Ch. 351..360

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 351

At the same time, Christopher yelped, "Ah!"

Jo was standing close to Christopher, so he turned his head to check what had happened.He noticed that one of Christopher’s palms had gotten stabbed by a knife.

The gun he had in his hand was now on the ground.

Jo immediately paled as he noticed that Christopher’s ear was also slightly slit by the knife thrown from the back.He could almost fee] the sting just from looking at his bleeding ear.He was thankful that he was not the target.

Christopher had used his uninjured hand to aim the gun at Lily.

However, Lily had injured both his hands now.

"I’Il kill you!"

He was incessantly cursing as Lily had severely injured both his hands, and the gun was on the floor.He could only instruct Jo, frozen next to him, to carry out his bidding, "Jo, kill her! Kill her now!"

"B-But I..."

Jo’s mind went blank after seeing what Lily was capable of.He dared not even think of what he had in mind a few minutes ago.

Jo had never seen a woman so strong, which had entirely changed his perspective toward women.

"What the...why are you still standing..."

A loud siren pierced through the air, and bright blue lights shined through the windows.

Christopher was stunned, "You called the police?!"

"Everyone, get out!"

The trio all wanted criminals, and If they got caught, they would spend the rest of their lives in prison.

Christopher and Jo immediately tried to escape, but Lily took this opportunity to race upstairs.

Frank wanted to try and grab her— instead, he lost his balance and grabbed onto the escaping Christopher by accident.

"Let go of me!"иσνєℓєвσσк.¢σм Christopher yelled.

All he wanted to do was to escape.He had no intention of finding out why Lily ran upstairs instead.

However, Frank had a tight grab on him and would not let go.

"You can’t just leave.You have to take me with you!"

Frank insisted, After all, he would not be able to walk away from all this if the police caught him too.

"Let go! There isn’t enough time!" Jo yelled back.

The area was bright as several police officers surrounded the vicinity.

One of the officers said through a megaphone, "We’ve got the place surrounded! You will not escape.Unhand the hostage at once!"

Christopher and Jo were stunned as they wondered who the actual hostage was.

Leonel, on the second floor, remained bound by ropes.He could only hear the commotion outside but could not move.

In his mind, he was hoping his men had won the fight so that he could have his revenge on Lily.

After a while, police sirens blared as they got closer and closer to the house.

The blue car lights were also getting brighter and brighter.He was getting nervous as time passed.He wanted to escape, but it was impossible.

As he was about to panic, the door suddenly swung open.

Someone came into the room so swiftly that he could not even identify who it was.

Then he felt the ropes on him loosen, and he could finally move.He was confused.

‘What’s this?" Leonel tried to move his hand, and it worked.

He then turned to the woman at the corner, trying to register what was happening.

‘W- What's the meaning of this? Why is the girl okay? Does that mean Christopher and Jo failed? If they did fail, why did she come up here to free me?’ While still trying hard to process what was happening, he heard voices from the police.He gulped his saliva and started to speak, "You..."

"Shut up!" Lily demanded.

Even though she had merely said two words, it was enough to hush Leonel as he was scared she would slit his tongue off.

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 352

There was no way for Leonel to learn what was happening downstairs, but he was sure that if he did not try to leave now, he never would.

Upon more consideration, Leonel got to his feet and went to the window.He felt his knees go weak at the sight of the number of people.

Why were there so many people there? However, he did not have the leisure to hesitate.He adjusted his belt and found a less crowded opening.

While he was planning to make his move, an icy voice came from behind, "If you dare run, [ll break your leg."

Leonel’s legs gave way, and he fell from the ledge.He knew that she was serious about it.

The witch was capable of anything! However, he was confused by her intentions.

She knocked him out, yet she did not hurt or allow him to escape.

Then, what exactly were her intentions? "What do you want with me?"

He was almost on his knees begging her.

"You should just stay put and stare at me!"

Lily instructed coldly as her eyes narrowed on him.

Leonel feared for his life as her glares were like daggers, "Of course!"

When he regained his composure, he was confused by her instructions, ‘What does she mean by stare at her?’

Soon after, he would come to realize why she had said that.

After the noises outside subsided, the police could finally enter the house.Jo was still trying to escape but was shot down immediately by the sniper team.

Moments later, the police rushed into the house and noticed an injured Christopher, whose hands were covered in blood.

There was also another half-dead man lying on the floor.

They immediately arrested the people on the ground floor and rushed upstairs.

One of the officers found Giselle.

"I found the hostage.Over!"

Trailing behind the officer, Alexander ran in but looked at the hostage and said, "That’s not her!"

While the rest of the police searched the vicinity, Leonel grew increasingly restless.He could not even try to escape anymore.

There were a bunch of police outside and a deadly witch in the room.Why does he always have the worst luck?

"Don’t move!" a bunch of men with guns was aiming at him, "Put your hands in the air and let the hostage go!"

Leonel immediately obeyed and put his hands up.

Going to prison was much better than falling into the witch’s hands.

Besides, how could he release the hostage...иσνєℓєвσσк.¢σмwhen he was the hostage! "Ms.Christian?"

A police officer asked.

With tears streaming down her face, Lily raised her head, "Y-Yes, it’s me..."

Leonel was utterly astonished, ‘Why are you even crying? I should be the one to cry!’

"Ms.Christian, please don’t be afraid.You're in safe hands.We’re an A tall, lean shadow rushed into the room and forced his way to the front, "Lily!"

Lily was surprised.She stared at him wide-eyed, forgetting to continue crying, "W-What are you doing here?"

‘Wasn’t he supposed to be in Sapphine? When did he come to Westwood?’ Alexander walked toward her and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"It’s alright, don’t be afraid! I’m here now!"

Lily and Leonel were speechless by how bizarre the situation turned out to be.

Alexander took off his jacket and wrapped it around Lily, carefully embracing her, "I’m sorry that it took me so long to be here.You must’ve suffered a lot."

Looking at her tears- streaked cheeks, Alexander felt a stab in his heart.

The thought of her being kidnapped by the horrendous criminals made him want to kill them all.She must have suffered.

"Lily? Suffered?" Leonel could no longer hold it in and yelled in distress.

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 353

The kidnappers were the ones who had suffered, but no one in the room would believe him.

“Shut up and stand still!” Lily did not even have to glare at him as a police officer had already kicked him from the back. Leonel wanted to cry badly and had never felt so humiliated.

“Let’s leave. It’s so scary here. I don’t want to stay any longer.” Lily tilted her head at Alexander and spoke to him softly.

“All right, let’s leave!” He agreed. Alexander was able to come along with the police because he had lost contact with Lily and immediately sought the help of the police department in Westwood.

The moment Lily called the police, they contacted him right away. Now that she was rescued, the police would just need Lily to answer some standard questions about the kidnapping, and then she was good to go. However, Alexander was worried that Lily needed time and was tired, so he spoke to the team captain, saying he would bring Lily in another day for the standard procedures.

After ensuring everything was done, he took Lily and her unconscious assistant back.

“Were you hurt?”

Although Alexander had already asked her once, they were still not home, so he could not check on her thoroughly. Alexander could not help but worry about her, so he asked again.

After the police did a background check on the criminals they apprehended, they were surprised to find out the three men were wanted criminals internationally. The police were glad about this unexpected turnout as they could capture these criminals who had been off the radar for a long time.

However, Alexander was worried sick. They were wanted criminals, meaning they were cruel and ruthless. When Lily was kidnapped, how helpless and afraid she must have been. He could not help but hug her tighter when he thought about this.

“I’m fine, just tired,” she said, shaking her head and leaning into his embrace.

After all, she had gone all out in the fight with those criminals. Her muscles were aching as if her bones were to break too. She only wanted to lie down and not move at all. She was pleasantly surprised that Alexander had come all the way here. She knew he would be worried if he noticed that she had disappeared, but she did not expect him to fly across the ocean and join the rescue mission along with the police team. Lily recognized that she was very important to Alex, and he had gone all the way to protect and love her. It was an amazing feeling.

“You should just rest,” Alexander reassured her, not wanting to talk anymore to avoid agitating her. His gaze landed on the still-unconscious assistant.

After rescuing her from the wooden house and placing her in the backseat, how was she still not awake after such commotion? He frowned and asked, “What’s wrong with her?”

Lily turned her head toward Giselle, torn between wanting to laugh and feeling sorry for her. Lily smacked her lips and replied, “She was drugged, so she’s still out.”

“Drugged?” Alexander was so worried about Lily’s safety that he had not thought about the details of the kidnapping. Now, hearing Lily talk about being drugged, he finally started to think about how or when she was kidnapped.

“Yup,” Lily nodded, “They pretended to be Lisa’s colleagues and told me that Lisa wanted to speak to me urgently. Giselle was worried about my safety, so she offered to come along and ended up being kidnapped too. I think it was in the car. They had used some drugged car fragrance, which was why...”

“You weren’t drugged?” He was shocked.

Judging from the condition of Lily’s assistant, the drug was quite potent as she did not even stir during the loud commotion in the wooden house, and even now, there were no signs of her waking up.

“Erm...” Lily paused, “I was also...drugged. It might be because I’m so used to these fragrances at work my body might’ ve built a resistance toward them. I was able to wake up soon, but I’m not sure why Giselle’s still unconscious. Let's take her to a doctor to ensure nothing isn’t wrong.”

Alexander agreed as what Lily had said made perfect sense, “We should have the doctor check you as well. Just to make sure that nothing’s wrong.”

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 354

“Okay...” Lily mumbled. She was fine, perfectly fine. Melanie was restless. She was worried about the theme for the finals. Frank was not able to reveal any information to her.

According to him, he could not obtain information about the finals as it was decided personally by the specific judge, and it was most likely Mr. Parker. The organizers did not release this piece of information, so Frank was not sure who exactly was the judge for this round.

Thus, he could not use his connections to get the theme beforehand. Without this key information, Melanie had no confidence in winning the round. More accurately, she was just like a student who would flunk an exam if she could not cheat.

Soon enough, she would only embarrass herself in front of the whole country. She needed to look for Frank to discuss their next plan. Even if she could not win the championship, she would not allow Lily, that b* tch, to win. However, she had been knocking on Frank’s door for a while, yet no one was there.

Melanie tried calling him, but he did not pick up as well. She was feeling more and more uneasy as time went by. Her gut feeling was telling her that something was wrong.

“Aside from some minor cuts, she’s fine,” The doctor told Alexander as he took off his stethoscope.

“Really?” Alexander was still skeptical. Even though he wanted Lily to be healthy and fine, he could not let his mind rest in peace if she was not given a thorough check.

“Mr. Russell, rest assured I’ve given Mrs. Russell a detailed check, and everything seems normal. If Mrs. Russell is still not feeling well, I suggest doing an in-depth CT scan or...an MRI.”

“No, No, I’m okay, thank you!” Lily said immediately, “I’m not feeling unwell.”

The doctor gave Alexander an “I told you so” look. Alexander finally gave in and nodded, “Did you take a look at the other lady?”

“Yes, I did. The drug is almost cleared from her system, and she would be able to regain her consciousness in a few minutes. If you’re still not convinced, we could give her a detailed check after she’s awake,” The doctor clarified while stealing a few confused glances at Lily, “Erm...”

“Is there something wrong?” Alexander asked urgently after he noticed the doctor looking at Lily. His heart skipped a beat as he started to worry again.

“It’s nothing, really,” The doctor shook his head but decided to voice his concerns after giving it some thought, “Mrs. Russell and Ms. Schmidt both had been drugged, right? Strangely enough, I couldn't detect any form of the residue of the same drug in Mrs. Russell’s body.”

Lily was silent for a moment and smiled, “Maybe it’s because my body’s metabolism rate is excellent. That's why you weren’t able to find anything? Didn’t you say that the drug in Giselle’s system was almost cleared too? Maybe my system was just stronger than hers.”

The doctor hesitated but soon nodded in agreement, “It’s not entirely impossible. This also means you have a faster metabolism rate than a grown man.”

“I guess. I’m not sure as well,” Lily showed the doctor her best innocent smile. The doctor tilted his head aside and stared at her for a while. Then, he probably accepted that fact and left the room without saying anything else. Alexander sat beside her and studied her carefully before asking again, “Are you really sure you’re okay?”

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 355

"Truly, I’m okay," Lily said helplessly, "Do you want me to get out of bed and turn around so you can see that I’m all right?"

She was about to lift the blanket and get up when Alexander pressed her down onto the bed.He said disapprovingly, "Don’t be naughty."

The word naughty was supposed to be for a child.

Lily nodded, "Don't worry.I’m genuinely fine, but you don’t believe me."

"I was at ease before this, but now I can’t help but worry about you,"

Alexander sighed and continued, "How did you provoke them?"

After some thought, Lily said, "I don’t know who they were.Only when Frank appeared later did I realize this was all because of him."

"That name sounds familiar."

Alexander had never met Frank before.He heard Lily mention him a few times but felt that he was unimportant and did not take it to heart.He felt a little familiarity when he heard Lily mention him again.

"Mel and Nate invited him to help them once, but he wasn’t a company employee, and I don’t know their relationship.However, Iam certain that Frank is targeting me."

"That is to say.This is all because of Mr.Hall again?"

Alexander furrowed his eyebrows angrily.

Lily noticed his anger and cupped his cheeks with both hands.She looked into Alexander's eyes and shook her head, "Not really.It might be Melanie’s intention, or it might be Frank’s instead.He seems to be interested in me."

Alexander narrowed his eyes when he heard her last sentence, "What did you mean when you said he’s interested in you? How come I didn’t know about this?"

"Oh, it’s just a small matter.Frank wanted to molest me before, but he failed.I even taught him a lesson, so I don't know if the incident this time is related or not.It might also be related to the perfume sampling conference.

"After all, Melanie also advanced into the final round.They could be lovers since I heard both of them are in a relationship."

Lily tilted her head and was deep in thought.

All of these were just her speculations.

After all, she did not get an answer when she asked Frank.

That lunatic did not say anything except shout non-stop that he wanted to sleep with her.

After that, the police arrived before she managed to get an answer.It was unbelievable.

In the movies, the police would only arrive after everything had come to an end.It would seem that the police were efficient this time.

"Regardless of the reason, I will not let him live!"

Alexander's whole body emitted a dangerous demeanor as he said so.He was like an enraged beast who would bite off the enemy’s neck the next instant.

Lily could feel his anger, and it made her tremble.

It was not because of fear but because she was touched and felt warmth.

Alexander’s anger showed that he cared about his wife.

He was outraged because someone had hurt Lily.

"The police have already caught Frank.He was the mastermind behind the kidnapping, colluded with internationally wanted criminals, and took drugs.These crimes would guarantee him a bad life.You don't need to take action, Alex,"

Lily gently held his hand and continued, "He’s not worth your time."

Alexander’s fingers were slender.

Although there were thin calluses on his fingertip and joints, it did not affect the perfect proportion of his hand.

Those were a pair of hands that could significantly impact the business world and determine its direction.It was not worth it to be stained with the blood of such people.

"What about the drugs?" Alexander was shocked.

"What do you want to know about it?"

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 356

If she were to tell Alexander that Frank had planned to inject her with drugs, it was likely she would be unable to stop Alexander from killing Frank.

Lily said, after some thought, "I heard the kidnappers talking about it when I woke up.Oh, right, they seem to have somewhere they held me hostage.The police should have confiscated them as evidence."

Alexander listened to her quietly.

Although he did not say anything, his hand holding her clenched tighter over time, showing his nervousness.

‘The kidnappers had drugs there? What if she accidentally touched it, or worse, what if they used it on her?!’ He dared not think further! "Let’s go home," Alexander emphasized.

He wanted to take her home since he could no longer allow Lily to stay in such a dangerous place.

When he thought of the consequences if the rescue was late or if he had not flown over and rushed to her side, he would likely blame himself for everything.

Lily obediently leaned on his shoulder but sat straight when she heard his words, "No way! I still have the last round of the competition to participate in."

"You don’t need to go," Alexander said without hesitation.

The competition, the prize, and everything else were of no importance.

Alexander only wanted Lily to be safe and sound.

"B-But..."

Lily was speechless.

However, she could understand her husband’s feelings.She knew he was saying this because he was too worried about her.She sighed softly and did not go against his wishes.

Instead, she lowered her eyes and feigned disappointment, "Oh well, I guess I won't participate then.Even though I’ve prepared well for the competition and am confident in winning, it doesn’t matter.Rebirth and Giselle will be disappointed, but that doesn’t matter.Nothing is more important to me than you.

"No one would dare argue with you as long as you say something.It doesn’t matter how my colleagues will view me.At worst, I can stay home and be a housewife.Then I can go to the spa, shop, have fun, and live an easy life,"

Even though that was what she said, Alexander could see the reluctance and unwillingness on Lily’s face.

Alexander knew she said these things on purpose.He understood Lily's dreams and aspirations, so he supported her wholeheartedly all this time.

However, he had the intention of withdrawing his support just now.He looked at Lily’s pretty face.

Although she said she was willing to respect his wishes, Alexander noticed the unwillingness in her expression.If he agreed with Lily, she would likely wilt like a flower with no sun and rain.

Alexander sighed in resignation, "Fine.You can go if you want to, but you must promise me you will pay attention to your safety.Your safety must be a priority.There is nothing more important than you and your life."

"I know.You’re the best."

Lily planted a kiss on Alexander’s cheek and smiled.

Alexander shook his head, "That’s it?"

"What?"

Alexander put his hand behind Lily’s head as he leaned forward to kiss her, "I want it like this."

Their soft lips touched, and Lily’s sweet scent filled Alexander’s nose.He could only feel at ease this way.

Although Lily did not suffer any harm, Alexander could not bear it even at the slightest possibility.

Alexander closed his eyes and hugged her tighter.

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 357

Alexander had suppressed the news about Lily’s kidnapping as much as possible.

The domestic media had not reported it, but there was news in Westwood.

The people in the industry, especially those who participated in the perfume sampling conference, knew about it.

Lisa was distraught.She would have run over to see Lily, but it was already late at night, and her father stopped her from going.

Giselle was the most confused person in the whole event.She was one of the kidnapped people but slept throughout the whole incident.She did not know what had happened and only learned about the situation after the doctor examined her.She was still very uncertain about it after watching the news.She asked Lily repeatedly, "Is what the news says true? Is it true? I— no, I mean, we got kidnapped?"

She gasped when she saw Lily nodding affirmatively.Her mouth was so wide open that a whole apple could fit inside.

"How come I don’t know about it at all?!"

"You got drugged and were unconscious the whole time, so it’s normal if you did not know about it."

Lily paused for a moment.She feared her words were too harsh for Giselle and added, "The drugs were very high dosage."

"You said we got exposed to the drugs since we got into the car.Was it in the air freshener?" Giselle asked again after some thought.

Lily nodded and replied, "They only intended to kidnap me, but because you insisted on following, they kidnapped you too.I’m sorry for implicating you,"

Lily felt sorry from the bottom of her heart, as Giselle had become a victim of kidnapping because of her.

"That’s not the problem.How come you're okay?"

Giselle did not mind the reason she had gotten kidnapped.

What puzzled her was that she did not feel like she had participated in the whole incident.She only felt like she had a very long sleep.

"I-I..."

Alexander had asked her this question yesterday.She coughed and said, "You know I’m a perfumer myself, so I’m sensitive to scents.I held my breath when I noticed something was wrong.I still got drugged, but I probably had a little immunity against it as I'd gotten used to certain smells.That’s why I regained consciousness quicker than you did.You don’t need to be overly concerned about this.What is important is that we are fine now."

Giselle did not say anything but thought for a moment more.

Then she asked, "Why did they kidnap you?"

"Maybe they don’t want me to participate in the final round.Of course, it may also be for other reasons.I’m not too sure.We'll have to wait for the investigation results," Lily said.

She did not want Giselle to continue asking about this matter, so she deliberately changed the subject, "Anyway, the police have caught the bad guys, and we’re safe.That’s something we should be grateful for.We are about to enter the final round but still don’t know the theme.Are you not nervous?"

Lily deliberately showed a nervous look to divert Giselle's attention.

Sure enough, Giselle stopped thinking about the kidnapping when she saw that Lily was agitated.She comforted Lily, "You don’t have to be too nervous since this is the last round.I have full confidence in you now.

"Also, didn’t the kidnapping further prove your capabilities since they did it to prevent you from participating? Besides, the company didn’t have a strict requirement for the final result.We’re already doing well enough since we entered the final round and got a good ranking.Relax."

Giselle seemed to think of something else, saying, "By the way, if that person didn’t want you to participate in the finals, then that person is likely a contestant who got into the final round.Even if that isn’t so, that person must have some relationship with the contestant.That’s a critical point.Did you tell the police to check on this?"

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 358

Lily turned to look out the window, unable to continue the conversation.

A while later, they arrived at the venue where the final round of the competition would be held.

Lily wore a tailored suit, so it would be easier for her to move around.

Lily was not nervous about the competition anymore.

Maybe the sudden kidnapping had relieved her of her tension.

Compared to the competition, she was more worried about her health now.

Recently, she realized that her body was becoming different, like something hidden inside her had been unlocked.

That hidden power within her threatened to break free, especially after being kidnapped.

She wondered if it was because her mind was not focused on her work these days or if it happened because she left Nathaniel and MN Inc.She grew up with the influence of the Lodge family, and she learned some combat skills from them.

Although she was not considered exceptionally talented back there, her abilities were enough to fight off those who had never received proper training.

However, it was easy for her to defend herself against those three internationally wanted criminals, and that was not something she should have been able to do.

The occurrence puzzled her, but she had no time now to search for the answer.

Maybe because of the kidnapping incident, everyone’s attention was on her when she stepped into the venue.

Since Giselle was Lily’s assistant, she could not enter the competition hall and could only wait outside.

Upon entering the venue, Lily straightened her back and walked over to her seat before she glanced around her surroundings.

Everyone had a certain level of skills to enter the final round of the competition.

Other than Lily and Melanie, none of the other participants were from Hyderland.

There was a reason why Frank, or rather perfumers from other countries, looked down on the people of Hyderland.

Despite being such a vast nation, there were relatively few renowned perfumers from Hyderland.

Although a few were quite talented in this field, their skills were nothing compared to the other perfumers at the international level.

Those who made a name for themselves in the industry either migrated or joined the research labs of a foreign country, causing a loss in the pool of talent in Hyderland.

This made Lily uncomfortable.She would not say that she was an extremely patriotic person.

Still, her emotions of being a representative of Hyderland would flow naturally when she was in a foreign place, facing all the unfamiliar faces when she had the looks of a Hyderland woman.

She was here to represent Hyderland in the competition.

She felt she was partly responsible for how Hyderland was looked down upon.

She must win today’s competition to prove everyone wrong! However, she did not see Melanie anywhere in the hall.

Initially, she thought they would be engaged in a heated argument again today, with Melanie insulting her in any way she could.

That was something Melanie would do for sure, but it was surprising to Lily that she was nowhere in sight.

Melanie was not late for the competition, but she did not have the chance to come.

That was because a group of police officers stopped her at her doorstep.

At that moment, she was about to leave home in extravagant attire, hoping to gain fame and glory by winning the competition.

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 359

"What’s going on?"

The sight of the police officers made Melanie anxious.She had heard about Lily’s kidnapping, but the authorities never revealed the kidnappers.

After watching all the news and reading all the articles, she only learned that three internationally wanted criminals kidnaped Lily.

The reason for the kidnap was not explained either.

Melanie thought it was quite a pity that Lily was not killed during the abduction.

Even if she was not dead, Melanie wished she would only be rescued later in time.

That way, Lily would not be able to participate in the final round of the competition.

However, Lily was lucky.She was rescued, safe and sound.

It was aggravating to Melanie when she heard that! Moreover, she could not get in touch with Frank, which made her even more anxious because she had a feeling that Frank was involved in Lily’s kidnapping.

It did not matter to Melanie if Frank was involved, though.

Recently, she realized Frank was getting less reliable, and there were not many benefits she could get from him anymore.

Back then, she thought that she would be able to be an internationally recognized perfumer and form connections with other renowned perfumers as long as she got on Frank’s good side.

When she arrived in Westwood, she realized that Frank’s reputation was terrible here, and it was tough for him even to make a name for himself.

That was why he went to other countries to scam people.

Knowing that, how could Frank be her shortcut to success? After thinking things through, she planned to get rid of Frank and find someone else to rely on.

According to her observation, Wesley was the best choice for her.

He was old and had the status and reputation Melanie had dreamt of.

Besides, he was an actual top perfumer, and Melanie believed that her future would be limitless if she could form a connection with Wesley.

Hence, she spent more time dolling herself up before leaving for the competition venue, hoping to attract Wesley’s attention.

If she managed to do that, losing the competition would be nothing to her because she would still be the winner in the long run! However, she did not expect to get stopped by the police at her doorstep.

"Are you Ms.Melanie Thayer?"

One of the police officers asked as he displayed his credentials.

"You’re suspected of being involved in a kidnapping case.Please come with us to the police station to help with the investigation.You may choose to stay silent, but anything you say may be used against you in the court of law."

Melanie’s mind went blank instantly.

"No! I have a competition to attend! It’s very important to me! You guys must've been mistaken.I’ve been staying in the hotel for the past few days, so how could I be involved in any kidnapping case? Who could I possibly kidnap? Oh, is it Lily? Did she tell you that I did it?"

Taking a few steps back, she exclaimed everything that came to her mind, "Let me tell you this, she hates me and is framing me! I did not do it! Please let me go so I can join the competition, okay? It’s important to me, so I beg you to let me leave! Even if you need me to come with you, that’ll need to wait till the competition is over!"

When the police mentioned the kidnapping case, she could guess it was Lily's case.

She did not understand why the police looked for her when this had nothing to do with her at all! Although she did drop hints and had given ideas to Frank, she had not thought of a solid plan.

This time, it really had nothing to do with her!

"Sorry, you must come with us now!"

Her hands got cuffed, and her objection was unheard.She had no choice but to obey.

"No! No..."

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 360

Melanie wanted to say something else but could not disobey them.

With that, she was brought to the police station right before the final round of the competition.

The final round had begun, but the challenge had not yet been revealed.

Instead, a group of ladies, each with a tray in their hands and a smile on their faces, came in from one side of the hall.

All the participants were puzzled about the situation.

The ladies had set the trays in front of them, and the lids were lifted simultaneously.

On the tray, there were two bottles of perfume that looked identical.

The only difference was the labels on the bottles.

The invigilator spoke.

"Everyone, please stay silent.First, congratulations on making it to the final round of the competition.Being in this round proves that all of you are the cream of the crop in the perfumery industry.However, there’s still a long way before you can become a top perfumer in Westwood.Today, we’ll have the final round of the competition.We hope all of you can be serious and put in your best effort!"

After a pause, he continued, "You have two perfume bottles in front of you.The task is the same for everyone.Mr.Parker produced one of the fragrances, and the other is from a middle- tier perfumer.You must identify the ingredients and evaluate the perfume’s relative merits and flaws.

"Use the paper and pen in front of you to jot down the information.Whoever has the most questions answered correctly will be declared the winner.If more than one player has the same score, the player who completed the challenge in less time will be declared the winner."

Then, he picked up his timer.

"The competition begins now!"

Almost everyone picked up the two bottles simultaneously, but they were not in a crush to open chem.

After all, they were all professionals.

They started by observing the perfume and tried to get a whiff through its bettle before opening its lid, allowing the scent to fill their noses up slowly.

Lastly, they sprayed a little of it on their wrist to find out the base notes of the perfumes.

That was wha: everyone did, but Lily started by looking a: the labels first.She could see the labels of the bottles on other participants’

The perfumes were already labeled with the names of the mid-tier perfumer and Wesley.

It was rare to find competitions that tell you the answers right away.

Usually, they would cover the names or choose not to reveal the perfumers' creators to the participants.

That was done to avoid affecting the participants’ judgment in identifying the characteristics of the perfumes.

After all, it was tough to become the cream of the crop in the perfumery industry.

Hence, novice perfumers tended to admire masters in the field strongly.

Some admired the top perfumers, while others wanted to defeat them, so it was customary for people to have intense emotions.

The invigilator had told them upfront that one of the perfumes was created by a mid-tier perfumer while Wesley created the other.

Besides, the bottles were labeled with their names as well.

This would affect the participants’ judgment to a certain extent.

Lily looked up at the invigilator.He was watching over the participants seriously, appearing to be someone who would be fair and square.Then, she looked at Melanie’s seat again.

It was still empty.She really did not come to the competition.

After thinking for some time, Lily put one of the bottles near her nose and took a sniff.

A faint scent of fragrance filled her senses up.