Ch. 181..190

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 181

Lily had been busy with work recently as the red sandalwood plant, her baby, had arrived. It was just a medium–sized one since the farmers had specially bred it, and Lily placed it in her lab,

When they returned from Middle Valley, Jenny appealed to the higher–ups and requested a personal lab for Lily. Although it was not a huge place, all the necessary equipment was at her disposal. Everyone, from the higher–ups to the administrative employees, was shocked at Jenny‘s complete change in attitude toward Lily.

Gossips were unavoidable, and many felt that it was unfair for Lily to have a lab for herself. None of them had gotten a personal lab after working for less than three months in the company. Moreover, the company did not recruit Lily the usual way, as she joined it seemingly out of nowhere. Since there were rumors surrounding her before this, it made everyone even more suspicious of her.

Jenny did not bother to explain herself because she did not feel the need to do so. Instead, she left a few words for them. “I gave Lily a test. Anyone willing to try it out, and managed to pass, would get the same treatment as her. I would be fair and request a personal lab for you too.”

These few words from Jenny made everyone stop gossiping and swallow their dissatisfaction. Although none of them knew what the second task was, most of them had seen the first task. It was impossible to cheat, and Lily managed to identify the problem in a short time while the others were utterly clueless about it.

As for the second task, they could feel themselves getting a headache from just hearing about it. None of the employees were willing to take up the challenge as they did not think they could pass. Hence, the employees decided to just focus on their task at hand.

Everything outside the lab seemed to have nothing to do with Lily. Once she stepped into the lab, she focused entirely on her work and ignored everything else.

Back in Middle Valley, she had an inspiration, but it was a rough idea until she found the red sandalwood at the nursery. At that moment, she felt she had found what she had been looking for.

She was busy preparing the materials, from washing, drying, cutting, melting, and extracting. When night fell, she finally stopped when she could no longer withstand the pain in her neck. Times like these made her miss Olivia more.

They were partners back then; Olivia would help Lily with the preparation of materials while Lily focused on creating the formula of the perfumes. The duo had their respective roles, and Olivia easily understood what Lily wanted. They had great chemistry, allowing their work to flow smoothly.

However, Nathaniel still did not want to approve of Olivia‘s resignation. Lily‘s furrowed eyebrows relaxed a little when she remembered the date today,

She took out her phone and made a call. “Liv, are you free to grab a bite with me now?” Thirty minutes later, the two sat at a food stall nearby Olivia‘s house. In front of them was a table full of food; hamburgers, fries, tacos, but they were sitting in silence. After a moment, Olivia broke the silence. “Let‘s dig in.”

She picked up a hamburger and took a massive bite as if trying to vent a particular emotion. Looking at her, Lily picked up a hamburger too, but she chewed slowly. In the past, the two would always hang out to grab a bite like this. Thinking back, Olivia spent more time with Lily than Nathaniel did.

The duo said nothing as they ate. When food wrappers were the only thing left on the table, Lily wiped her mouth and removed a contract from her bag. She slid it to Olivia across the table. “Bring it home and read it carefully. Wecan discuss anything that you’re not satisfied with. Lastly, welcome to the team!” Olivia glanced at the document. It was an employment contract, and Rebirth was the employer. However, she just looked at it, shaking her head, and did not intend to pick it up.

“What‘s wrong?” Lily suspected that Olivia had not yet resigned from MN Inc. “Don‘t you want to be my partner again?”.

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“T–That‘s not it. Working with you in this industry is one of the best things in my life! I can learn a lot from you, and I love experimenting with fragrances too.” “Then...” After some thought, Lily said, “If I‘m not mistaken, the company should automatically dismiss you 30 days after you submit your resignation letter, regardless of Nathaniel‘s approval. It‘s about time now.”

According to the law, Nathaniel could not force Olivia to stay, no matter how unwilling he was to let her go.

“Yeah, it‘s about time now.” Sighing, Olivia said, “The thing is.... my mom won‘t allow me to resign.”

Lily did not expect Olivia‘s mother to be involved in this matter. “Why doesn‘t Mrs. Hart...”

“Nathaniel came to my house before this to look for me and met my mom too. My mom trusts him a lot. She believes he‘s a good boss, and I‘m being ungrateful for the opportunities. Plus, he gave me a pay raise, which made my mom even more persistent about me staying at MN Inc.”

Olivia leaned back into her seat, raising her head to look at the sky. The sky was dark, and not a single star could be seen. “I‘ve thought about it. I‘ll just stay there since I don‘t work seriously anyway. If he‘s still willing to pay me for doing absolutely nothing at all, that‘s kind of a good thing for me too!” “Liv, you can‘t think that way. Doing that will only ruin yourself and your career.” To outsiders, it may look like Olivia was lucky to get paid to do nothing, but her wasted time would not return to her. It would put all the experience she had accumulated in the past to waste, and she would miss the best time for career development. It was not worth it for Olivia to do that.

That was why Lily had been trying to bring Olivia to Rebirth with her. She treated Olivia as her true friend and wanted the best for Olivia‘s career. “My mom won‘t allow me to do that...” Olivia trailed off while looking at Lily helplessly.

“You don‘t look like the person who just listens to her parent‘s words and does not know what she wants to do with her life.”

This was a simple case. Olivia‘s mother probably did not allow Olivia to resign because she felt that MN Inc. was a good company with a good boss and excellent employee remuneration,

However, Olivia would have significant career development in the future once she joined Rebirth. As long as the two communicated this matter well, Lily believed that Olivia‘s mother would understand her daughter‘s choice.

Olivia stared at Lily for a moment before she burst into laughter. “I was just joking! I don‘t want to leave.”

Lily was even more astonished upon hearing that.“why not?”

For a long time, Olivia had always insisted that she would follow Lily wherever she went. They could work together no matter where they were. It had only been a couple of weeks, so she did

not believe that Olivia would change her mind. It would not be because of the pay raise Nathaniel promised as well.

“That‘s because I feel I can help you even more by staying here instead of being by your side,” Olivia explained.

Lily did not understand her words. “What do you mean?”

“Melanie has been on a roll since she and Nate returned from Middle Valley. She produced the formula for two perfumes easily, and the labs are busy working on it these days. Nathaniel puts a lot of importance on the new products and believes they would be a big hit in the market,” Olivia sat up straight and said seriously. “What does this have to do with you helping me?” “I want to find out how good the two perfumes could be and see what other tricks they have up their sleeves. If they have a plan to set you up for something terrible again, I can learn about it in time and tell you about it too.”

Olivia had given this some serious thought over the past few days. She believed this was the best way for her to help Lily. Instead of being by Lily‘s side, she would stay in MN Inc. and be on the watch for her.

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Lily‘s anger was something Olivia had not expected.

“I don‘t need that!” Lily was furious; her tone was stern, and her expression solemn.

“Lily, I...” Olivia did not think Lily would react this way; it stunned her momentarily. “A-Am I wrong for this?”

“Of course you are!” Lily emphasized another time. “What do you regard yourself as? What do you regard me as? I know they‘ll come up with new products because they have been manufacturing the old ones for quite some time. They would be unable to sustain the business for long without creating new ones.

“However, I‘m not interested in their new products or formula! Liv, you‘ve been working in this industry for some time. I‘m sure you know what you can and cannot do! Do you think it‘s right to pry on other perfumer‘s formulas? “Do you think I can‘t fight them head–on with my skills, so I need you to spy on them for me?” Lily paused for a moment. Then, she said, “Liv, I don‘t need you to be on the watch for me. Come over and be my assistant. That‘s where you belong.” Olivia did not know what to say. She just stayed silent after Lily reprimanded her. A while later, she apologized. “I‘m sorry.”

‘I was wrong. I thought this would be the best way to avenge Lily. However, I forgot that doing so would only turn us into the same kind of person Nathaniel and Melanie were.‘ Nathaniel and Melanie stole Lily‘s products and formula, and Olivia wanted to pry on their formula and secrets so she could tell Lily about it. If she had done that, she would be the same as the nasty duo.

“Liv, I know you‘re only doing that for me, but come over and help me if you truly want the best. I recently had a new idea and have been researching it. I can‘t handle everything alone. Come over and help me out since it‘s about time you can leave MN Inc.” Lily sincerely said as she pushed the contract slightly toward Olivia again. This time, Olivia accepted her offer and immediately picked up the contract. While skimming it through, she joked, “The pay isn‘t any higher than the one I‘m getting now!”

“Your pay will increase if you do a good job in Rebirth. Even the bonuses from the projects are lucrative in Rebirth.” Lily chuckled. “Okay then, I guess I‘ll do this for you.” Olivia feigned grievance when happiness had filled her up from within,

It was something that called for a celebration, as Olivia could leave a suffocating environment to work with a friend again and do the things she liked.

When Lily reached home, it was already near midnight. She had been too occupied with work recently and often came back late. Fortunately, Alexander had been busy with his work as well. As the two had their heads buried in work, it had been a few days since they last saw each other.

A wave of yearning washed over Lily when she returned to their empty bedroom. She missed him. Back then, she would work till this late as well. She went home alone, slept alone, and managed everything at home alone. Nathaniel would accompany her occasionally, but he would leave after having a meal with her.

She had not felt such loneliness or yearning for Nathaniel before. Now, she was probably used to having Alexander around. She was used to his presence and adoration for her. She had to admit that she had grown reliant on him.

At one past midnight, she climbed into bed after taking a shower. After some thought, she sent Alexander a text. “You‘re not coming home tonight?”

She fell asleep before his reply came Exhaustion filled her up from head to toe. She was so tired that she did not wake up when Alexander came back or when he circled his arms around her, hugging her from behind.

She felt warmth and mumbled incoherent words amidst her sleep as she turned around to face him. Stretching her limbs, she hugged him back No, she practically sprawled over him, rendering Alexander speechless

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Alexander had rushed home in the middle of the night because of Lily’s text. However, his wife did not look at him and simply snuggled into his embrace. He did not know whether he should be glad or mad at her.

Glad because she was willing to get closer to himn. Mad because she did that so easily. What if the person on the bed was not Alexander but someone else?

“Lily. Lily…” he called her name softly in her ear.

“Shut up! You’re so noisy!” Lily waved her hand. Dissatisfaction was written all over her face.

Alexander was speechless. ‘She said I was noisy, but she hugged me tighter and snuggled deeper into my arms. Did she think she would not hear anything by doing so?’

Alexander wanted to say something at first but just sighed in the end. ‘Forget it. I’ll just say it tomorrow! She’s my princess, after all.’

He soon relaxed in the bed and fell asleep with Lily using him as a human pillow.

Lily had a great sleep. When she woke up, she felt fresh and wanted to stretch her arms, but she could not move them. Opening her eyes, she saw the handsome face belonging to her lover.

“Alex?” she called out in surprise. “When did you come home?”

Alexander opened his eyes, his dark orbs staring back at her. Finally, he could let out his words from last night. “Hmph! You snuggled into my arms without knowing who I was. Do you even know how to keep yourself safe?”

He used his hand to knock her forehead lightly because he did not want to hurt her.

Lily put her hand to her forehead and asked, “Is there another man in this house except for you?”

“What if it was a robber?”

“Oh, please! Do you think that the security guards of Imperial Hills are just decorations? How could a robber get in here so easily? Even if someone were to barge into the neighborhood, you have a burglar alarm system installed in this house, don’t you?” she said casually, thinking he had just asked a terrible question.

Her words surprised him. “How’d you know I have a system in this house?”

Lily was speechless. After all, she had been staying there for quite some time. She could tell a burglar alarm system was installed after a few looks around. While this system may not be as practical as the one used at the Lodge family’s residence, it was substantial enough for the average person.

“1… guessed it!” She thought of a cover and continued, “Don’t you watch TV? People with your level of wealth and status would always set up some protection barriers around their houses to prevent burglaries.”

Lily raised her brow after saying that, satisfied with herself for coming up with such a reasonable excuse.

“Can I think of it as you feeling safe around me?” Sensing that she wanted to get up,

Alexander reached for her wrist and pulled her back into his embrace.

“Alex quit messing with me. I need to head to the lab now.” Lily struggled to get away from him. She would not feel at ease before completing her research. “You spent more time in the lab than with me recently. I should consider taking the personal lab back from you,” Alexander muttered as he snuggled into her neck. ‘Boss! You can’t use work to get back at me for our private matters!’ Lily thought.

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 185

Melanie was anxious. They had arrived for quite some time, but Eloise was not there

“It’s all rightI’m sure she’s late because there’s something she needs to attend to first,” Nathaniel comforted her in a soft voice. However, he was not confident in his mother’s attendance, either.

After all, Eloise did not want to meet Melanie, and Nathaniel was the one who insisted on this meet-up

Just as he was about to leave the private room to make a call, the door opened, revealing Eloise’s personal assistant. Once Eloise entered the room, her assistant left and closed the door to be on the watch outside.

Eloise wore a gray Chanel suit, and her hair was recently permed. With just a glance, Melanie could recognize Eloise’s earrings and bracelet. They were both from the latest jewelry collection this year. She felt envious of Eloise.

Even though Eloise was a middle-aged woman, she only looked around thirty-five years old because of her skincare routine for the past decades. She maintained her figure and appearance well, too. At that moment, Melanie wished Eloise would publicly acknowledge Nathaniel as her son. She could not help but feel disappointed at this thought.

Unfortunately, Nathaniel was the son Eloise had with her ex-husband. That meant she could not acknowledge him as her son in public, and he could inherit none of her wealth. If Nathaniel had been Eloise’s successor, Melanie would not have risked her life and gotten involved with Frank. She only did that so she could have another option in life.

“Mom,” Nathaniel went over and greeted Eloise at the door. Then he turned to Melanie. “Mel, come here.”

“This is Melanie. I’ve told you about her before,” he said as he circled his arm around Melanie’s waist.

Eloise glanced briefly at Melanie as a greeting. After removing her blazer, she sat at the table, picked up her cutlery set, and ate. She was a picky eater and had high standards for food. The dishes served by this restaurant suited her taste and provided great privacy for their customers. Hence, Eloise often met up with Nathaniel here.

It had always been the two of them all these years, and today was the first time someone else joined them.

“Mom. How are you doing lately?” Nathaniel followed suit and sat down. The first thing he did was express his concern for Eloise. “I heard you bought over another company. Hudson’s health isn’t in the best condition, so I’m sure you’ve been tired.”

Eloise was eating her food with elegance. After taking another bite, she said casually, “You don’t need to worry about all that.”

“Yeah! Mom, I know you’re a strong woman, and you’d be able to handle anything. I want to thank you for helping with my company’s matters. If not for you, I never would have figured out the solution.”

Melanie was shocked by how Nathaniel thanked his mother. It was customary for Melanie to be nervous, but she did not expect Nathaniel to feel the same way.

He spoke so formally with his mother and was so polite that it was clear they were not close to each other. This was not how a son usually talked to his mother but how a subordinate would report to his boss.

Eloise stopped eating and placed her cutlery down. She then took out a piece of tissue to wipe the corners of her mouth before crumpling it and throwing it on the table.

“Nate, you handled this matter poorly.”

“Yes, I admit my mistakes. I‘ve been too careless, which allowed Lily to tamper with the formula. This tiny mistake almost cost the company…”

Before he finished his words, Eloise interrupted, “No, that’s not what I was referring to. I meant to say you handled your romantic relationships poorly.

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“Mom?” Nathaniel asked Eloise in confusion. He was stunned as he had not expected her to say that “Why would Lily tamper with the formula? How many years have you been dating each other? You know very well that most of your company‘s products were created by Lily. She had always been obedient to you. Why‘d you force her to leave?” While Eloise spoke, she capped hier knuckles on the tabletop, her expression severe. She looked like a ster teacher reprimanding lire student who had just made a mistake.

Eloise‘s questions puzzled Nathaniel. He was embarrassed and was about to break out in a cold sweat. “Mom...”

“I asked Frank to help you because you‘re my son. I don‘t want to see you fail after you‘ve worked hard for such a long time. However, that didn‘t mean that you did nothing wrong. Nate, you made a big mistake!”

She was merciless in her criticisms, and the person who felt most awkward now was Melanie.

‘What‘s going on? I came here with Nathaniel to meet my future mother–in–law, but she didn‘t care about me. Ever since she arrived, she did not look at me properly or said anything to me! Not only that, she‘s praising his son‘s ex–girlfriend when I‘m here. What in the world is this?

Melanie felt awkward just sitting at the table. It was giving her anxiety.

Nathaniel defended himself against his mother‘s rebuke, unwilling to back down. “Mom, I can‘t control my heart. Mel is the woman I love. I can‘t possibly spend the rest of my life with Lily when I don‘t love her!

“Yes, you‘re right. Lily is a talented perfumer, but you can‘t expect me to marry her just because of that, can you? I admit I took advantage of her, but I also gave her a lot in return! Like you said, we‘ve been dating for so many years, and yet she could just turn her back on me overnight. This just proves how heartless she is.”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “A person like her might betray me any time in the future, even if she did not do it now! I just got rid of things that might harm the company.

His voice grew softer toward the end. Maybe he was not confident about his justification as well.

Eloise glared at him. “Do you want me to praise you for that?”

“That‘s not what I mean. Mom, I brought Mel here to meet you today. Let‘s not bring up the past anymore. No matter what Lily did, everything is history, and she‘s gone. I love Mel, and she‘s going to be your daughter–in–law. I‘m going to marry her.”

After Eloise said her piece, she stopped rebuking Nathaniel and looked closely at Melanie. However, Melanie sensed from Eloise‘s stare that she did not like her.

“You‘re an adult now, and I can‘t stop you from doing whatever you want. You have your own plans in life too. Still, about the marriage, I’d like to advise you... the both of you, to think about it carefully,” Eloise said and took her bag from the chair next to her. “Marriage isn‘t a game. If you insist on getting married, just go ahead.” Then, she handed a debit card to Nathaniel. “This is a gift from me. You know very well that I can’t attend your wedding. The passcode is your birthdate. No matter what, I want you to live a good life.”

“Thanks, Mom!” Nathaniel accepted the card and said happily. “I understand. Your approval and blessings are already enough for us.” “Well then, today‘s meal had taken up a lot of time. I‘ll be leaving now.” Eloise stood up, preparing to leave. “Yeah, I‘ll leave after an hour. Mom, take care.” Nathaniel stood up but realized that Melanie was still slouching in her seat. He immediately pulled her up, and finally, she got up to her feet, too, albeit slowly. That did not bother Eloise. She just patted Nathaniel on his shoulder. “You too.”

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Nathaniel was overjoyed. He held the debit card with one of his hands and Melanie’s hand with the other. “Mel, we can finally get married!”

Melanie glanced at the card and coldly shrugged his hand off her. “Really?”

“Look. This card is a gift from my mom, meaning she has already approved you as her daughter–in–law. I know what she said earlier made you upset, but don‘t overthink them because she meant nothing ill. She just wants the best for me, that‘s all.”

“I‘m sure she wants that. She even chose a wife for you. However, I am not the woman she thinks is qualified to be her daughter–in–law.” Melanie was mad upon thinking of what Nathaniel‘s mother had said earlier.

‘She kept talking about Lily when I was the one who sat in front of her! I am the woman who will marry her son, not Lily!‘

Melanie could tell that Nathaniel‘s mother looked down on her, making her uncomfortable.

“You‘re upset again, aren‘t you? I told you my mom didn‘t mean what she said. It doesn‘t matter how much she likes Lily because the most important thing is I don‘t like her. What can my mom do about that? I am the one getting married, so her opinions will only remain as opinions and not a deciding factor. Her words can‘t change anything!” Nathaniel coaxed Melanie patiently because he knew she felt aggrieved due to this matter.

“Really?” Melanie turned to look at him and said, “What if you change your mind?”

“Why would I do that? After all these years, don‘t you know what I truly want? I have always loved you and you only! We‘ll have a kid soon, so I would never change my mind!”

He held her hand and placed the card on her palm to make her feel at ease. “In the future, you will be in charge of our family‘s finances. I will be under your control too. You can make the call for everything, okay?”

Melanie looked at the card in her hand, then at his sincere gaze again before nodding in satisfaction. “That depends on how you act!”

After sending Melanie home, Nathaniel headed right to the lab. They were already at the final stages of the development of the new product, and they had to be careful to stop anything from going wrong. As Melanie said, Nathaniel placed his hopes on these two new products to bring back awards and recognition for the company.

Over the past few weeks, they recruited a few perfumers and researchers to work on the new products. Although they were not at the top of their fields, they were at least professionals. Even if they could not create anything unique, creating a few basic items would be no problem.

Everyone was working on their task at hand. Nathaniel looked around, and since the project‘s progress was satisfactory, he made no comments. He just encouraged his team members to work harder during this period. Once the products succeeded in the market, everyone would get a raise in pay.

After walking around, he realized that someone was absent again. He called the person in charge of the lab over. “Where’s Olivia? Did she apply for leave again? Or is she playing hooky at work?” ‘This stupid b*tch was only obedient for a few days. What is she up to again now?‘ “Mr. Hall, that‘s not it. She said she resigned from work,” the person in charge said softly. He thought Nathaniel knew about the matter.

“Resigned?” Nathaniel raised luis voice “When did she resign? Who approved her resignation? I didn‘t accept her resignation letter! I disapproved of her resignation! Call her now! Call her and ask her to come here this instant! She‘s going overboard!” He stood, arms akimbo, as he ordered fiercely

The person in charge made a call with mindful movements before he said, “The call isn‘t going through.”

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“Try again! If you still can‘t get through, go to her house and drag her here! How dare she skip coming to work?!” Nathaniel rebuked, but he felt he had not fully expressed his anger. After pondering for a moment, he said, “Forget it. I‘ll do it myself!” Then he drove back to the company and headed straight to the HR Department as soon as he arrived. “Get me Olivia Hart‘s information. She left her position without getting prior approval from higher management. Tell the Legal Department to devise the appropriate punishment and compensation for this case.”

One of the executives from the HR Department looked at Nathaniel and said, “Mr. Hall, Olivia submitted her resignation letter more than a month ago. According to the Labor Law, she can leave her job position 30 days after submitting her resignation letter regardless of your approval.”

“What kind of stupid law is that? Why haven‘t I heard of it before?” Nathaniel was astonished as this was not something he had expected. He was under the impression that Olivia would remain an employee of the company if he did not sign her resignation letter. Upon hearing what the HR executive said, Nathaniel felt fury burning within him. “That is what the Labor Law states.” The executive‘s voice diminished. No matter how furious Nathaniel was, that was the law set by the government. “Then... she can just leave as she wishes? Is there nothing the company can do?” Nathaniel could not believe that there was nothing his company could do to a mere employee. “She hasn‘t taken her pay and bonus from last month,” the executive browsed through the documents and said.

“Deduct it!” Nathaniel ordered without any hesitation.

“Due to the unique nature of her work before this, we can require her to sign a non–compete clause.”

Nathaniel‘s eyes lit up at the sound of that. “That sounds good! Get that done and stop her from working in other companies in this industry. If she disobeys, file a lawsuit against her to claim for the company‘s losses!”

He could guess Olivia insisted on leaving because she wanted to join Lily‘s team. He could not let Olivia have her way. Fine, Nathaniel would let her go if she wanted to leave, but she should not hope to get a job at another company in this industry within a year.

He would sue her for breaching the contract if she dared to. Lily could pay the compensation for Olivia by then. Nathaniel felt much better at thinking he still had something to threaten them.

It was never good to flirt with a man who had just tasted the forbidden fruit. Lily took a shower, changed into a blouse with a high neck, and wrapped a scarf around her neck. Finally, she managed to cover all the love bites.

In a hurry, she rushed to the lab. She told Olivia to report there today and get familiar with the work environment first. Unfortunately, she was still late to meet Olivia. When she arrived at the door breathlessly, Olivia was already there, chatting away with Jenny.

Lily was unsure how long Olivia had been here, but looking at the two chatting happily, it seemed they had known each other for years. Jenny turned around upon hearing some movements. Smiling, she said, “Wow! Our workaholic is actually late today.”

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“Sorry, I overslept.” Lily looked at Olivia. “I guess I don’t need to introduce you two to each other.”

“We’re a team from today onward! Just drop the formalities,” Jenny said with a smile as she put her hand around Olivia’s shoulders.

“Jen, you’re so biased! You weren’t this kind to me back then.” Lily shook her head, fighting against the injustice she went through.

“That’s different. I thought you made it here because of your connections back then, but I approved of Olivia coming in this way.” Jenny joked and patted Olivia on her shoulder.

“You sure have double standards!” Lily exclaimed, chuckling before she continued, “Well then. Let’s get to work now that you’re here. Coincidentally, I lack staffing here. I want to find out the new product’s formula as soon as possible.”

“Sure, you two get to work then. You can complete the paperwork for your recruitment in a few days, right? Just head to the HR Department to complete them,” Jenny said.

The question was for Olivia, to which she nodded and replied, “No problem.” Olivia could complete the procedures and paperwork at any time. The most important thing for employees was their team and whether they were happy at work. Upon entering the lab, Olivia scanned the surroundings and praised, “This place looks good! There are more types of equipment here than where we worked before. Wow, you have these too?”

Lily changed into her work clothes while explaining, “Although Rebirth is a small-scale company, it has the support of La Beauté Group. Hence, we have decent facilities too. Also, Ms. Gray said we can ask the company if we need any other equipment not provided here for our work.”

“Working in a big company is the best! You made the right choice to leave.” Olivia also changed into her work clothes and waslied her hands, preparing to work. “By the way, Nathaniel didn’t make things difficult for you when you left, did he?” Lily asked, concerned. Olivia looked relaxed, so she probably settled her matters at MN Inc. However, Lily was still worried.

“I didn’t even see him.” Olivia waved and said, “Anyway, I can resign now according to the Labor Law. He can’t stop me. Plus, I moved to a new place.” Olivia got closer to Lily and whispered the last few words happily.

“You moved?”

“Yeah.” Olivia nodded. “I thought about it carefully. Although I managed to convince my mom, 1 feared she would change her inind if he came over and bothered her one time after another. She’s soft-hearted and easily influenced. I’m coming here to work anyway, so I might as well move to a place closer to the lab. This is killing two birds with one stone, isn’t it?”

“Is it easy for you to find a place here in such a short time? Do you want me to ask around for you?”

Looking for a place to stay was a hassle. Lily felt guilty toward Olivia for dragging her into this mess between herself and Nathaniel.

“It’s alright. I had this plan in mind for quite some time, so I’ve been looking around for places to rent. After I decided to work here, I called the agent and moved in right away. Thank God the place was still available. I’m efficient, aren’t I?” Olivia raised one eyebrow, proud of what she had done.

“That’s great.” Lily nodded and started lier work. She told Olivia her thoughts, as well as the list of ingredients Olivia would have to prepare for the research process. They were partners in the past and performed their respective duties well, making the research process go smoothly. Olivia listened carefully and made notes the entire time as well.

Perfumers would typically create many samples whenever they planned to launch new products. Then they would observe and record the relevant data. After all, any variables would create a vast difference in the outcome.

Soon, night fell, and the sky turned dark. Lily stretched her sore shoulders as she exited the lab. She saw Olivia bringing two cups of coffee to the lounge. Smiling, Olivia said, “You came out just at the right time. Let’s take a break.” Lily nodded, and the two took a seat on the couch.

When Olivia saw Lily moving her shoulders to release the tension in her muscles, she said in a concerned tone, “You must be tired. Let me give you a massage.”

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 190

Back when they were still working at MN Inc., Olivia would give Lily shoulder massages too. It had been a long time since she last did it.

Lily did not refuse heroffer and turned around, sweeping her hair to one side and revealing her slender neck. With both hands, Olivia massaged Lily‘s shoulders, applying just enough pressure to make Lily feel better alter the muscles in her neck had relaxed.

“II‘s so good to have you here. I was overwhelmed the past two days and feel much more relaxed with you here.” Lily raised her head and closed her eyes as the massage made her slightly sleepy. It would be a long process to create a new product. After all, the product had to be tested several times before being launched. Now that Olivia was here, Lily did not have to do everything alone.

“In that case, you should consider giving me a salary increase, shouldn‘t you?” Olivia joked.

“Hey! Who asks for a pay raise on their first day of work? You‘re going to scare your boss away! “Lily said in disapproval while shaking her head. “An employee who doesn‘t take the initiative to ask for a pay raise is not a good employee.” Olivia joked, but her smile froze when her eyes crossed a specific spot. The movement of her hands stopped as well.

Sensing the strangeness, Lily opened her eyes. “What‘s wrong?”

“Lily, you...” Olivia hesitated, not knowing where to start. However, her gaze was fixed on a particular spot. Confused, Lily lowered her head. She saw nothing wrong with her body, so what did Olivia see?

Olivia raised her hand and poked at Lily‘s neck, roughly showing where she was staring, Following Olivia‘s movement, Lily raised her hand to the spot and suddenly remembered something! Lily had worn a turtleneck blouse at first, but she had changed into her work clothes, and they could not cover what was on her neck anymore.

Then she focused on her work the entire time and paid no attention to it. Lily‘s hickey covered neck became visible during Olivia‘s massage when she swept her hair to one side of her neck

“Well, this is...” It was awkward. However, they were both adults, so Lily did not need to hide it from Olivia. She smiled and said, “It‘s that thing, you know.”

Her reaction made Olivia burst into laughter. “Oh, I understand! It‘s just that... who was it?”

Nathaniel was already history, so it was definitely not him. Olivia did not see any other man who had a close relationship with Lily.

Nathaniel was the only man in Lily‘s life in the last few years. Lily had spent every day either in the lab or her rented apartment. It was rare for her even to go shopping.

‘Does Lily have a new boyfriend? Who is it? Why can‘t I think of anyone?‘

“Do I know him?” Olivia asked after giving it some thought. There was no way she could determine who the man was without already knowing him. Olivia thought this question was simple to answer, but it was tricky for Lily. “I guess... you do.” With Alexander‘s status and reputation, there should be only a few people who had not heard about him, especially in a place like Sapphine, Olivia probably had not dealt with him before, so could she even be considered to know him on a personal level?