were mainly about the industry’s inside stories.Initially, the trending searches over the past two days were about Tanner Corporation’s perfume containing harmful ingredients and Lily getting banned from perfuming. Since then, posts like "Dark Schemes Within the Industry," "Shocking News Concerning Perfumers' Society,” and so on have appeared and rushed to the top of the trending list.Although these posts were different and contained all kinds of revelations, everyone knew the leaders in the Perfumers' Society had feathered their nests and used their power for personal gain. Since the Perfumers' Society set the threshold, they could do whatever they wanted, or so they thought.Most netizens suddenly banded together to boycott the Perfumers’ Society before
Noah often stayed in hotels, drinking, smoking, and smelling various perfumes and powders. It naturally ruined his sense of smell. Moreover, he had done many things besides perfumery over the past few years.He realized the Perfumers' Society might have gone off course when he saw those posts on the internet that were solely criticisms and accusations. Also, they had not made any great perfumes in the past two years, as most were mediocre.After some thought, he realized he felt moved and genuinely agreed with Lily. He asked himself, “Is this the grand occasion, the outcome I wanted?”But no matter what, as long as he was still a member of the Perfumers' Society, he must shoulder his responsibilities and not allow anything to tarnish the society’s image.He calmed down and sat in front of the computer. After opening Twitter, he thought about it and drafted a statement.The statement mainly emphasized that someone had intended to frame the Perfumers' Society. They would take legal
Noah was the most confused person among anyone else. He had been in the Perfumers’ Society for quite a few years and was close and often in contact with Lawrence, given his position. However, how did Noah not realize Lawrence had lost his sense of smell?‘Is this a prank or a malicious framing or…’He got up and made himself a cup of coffee. He put it beside him and stared at the computer screen in a daze. He was no longer feeling irritable like earlier. He had calmed down and could give the situation clear thought.Noah remembered when he participated in events and was invited as a commentator with Lawrence over the years. He did not notice it before, but after careful thought, he noticed something was amiss.For example, whenever he got invited to do commentary and needed to analyze the fragrances and works of newcomers, Lawrence always asked him to express his thoughts first. Noah did not think anything was wrong with it and that it was a test and assessment from Lawrence as an
“Hello?”"It's me, Noah." He straightforwardly introduced himself."Mr. Richards. What's the matter?" Lily asked monotonously."Why ask when you know the reason I’m calling? Were you responsible for those posts about the Perfumers' Society?" He did not want to beat around the bush. After all, there was no point in doing so, as both knew the situation’s ins and outs.Lily smiled, "Are you questioning me? In what capacity are you questioning me? Are you questioning me as the vice president of the Perfumers' Society?""It doesn’t matter what my status is. You dared to do it but dare not admit it?" Noah held the phone slightly further and pressed the record button."Did I refuse to admit it or say I was the one who did it?" Lily chuckled, "I also read the posts about your society on the Internet. The contents are indeed surprising, and I am curious. Therefore, I want to ask you, Mr. Richards, if the contents are true. You are the society's vice president, so you should know these thi
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