Ch. 271..280
Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 271
Nathaniel had thought about Lily when the news about his accident came out. Even his mother had gone to visit him. He knew there was no way Lily would not know about his accident. Still, she did not show up, and Melanie was the one who went to see him when the news first appeared on TV.
Eloise only smirked coldly at her shameless son, “Visit you? If I were Lily, I‘d have torn you to pieces after what you did to her. The nerve!”
“Mother! Am I not your son?” Nathaniel snapped.
How could she be siding with an outsider?
“I‘m saying this to you because you‘re my son, or else why should I care?!” She finished. Eloise noticed the apparent change in hier son‘s facial expression, and her tone softened, “It‘s not that I‘m trying to reprimand you. I‘m just trying to give you constructive criticism. I‘ve met many people, and I know Melanie is unsuitable for you.”
“Then what does this have to do with Lily? Is it because she‘s a talented perfumer? I‘m looking for a wife, not a perfumer. Besides, did you see how she‘s seeking revenge? Isn‘t Lily a scary woman as well?” Nathaniel refuted unconvincingly.
In his heart, he knew very well that being with Lily was better than Melanie. When Nathaniel was still with Lily, he did not have to worry about their company‘s new products because she always came up with fresh ideas suitable for their perfume market. He also would not have to worry about perfume formulas or the shortage of resources, as Lily would always solve them.
Nathaniel was so ignorant of his job that lie did not know that a single mistake in a formula could destroy the company. Although he and Lily lived separately, there were always hearty home–cooked meals waiting for him when he visited. Melanie, on the other hand, never cooked. She was too worried that the oil and smoke would damage her skin and reduce the sensitivity of her fingers.
Honestly, Lily was the ideal wife, but she lacked appeal. She would always be too focused on her experiments and ignore Nathaniel‘s phone calls. Sometimes, when he found her attractive and wanted to kiss her, the lingering smell of chemical substances on Lily would turn him off.
Melanie was not like that, as she always possessed a scent that could intoxicate him. Melanie was also a vixen in bed, and after being with Melanie for a more extended period, he started to lose interest in Lily and found her unappealing.
“You...” Eloise sighed and brought a chair over as she was tired of standing. She looked at Nathaniel and said, “How long has Lily been together with you? Why didn‘t she seek revenge before? Why did she choose to do it now? Are you sure you‘re unaware of the cause?
“I don‘t care what happened, but since you‘re a grown adult, you should know how to deal with your problems. However, Nate, your taste in women is horrible! If my memories serve me right, Melanie is from a working–class family, right? Her parents are just regular folks,” Eloise asked.
It was true that Melanie was from a working–class family, but he did not care much about it. In his opinion, a capable man would be able to provide for his wife and make her happy. He did not want to be a man that had to rely on a woman. Besides, Lily was also from a working–class family.
“Although Mel‘s family might not be rich, they‘re still a normal family, and I‘ve seen Mel‘s parents too! I‘ve never once seen or heard Lily talk about her family after all these years together! For all you know, she might be an orphan! How is her family better than Mel‘s?”
Nathaniel had tried asking Lily about her family, but whenever he brought this up, she avoided talking about it. After some time, Nathaniel just assumed she was an orphan, so she chose not to talk about it. Hence, he just let this topic slide.
Eloise could only stare at her son like he was the biggest id*ot in the world. She could not understand why he had not inherited her intelligence. Instead, he close to resemble his father‘s ignorant character.
“An orphan? Ha ha!” Eloise laughed in irony.
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Eloise snorted and said, “She is not an orphan!”
Facing Nathaniel‘s confused expression, she continued slowly, “Have you heard about what happened to the Lodge family of Brown City?”
“The Lodge family? Are you referring to one of the biggest families in our country? According to rumors, they know an older form of kickboxing and are very secretive.
“That‘ Lodge family?” Nathaniel asked.
Of course, he had heard of the well known family. The country had four famous families. They were the Richards, Tanner, Russell, and Lodge families.
The Lodge family of their city was active in politics and had been for several generations. The later generations produced many good politicians. The family culture was strict, and their foundations were firm.
The Tanner family of Ruby City and the Russell family of Sapphine were from the business world, but each had its domain. The Richards were in property development and construction, whereas the Russell family was in entertainment.
Although they were in different industries, they had a relationship. Word on the street was that they were working together.
Nonetheless, the most secretive of the four influential families was the Lodge family of Brown City.
Some said everybody from the Lodge family was fit and skilled at fighting. They rarely appeared in public, and when they did, they looked like gentle academics. Nobody knew if the rumors were true.
However, Lodge had a large business empire, and nobody in Brown City dared to provoke the Lodge family. But why did Eloise suddenly mention the Lodge family?
“Are you saying that Lily has a relationship with the Lodge family?” Nathaniel asked carefully. He could not believe it.
Eloise did not say anything. The look in her eyes gave him the answer.
“Impossible!” Nathaniel said resolutely.
“Sh*t, perlaps you don‘t quite understand Lily as a person. She is an ordinary girl who is a talented perfumer. How could she be connected to the Lodge family? She is a gentle and fragile girl. Furthermore, her surname is Cliristian, while the Lodge family is the Lodge family. What connection could they have?”
He refused to believe it. He had gone to university with Lily, so they had known each other for a long time. Over all these years, he had never met nor heard about her family. If she were connected to the Lodge family, he would indeed have met or known about them.
‘It must be a mistake‘
Eloise could only laugh at his objection, “That doesn‘t mean anything. I‘m from the Neville family, and you are from the Hall family. Aren‘t we still related to each other?”
“That is not the same. You are my mom, and ... Before he could finish his sentence, he was stunned. “Are you saying that...”
That was right. It did not mean Nathaniel and Eloise were unrelated because he and his mother had different surnames.
He thought about it calmly, ‘Does Lily know kickboxing? That day in the alley, she was agile and even used a knife to threaten me.‘ When Nathaniel thought about it, he felt a shiver.
‘Did that mean that Lily was from the Lodge family? Is she related to the Lodge family?!’
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It was getting late, and Eloise had said what she had to say, so she stood up and told Nathaniel, “All right, we‘ll talk about this after you‘ve recovered from your injury. For now, you rest and get better.”
After she finished talking and was about to leave, she thought of something and turned back again. “Right, forget about Melanie.”
She meant what she said.
Nathaniel did not say anything. Just like that, the ward quietened down again.
The following day, Melanie brought some soup and buns she had bought to visit Nathaniel. After the car accident, it was like the two picked up where they had left off. They did not mention what happened before, as if things were back to “normal.”
However, there was an apparent chasm between them. Melanie would bring him stuff and take care of him, while Nathaniel would not kick her out. Everything was peaceful. It was like the quiet before the storm.
Melanie fed him breakfast, cleaned up the place, and helped him wash his face and hands. She would only sit down and tell him she had something to say afterward.
“I went to the lab to look, and everything is going on as usual. There are no problems, and the few new employees adjusted very quickly. The new perfumers had foundations, but they were not up to standards yet, so it was wiser to hire more people,” Melanie gave Nathaniel the latest company updates.
Even if she did not report to him, Nathaniel already knew all these. He acknowledged what she said. “I received the mail yesterday about the formula adjustment. It was your hard work, so you deserve the credit.”
His tone was polite and distant. He only briefly mentioned the formula adjustment because when he did, he would think of the disgusting things that happened.
Melanie understood. She did not poke the bear. All she said was, “It‘s my job. It‘s for the good of the company.”
In every sentence she spoke, she emphasized that what she did was for the company, for him. The implication was that she had a role to play, so he was not to blame her. Nathaniel could tell what she meant. He kept quiet and did not argue.
Melanie lowered her head, took chewing gum from her bag, and stuffed it into her mouth. She said casually, “Right, I heard Rebirth has submitted their entrees for the annual competition.”
“I‘m sure they did,” Nathaniel said saintly. He felt like she was searching for a topic of conversation so that it would not be awkward between them.
“But this time, Lily prepared the entree by herself. Rebirth trusts her so much?”
Nathaniel was a little impatient. He looked up at her. “What are you trying to say?”
Perhaps his words were influenced by his mother. He felt irritable. Suddenly, he believed that Melanie liked to beat around the bush. Before getting to the main topic, there was no need to talk about barely related things. He thought, ‘Just tell me what‘s on your mind.”
“Nothing much. Since Lily left MN Inc., a lot has happened. I feel like I never knew her. I never thought she could be this powerful, join Rebirth, and even gain so much authority. I don‘t know what kind of magic she possesses.”
Melanie raised her head and looked at ile ceiling with a big sigh. She felt emotional.
Nathaniel did not say anything, but he took every word she said seriously. It was true that he felt like he never knew Lily. If she was not from the Lodge family nor had the kind of support that would entail, how would she get into somewhere like Rebirth?
Although Rebirth was not extremely big, they were under La Beaute Group‘s umbrella, so the hiring process was strict.
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The treatment at Rebirth may not be the best, but it was the position many fought for in the industry. After all, as long as they could stay in Rebirth, they could climb the ladder of the La Beauté Group. If they were lucky, they might rise up to the inid – managerial level. How did Lily get in so quickly?
Judging from what happened earlier, Lily not only got in, but the other newcomers were quite protective of lier too.
Melanie did not receive any response from liim. She looked at him and asked, “By the way, you’ve known lier for so long. Do you know if Lily knows kickboxing?”
“Lily knows kickboxing?” Nathaniel was surprised, “Who did you hear that from?”
Melanie was slightly surprised when she saw his reaction, which confirmed her speculation. Nathaniel had asked, ‘Who did you hear that from?’ and not, ‘How could it be?” and there was a vast difference between the responses. It looked like Lily indeed knew kickboxing.
How did he not know? If Nathaniel knew about this, Melanie would, too!
“How long have you known?” Melanie asked. Nathaniel shook his head, “I’m not too sure. I’m curious why you’re asking?”
“I..” She could not answer his question. It was not like she could tell him that Lily beat up Frank. He would probably applaud if he found out that Frank got injured. However, this might bring up the previous embarrassing topic again. He might ask the reason Lily beat Frank
Melanie said after some hesitation, “Someone saw it, but I don’t believe it! After all, I’ve known her for many years. I never knew that she was skilled in kickboxing. I don’t remember her learning Taekwondo or karate, right?
“Besides, what do you mean when you say you’re not sure? You know or have seen her fighting?” She keenly grasped the words that he used.
“I’ve seen it before, but I’m unsure if she knows kickboxing,” he replied vaguely.
“When did you see it?” Although Nathaniel was unsure, Melanie could already guess the answer.
Why did Frank and Nathaniel have this misunderstanding if it was not real? Frank had genuine physical wounds, and he had been badly beaten. He had little trouble identifying the individual as Lily.
It seemed like things were not that simple!
“Do you still remember the last press conference? The one where we asked her to stand up and admit their mistake to refute the rumor, but she backed out at the last minute.” Nathaniel said after some thought.
Melanie nodded, “I remember I left early.”
“Yup, I chased after you when you left. I guessed her route and took some people to block her in the back alley. In the end…”
“In the end, you were beaten by her?!” Melanie exclaimed in surprise.
“How’s that possible?!” He denied it immediately.
He would tell no one the embarrassing moment when Lily put a knife against his neck, let alone Melanie.
“She subdued my bodyguards, and I had to let her go. At that time, I thought the bodyguards were too weak Now that I think about it again, even if they’re weak, she’s still a woman. She did not lose when facing several men.”
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He gave a very understated account of the situation. Indeed, she triumphed brilliantly. He was nearly killed, and the bodyguards were battered so severely they could not stand. That was also why he would not just provoke or grab Lily.
Obviously, he could not go around telling people about his embarrassing experience, but his mother‘s remarks yesterday helped him overcome his pride.
If she were related to the Lodge family in Brown City in any way, everything would make sense. It would be no surprise that she excelled in kickboxing and also found it so simple to transition into Rebirth after leaving MN Inc. It made more sense if the Lodge family were her backers, and they helped her get in through their connections.
Melanie did not know his thoughts, let alone Lily‘s relationship with the Lodge family. She was still coming to terms with the fact that Lily knew kickboxing. Besides feeling shocked, Melanie was angry and jealous. Not only was Lily skilled and talented in making perfume, but she was also very skilled in kickboxing.
How could she disregard Frank‘s status and beat him up as she pleased while Melanie had to be afraid of Frank? Melanie was forced to play along with Frank to the point that she almost had a miscarriage.
How come Lily could do whatever she liked? This world was so unfair.
“I knew Lily was not that simple! She might look like a pure and innocent flower who silently sacrificed herself for others, but who knows what weird things she knows? How can a woman be so skilled in kickboxing? This is probably some sorcery!”
Melanie continued as she felt what she said was a fact, “Now that I think about it, it‘s fortunate that you‘ve left her, Nate. Otherwise, who knows how else she might have deceived you!”
He would agree that what Melanie said was right in the past. With what he knew now about the relationship between Lily and the Lodge family, it seemed that Lily sacrificed a lot for him and was very tolerant.
Lily could join any big company if she relied on the Lodge family‘s power. She did not need to stay in his small startup company to accompany him in building a business. He knew her ability very well. Had it not been for his and Melanie‘s tricks, she would not have been laughed at and joked about. She would not have felt frustrated and depressed. Nathaniel realized how wrong he was when he looked back now,
When he heard Melanie say he was cheated on, he could not help but laugh. He looked at her and asked, “Tell me, what did she lie to me about?”
“She lied to you...”
“Did she cheat my money or play with my feelings?” He continued asking.
“Nate...” Melanie could not answer. She did not expect Nathaniel to disagree with her words. He even questioned her. This caught Melanie off guard, and she did not know how to handle the situation.
“You‘ve been by my side for a long time, Mel. You should know best. When Lily started going out with me, I didn‘t have this company yet. There wouldn‘t be an MN Inc. today without her perfumes and formulas. The houses and cars are bought after that. Why don‘t you tell me what she lied to me about?” Melanie was utterly stunned. How could he suddenly think so clearly?
“What do you mean? Are you saying she was good to you while I‘m lying to you?”
She could not refute it and started to cry, “I know you hate me now. You don‘t listen to anything I say, and everything I do is wrong. Lily is kind to you and sacrificed a lot for you. You realized the good in her and regretted letting her go. You want to go to lier, right? Fine!I'll fulfill your wishes. You can go to her! You have been hospitalized for so many days. Has she visited you? Did she call you? She‘d blocked your phone and contact number, right?”
“That‘s because I have hurt her.” He said with a sigh.
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Nathaniel had said such words. At that moment, Melanie felt that their relationship was ending!
“Fine! Since you‘re sorry for lier, I‘ll leave!” She stood up and wiped her tears before continuing, “From now on, you don‘t need to worry about the baby and me! I‘ll leave!”
She deliberately mentioned the baby to see his reaction and pressure him. What she did not expect was that this trump card was useless.
Nathaniel looked at her coldly, “Do you really plan to give me a child, Mel?”
Melanie immediately felt guilty. She did not intend to keep the baby and had made an appointment for the abortion in two days. Apart from her health condition, there was also her affair with Frank. She knew that it would eventually be a thorn in Nathaniel‘s heart. She cannot have the baby hold her back. Therefore, she absolutely cannot have the baby.
The baby was her bargaining chip in negotiating with Nathaniel, as he did not know about the upcoming abortion. Could it be that the bargaining chip was useless now? Melanie must not panic. She concealed her guilt and stubbornly said, “What do you mean? Do you mean I faked my pregnancy? Do you know how difficult it is to be pregnant? I can‘t eat or sleep well! I have to help you and the company! Who do you think I‘m doing this for?!
“I know that you‘re still blaming me. You hate me, and even if the reason I did that was for you and MN Inc., you still can‘t forgive me! Am I right?” She cried and hated him for being heartless, “I can understand! You don‘t have to use these excuses to hurt me. Since you can‘t accept it, we can break up. I won‘t hold you back. You can go to your old flame, but don‘t regret it in the future!”
After she said that, she turned around and left.
She raised her legs high, but lier stride remained tiny. Sure enouglı, she heard him calling her from behind before she reached the door.
“Mel!”
She stood still. There were tears in her eyes, but she was already smiling,
However, before she could laugh, she heard him say, “I‘m sorry.”
She turned around and looked at him with wide–open eyes. She could not believe what he said. “What did you just say? What do you mean you‘re sorry?!” She thought he would coax and comfort her after a few seconds, just like before. After all, she knew him well and was best at grasping his heart.
What did he mean when he said that he was sorry? What was he planning to do?
Melanie quickly walked back toward the hospital bed. She bent down and held his hand, “No, please don‘t say you‘re sorry, Nate! You did nothing to apologize to me. I didn‘t mean to blame you. I‘m willing to do anything for you, but I don‘t want to break up with you. I don‘t want to lose you. I know that I‘ve hurt you, and I‘m very sorry. I regret it, and I‘m also sad about it. Can we forget that unfortunate event? I promise it‘ll never happen again!
“We‘ll be happy forever! We still have a baby. We will be a happy family, right?” She pulled his hand and placed it on her lower abdomen while saying so.
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Nathaniel forcefully pulled his hand from Melanie‘s grip and sighed.
“Forget it. Mel, we all know there‘s no way for us to go back to the past. It‘s impossible to start all over again!” He exclaimed. Then he lowered his eyes and looked at her belly.
“I think we should forget about this child.”
Those words caught Melanie off guard as she did not expect him to be so resolute about not having this child. He was someone that liked children, and he cared about their unborn child back then. Yet now, he was suggesting abortion. His words meant that he would break up with her.
However, Melanie would not let that happen. Even if they were to break up, she thought she should be the one to bring it up, not him. What rights did he have? She had sacrificed so much for him, so many years of her youth. What rights did Nathaniel have to decide how their relationship moved forward?
“Of course, but if you insist on keeping this child, I‘ll be responsible for providing child support. However...”
After a pause, Nathaniel looked up at Mel. “I don‘t think you‘d want to. Do you want this baby?”
His gaze made her tremble. In addition to her apparent guilty conscience, there was also unwillingness and embarrassment in her eyes.
“Nathaniel Hall, how can you be so heartless?”
“Mel, you and I came so far. I admit that I play a part in this, but don‘t you as well? Do you honestly think I don‘t know anything about what you did to Lily?” Nathaniel did not hold back, as they were already at a point of no return.
It was not that he did not know about it before; he was just biased back then. He wrapped all his thoughts and feelings around Melanie. Naturally, he tolerated everything she did and willingly turned a blind eye.
After looking at things once he calmed down, he realized his mother was right. He had terrible taste in women, after all. Nathaniel just hoped he was not too late and could still fix things.
“At the end of the day, you just regret all this, don‘t you? You regret choosing me and regret giving Lily up. Am I right?!” Melanie was furious, and she began to accuse Nathaniel angrily.
Hearing this, Nathaniel raised his head and answered in an extraordinarily calm and firmi manner, “Yes!”
He did not beat around the bush and bluntly stated his thoughts, “I do regret it. I‘ve wronged Lily, and now, I‘ve wronged you. Mel, I can‘t give you what you want. We‘re all on the same path. We should let each other go and sight for our dreams.”
Melanie looked at Nathaniel like he was a different person, as she was full of doubts. “No, you weren‘t like this before. Who is it? Did someone tell you something? Is it Lily? Has she visited you?”
After thinking about it, that was the only possibility. Otherwise, why would Nathaniel suddenly bring Lily up? ‘Lily is sinister. She moved on Frank before this and turned around to seduce Nathaniel. She is planning to take Nate from me. Lily is trying to take everything away from me!
Nathaniel had no idea what Mel was thinking and said, “It‘s not her. Stop guessing.”
The more he said, the more Melanie felt that this was all Lily‘s fault. Melanie‘s once beautiful face was now ferocious from anger.
“All right, then, Nathaniel! Since you‘re already so ruthless, don‘t blame me for being unrighteous! Ilowever, remember this; it‘s not you that broke up with me. It‘s the other way around! You can get together with Lily, so just wait! You‘ll regret it! By then, you’ll know who‘s tlic better option!”
This time, Melanie really left. Nathaniel breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the footsteps gradually fading away. He realized that although he was a little reluctant, the relief felt overpowered it.
Would he regret this? Only time could tell. In any case, he did regret giving Lily up.
The next time Lily stopped by the woodcarving shop, the young man in the shop was gone. The only person there was the owner.
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“Hey, you‘re here,‘ the owner greeted Lily warmly.
Lily nodded and took out the draft she had prepared in advance but did not hand it over.” Where‘s the kid?”
“Oh, that kid?” The owner laughed.
“He hasn‘t been showing up for the past two days. I have no idea what‘s happening, and he wouldn‘t answer his phone. I‘ll have him fired if he doesn‘t show up again tomorrow. Young people nowadays are truly unreliable.”
‘He hasn‘t been here for two days?‘ Lily thought to herself before asking again, “Didn‘t he work for you for a long time already?”
The owner shook his head. “Who told you that? It has only been a couple of months. Besides, I saw that he had some carving skills. I‘ve been preoccupied recently, and there‘s no one watching the store. Hence, I let him work here. However, I didn‘t expect that he‘d be so unreliable. Look, he‘s only been working for a while and stopped coming without saying a word.”
As the owner spoke of this, he seemed to think of something. “Oh, don‘t worry. We won’t delay your piece. Even if he doesn‘t show up, I‘ll find you a good craftsman and do your piece properly and beautifully!”
“Do you have his phone number?” Lily could not care less about the new craftsman.
“Yes, but he won‘t answer any calls.” Embarrassed, the owner gave Lily a card with a phone number.
“Ah, here you go.” Lily glanced at the number and wrote it down. She was here to make such an object because her father‘s birthday was approaching.
Although Lily was not returning, she thought of giving him a gift. Still, she needed to find the young man to get the type of wood for her new product‘s research process.
Not long after walking out of the woodcarving shop, she received a call from Jenny.
“Where are you?”
“I‘m window–shopping.”
“Hurry back to the company,” Jenny said.
Lily was a little surprised to hear this. “Now?”
“Yes, now! Don‘t dilly–dally! Hurry up and take a cab here!” Before Jenny hung up, perhaps she was afraid that Lily might worry. She quickly added, “It‘s good news!”
The joy in Jenny‘s tone was evident, but what good news could there be? Since Lily had nothing to do, she hurried to the company by cats. As soon as she went upstairs, Jenny was already waiting by the elevator entrance. Seeing how she was pacing back and forth, it was obvious that she had been waiting for Lily.
“What‘s wrong? What‘s the matter?” Lily asked with a puzzled look. “Is the company giving out bonuses?”
“Please! Why would I call you over if they‘re just giving out bonuses? The company would‘ve directly sent that to your bank account. Look at you. As someone so capable, how can you be so
naive?” Jenny blurted as she pulled Lily in and hurriedly continued, “I‘m telling you, the company has a new upcoming project. They need you!”
“What project is it that it‘s so important?”
Before Jenny could answer, the two had already entered the general manager‘s office.
“Ms. Gray,” the general manager‘s secretary greeted them outside. It seemed like it was something big. Lily glanced at her while Jenny nodded, giving her a wave. Then without a word, Jenny led Lily into the office.
Lily was at a loss for words at what was going on.
The general manager, George, was already waiting inside. There was a file in front of him, witli documents spread across the table as he took a closer look at them. When he heard the movement, he raised his head and said with a smile, “You‘re here!”
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Lily had no idea what was going on.
“I‘m sure Ms. Gray hasn‘t told you yet. So, what‘s happening is that the company has received an invitation to the perfumery competition, and the company has decided to send you as our representative,” George explained as he pushed a purple invitation letter toward her. Lily was shocked.
“The biannual perfumery competition?”
She was no stranger to this competition. This competition occurred every two years to select the best perfumers in the industry. As the competition aimed to find the finest young blood among perfumers, famous perfumes in the industry were not allowed to participate.
Of course, rookies were allowed to participate in trying their luck if they thought they were skilled enough. Nevertheless, someone must refer them. Therefore, most participants were juniors or intermediate perfumers who wanted to win the attention of the elite perfumers and make a name for themselves in the industry.
“Why me?” Lily questioned. She was new to the company. There were so many other perfumers in the company, after all. This was a bit unfair to the others.
“That‘s because you‘re the most suitable candidate,” George answered with a smile.
However, Lily did not think it was as simple as it sounded. She gazed at the invitation letter silently. That puzzled Jenny.
“What‘s wrong? Do you not want to go? It‘s a good opportunity to make a name for yourself in the perfume industry. The competition will happen in Westwood. It‘ll also be a good opportunity for you to expand your knowledge. It‘s a once–in–a – lifetime opportunity.”
“So, am I the only one that‘s going?” Lily asked again. Lily had never doubted her abilities. With the efforts she had put into perfume research and development in recent years, alongside her accumulated experiences, she was even beginning to doubt whether what went wrong previously was due to her own mistake.
However, she knew that the world was full of talented people. Although she believed she was capable, Lily had no idea how strong she was.
“The company will arrange for an assistant to accompany you,” George said.
“Will Ms. Gray not be going with me?” Lily glanced at Jenny, thinking that Jenny would go with her.
Jenny shook her head.
“There are tasks I must complete, and I need to stick to the schedule.”
“In that case, there‘s no need to arrange for anyone to follow me. I‘ll get Olivia to come,” Lily suggested after some thought. However, Jenny instantly shot down this idea.
“You‘ll be going to Westwood. You‘ll need someone who knows the place to arrange your meals, accommodations, and other kinds of stuff like getting in touch with the organizers. Olivia has never done such a thing before. She won‘t be able to handle it.”
Jenny‘s explanation sounded reasonable, not to mention that this was the company‘s arrangement, so Lily did not question it further. “When do I leave?”
“Next week.”
“Next week?” Lily was stunned. It was already Friday. Next week would mean she would leave in just a few days.
“But the plans we made...”
“Right. We won‘t be able to make it.” Jenny shrugged helplessly.
“The schedule is conflicting. You‘ll have to postpone your vacation. After all, this is for the betterment of you and the company. We‘ll plan another trip next time.”
George decided to chime in, “That‘s right. I‘ll be waiting for your triumphant return. When it‘s over, I’ll let you two have a long holiday!”
All of this rendered Lily speechless.
‘Triumphant return? He made it sound like I‘m about to go to war!’
Once the matter was finalized, Jenny walked out of the office and patted Lily on the shoulder.” This shows the company‘s trust in you. Not many are qualified to participate in this competition, and not every company is eligible to receive an invitation.”
After a pause, Jenny looked around before leaning toward Lily and said, “MN Inc. isn‘t qualified.”
Although Lily raised her eyebrows, she did not care much about this information. To be honest, she felt a little restless right now. She was excited by this opportunity. After all, she had always wanted to prove herself. She wanted to know where her level of fragrance appreciation was at.
“All right, I‘m going to prep now,” Lily replied as she nodded.
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Lily left the office and went to the supermarket to buy some groceries since the refrigerator at the house was pretty empty. Anyway, there was nothing to do, so she bought some and went back to replenish.
After going to the supermarket, she stopped by a famous pastry shop to buy some cakes and snacks and finally took a cab back.
The detour of her usual route was how she became aware that someone seemed to be following her.
With the habit of body combat and her natural insight, she could sense that someone was following her. She initially ignored it, but she grew vigilant when she saw she was still being followed even after several turns,
It was hard to say who it was, and it was unclear what the purpose could be, but it made her very uncomfortable.
When Lily got into the cab, she gave Olivia‘s address.
She wanted to visit Olivia‘s new home and inform her about the temporary cancellation of the trip. She went there once and vaguely remembered walking through the alley to get to the building on the other side.
She walked along the alley and deliberately slowed down her pace. Later, she simply stopped and pretended to bend over to tie her shoelaces to give the opponent space to attack her.
After following for so long, it should be possible to take the shot, right? Surprisingly, nothing happened. The feeling of being followed was still there, but the other party kept a certain distance. They were neither too far nor too close and seemed to have no plans to shoot at or ambush Lily.
Could it be the paparazzi? It could not be since she was not a celebrity or anyone famous. If it was because of Alexander‘s relationship status, he should be the one that got followed, not her. Besides, not many people knew about her relationship with Alexander.
Seeing that she was already downstairs at Olivia‘s house, she looked up and forgot which floor Olivia was on. Lily wanted to make a phone call and was no longer interested in playing this game of hide–and–seek with the follower.
Lily sprinted a few steps ahead, stopped dead in her tracks, and swung around.
The person who followed could not dodge at all, and since this was an alley, it was not easy to find a place to hide. Target exposed!
“Melanie?” Lily was surprised and did not expect it would be her. Still, the paparazzi would never resort to such a clumsy stalking method.
“Why are you following me?”
Moreover, she was followed the entire afternoon and handled it with incredible composure. Melanie initially felt ashamed, but she quickly got over her panic about being discovered and said, “Yes, it‘s me. What about it?”
Instead of speaking, Lily remained silent. She refrained from responding to Melanie‘s taunts.
“I‘m upright and not despicable like you!” Melanie scolded will righteous indignation. Lily was confused.