Ch. 81..90

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 81

Lily smiled silently. So, Jenny decided not to push the subject, “Okay then, miss secretive! Since you have your knight in shining armor to pick you up, I won‘t be your escort then I‘ll take my leave See you!”

Lily nodded and parted ways with Jenny at the entrance of the building As Jenny was backing out of the car park, she turned her head and saw Lily still standing there she was about to ask Lily why she was still there when she saw Lily dashing across the other direction Out of curiosity, Jenny slowed down her car to look at Lily. She saw Lily running toward a black sedan and hopped in. Then the car drove off. The sedan windows were dark, so Jenny could not see the person sitting inside

“Gosh! I‘m just too nosy sometimes!” Shaking her head, Jenny smiled. As she stepped on the accelerator, the black sedan overtook her and sped off, “W–Was that a Maybach?!” Jenny felt dizzy when she noticed the brand of the car Lily was in

“You smell good today. Did you just shower?” Alexander said as he extended his hand to stroke Lily‘s hair

“Yup, I even washed my hair thrice,” Lily announced as she moved closer and leaned against his shoulder comfortably.

Alexander adjusted his posture so Lily could lean on him more comfortably. He gathered some of Lily‘s hair, placed it close to his nose, and took another sniff, “Yeah, it smells perfect.” “I finally passed my test, and now I‘m an official Rebirth staff member,” Lily happily announced as she recalled her conversation with Jenny a while ago. She was proud of winning Jenny‘s acknowledgment by proving herself through her own capabilities. Since quitting MN Inc., Lily had not made any new friends in the industry. She was also weary from her ongoing lawsuit and the bad press that followed suit. Still, she was grateful that Alexander was by her side whenever she had to deal with these exhausting interpersonal relationships

Alexander frowned after hearing what Lily said “What do you mean? I thought George already stated that you‘re a staff of Rebirth.”

“S – Sorry, that‘s not what I meant. Anyway, this is just the first step for the company to acknowledge me.” Lily knew that this was only the beginning. Although she got a good head start, Lily needed to ensure she could continue growing so that she could stand alongside Alexander

Alexander thought of what Lily said and was pretty confused with how the conversation turned, but he decided to let it slide. All that mattered to him was Lily‘s happiness. “Well, MN Inc.’s factories will be having some issues soon,” Alexander continued while stroking one of Lily’s hands.

Lily had long, slender fingers and a very fair complexion, but her hands were not smooth That was because she had to work in a lab, conducting various experiments and coming into contact with different chemicals. Some parts of her hands were smooth, but the rest were

rough. Alexander felt a rough spot on her hand, and he stroked it fondly.

“What type of issues?” Lily questioned while allowing him to play with her hand. “I heard it has something to do with the essential oil used in their fragrances. Their final product couldn‘t pass the approval test, so now they‘re trying to save it. They even called for their staff members who were on vacation,” Alexander explained.

“So, that‘s why,” Lily mumbled. “What?” Alexander looked at Lily and asked.

“Oh, it‘s nothing.” Lily looked straight at him. “Nate and Mel called me today. They said there was something they‘d like to discuss with me in person. Now that I think about it, it might be related to their essential oil problem.”

“Did you agree to their invitation?” Alexander questioned her. “Of course not!” Lily scorned, “I‘m the defendant, and they‘re the plaintiff. We‘re not even supposed to meet outside of court! Besides, I no longer work for MN Inc., so why should I be involved in their problems? There‘s no way I‘ll see them because of this.”

Lily pursed her lips in annoyance. It might have been because she had just taken a shower, but her lips looked slightly darker with a tinge of baby pink. Still, she had a disdainful expression, and Alexander loved seeing it. He moved closer, grabbed Lily‘s chin, and pulled her in for a kiss.

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Lily had not expected him to kiss her so suddenly, and she could only stare at him with her eyes wide open. Could he please give her a heads–up next time? Alexander did it in the heat of the moment, but after coming in contact with her lips, he knew he wanted more. He deepened the kiss, and it lasted longer than they expected. Lily gasped for air when they pulled away while leaning against his shoulder. This made Alexander laugh lightly.

“You need to learn how to breathe,” he said, smiling while his hands caressed her back.

Lily was such a silly girl. She would stop breathing whenever they kissed. Alexander was pleasantly surprised to learn this, as it meant she had little experience kissing. Nathaniel was an id*ot. How could he not appreciate such a gem when he had her? It made Alexander dislike the man, maybe just a little less now.

Lily was still busy recovering, getting as much oxygen back into her lungs as she could. When she heard what Alexander said, she choked again.

“You took all of my air. How could I breathe? Why don‘t you give me some breathing space instead?” Lily placed her hands on her chest.

Her heart was beating furiously. It felt like it was about to jump out of her chest. Alexander gave her a gentle smile.

“You‘re saying it‘s my fault now? Why don‘t we try again?” He started to lean forward. Lily drew back in surprise. “No, we don‘t have to!”

She still had difficulty breathing, and if they did it again, she would probably faint. Alexander had only intended to tease her, but after seeing her reaction, he pretended to drop his smile and said sadly, “You‘re rejecting me now?”

Lily felt guilty as she observed Alexander‘s handsome face and downcast eyes looking all glum. She threw up her arms, trying to deny it. “No, that‘s not it. I meant...”

Alexander pressed his lips against hers, kissing her tenderly. It was not a deep kiss, but it made her heart flutter. Lily shyly covered her face with her hands. How was he so sexy?

At that moment, her phone rang. It was a mood–killer, but a welcomed one. Lily needed to calm down from this intoxicating atmosphere. She quickly reached for her phone but hesitated to answer it when she saw the caller ID.

“Hall?” Alexander knew who it was just from the look on Lily‘s face.

“Yeah.” She nodded and answered the phone after giving it some thought. “I thought I said...”

Nathaniel, who was on the other end of the line, cut her off. “If I drop the lawsuit, would you agree to see me?”

“Lily, you know avoiding us wouldn‘t solve the problem. We should all sit down and talk this out,” Nathaniel paused and added, “One last time!”

” ” Lily looked at Alexander and responded moments later, “All right!”

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After Lily hung up, Alexander asked, “Do you need me to come with you?”

“No, it‘s fine,” she shook her head “Don‘t worry, I can handle this alone, but I‘d like to borrow someone from you.”

“Oh?

Nathaniel wanted to meet at a café on Purple Lane Both Nathaniel and Melanie were early. staring at the café doors. When they saw lily walk in, Nathaniel instinctively stood up He would have walked over to welcome Lily if Melante had not stopped him,

Nathaniel immediately came to his senses Although they were asking Lily for a favor, the lawsuit was still going on Nathaniel still had substantial evidence in his hands, so there was no reason for him to feel disadvantaged

Alter organizing his thoughts, he sat back at ease and straightened his clothes. However, they soon noticed a man trailing behind Lily He had on a suit and tie, as well as a severe look on his face framed by gold rimmed glasses

Nathaniel went on guard as he eyed the man cautiously He raised his head at her when Lily reached their fable “You‘re here

Lily took a seat across them and got straight to the point. “Let‘s finish this quickly My time is precious

“Melanie bit her lips, trying to maintain an elegant smile she looked at Lily and began talking, “Lily, it‘s been a while you look good” Lily raised an eyebrow “oh, really? You should get your eyes checked I‘ve always looked good!

“Haha you‘ve become funnier too Anyway, who‘s this person you brought with you Melanie turned toward the man behind Lily

Nathaniel was also staring at the man waiting for Lily‘s response Melanie hand asked the very question that he was dying to know He did not understand Lily‘s sudden shift to Rebirth after she abandoned him and MN Inc While watching the man behind her. Nathaniel could not belp but wonder if he was the one who orchestrated everything

“This is James Hudson, and he‘s my lawyer representing our case,” Lily introduced the stranger Since the three of us have conlting interests, and you‘re both the plaintitis, we weren‘t supposed to meet Thus, I think w Liwyer should be present to avoid misunderstandings and maintain a just environment

Nathaniel and Melanie were both rendered speechless

“All right, then. When you‘re ready, we can start,” Lily leaned back into her chair and pulled out her phone

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Nathaniel was surprised that the man was Lily‘s attorney and not who he had assumed.

“Lily, did you need to go to such extreme measures? Why can‘t we just sit and talk?” Nathaniel leaned forward and fixed his stare on Lily, waiting for a response.

Meanwhile, Lily kept her gaze on her phone and said inattentively, “Extreme? Didn‘t I agree to meet you? If this is extreme, what would you call your underhanded tactics? Besides, weren‘t you the one that sued me? Having a lawyer here as a witness would do more good than harm. Isn‘t that what you‘d prefer?”

“I told you we‘d drop the lawsuit. Why are you still being difficult? We were once schoolmates and friends. Even if we‘re not friends anymore, let‘s not be enemies,” Nathaniel was trying to talk sense into Lily, but she remained silent and continued using her phone. Melanie pursed her lips and persuaded gently, “Lily, I know you‘re still mad about Nate and me, but this was a matter of the heart. We couldn‘t help it. You were always busy at the lab,

and Nate needed someone who could be there for him. You shouldn‘t let your personal feelings affect your work. MN Inc. is a result of all our hard work. Do you want to destroy it just because of some personal issues?

“Do you realize how many problems the company must face simply because you‘re being unreasonable? Nate hasn‘t been eating or sleeping well lately. We don‘t know what kind of information Rebirth has been feeding you, but we‘re all still in the same industry. There might come a day when we‘ll have to work together, so why make this ugly?” Melanie pestered.

Lily continued to turn a deaf ear to Melanie. Instead, she turned toward James and said, ” James, please take note of what they‘ve said. We might be able to use it in court.”

“Sure, don‘t worry. I‘ve noted them all down,” James nodded in affirmation.

Lily‘s uncooperative attitude and disregard for them finally angered Melanie.

She threw her teaspoon onto the table and stood abruptly. “Lily Christian! What‘s with your attitude? Are you here to show off? Do you think you‘ve won? Just because you‘ve done something to the original formula, you think we‘d beg for your help?” Melanie‘s outburst attracted the attention of other customers. Nathaniel did nothing but watch from the sidelines as he stirred his coffee.

Lily finally shifted her gaze from her phone to the two in front of her. She smirked mockingly and looked at Melanie. “Sorry, I didn‘t quite catch that.”

“You! Stop acting like you know nothing!” Even making eye contact with Lily intimidated her for some reason, and Melanie‘s voice faltered.

“What do you mean? I‘m confused now. If I remember correctly, MN Inc. filed a lawsuit against me, saying that I‘ve stolen classified information and plagiarized them. Then, how could I possibly be able to do anything to the original formula that you created?”

Lily intentionally emphasized the word “you” and continued, “All right, let‘s say if I did something to the formula. Based on your amazing capabilities, wouldn‘t you be able to solve it easily? Why would you need to come to me for help? You‘re just so funny sometimes.”

Lily put on a fake smile. Her gleaming eyes stared directly into Melanie‘s. Melanie felt as if her entire facade were crumbling away at that very moment, and she had no lies left to offer. Melanie‘s face turned red, and there was nothing more she could say

“Lily, that‘s enough of your insolence.” Nathaniel held Melanie‘s hands gently and said, “I‘ve told you today‘s meeting was to settle our issues once and for all. There‘s no need for us to continue this unnecessarily heated argument.”

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Lily glanced at Nathaniel lazily. She had no interest in entertaining him and turned her attention back to her phone.

Nathaniel knew that she was deliberately ignoring them, so he changed the topic, “Over the past few days, Mel and I have seriously reflected on our relationship. We should not let our relationship problems affect work. We don’t care who’s the one to blame. After all, you have helped a lot before. We will no longer pursue this matter and will withdraw the lawsuit. You can do whatever you want in the future. Just let the matter pass, okay?” “What do you say, Mr. Hudson?” Lily ignored him and asked the lawyer beside her instead. James had kept his silence all this time. He sat on the sidelines as a listener and wrote something from time to time. When he heard Lily questioning him, he stopped and looked at her. “Of course not, Ms. Christian.”

“This is a matter between us. There is no need for you to interfere!” Nate’s expression turned dark. He looked at Lily and said, “Where did you find such an unprofessional lawyer? I think he is a fake and doesn’t understand anything! He doesn’t know what’s good for you. You have no chance of winning in court. My offer is the best thing for you now!” “Is that so? Should I be thankful?” Lily sneered at Nathaniel and introduced James, “He is Rebirth’s professional consultant and lawyer. Do you honestly think he’s a fake? What about you? You are a pathetic man who only knows how to steal others’ achievements and take them as his own!”

“How dare you?!” Nate’s patience was wearing thin after Lily retorted to him like that. Feeling embarrassed, he said, “Lily, you have gone too far!” “Who is the one who has gone too far? How dare you say I betrayed MN Inc.? How dare you ask me to let things go? I want to know why I should let things go. When have I betrayed MN Inc.? Over the years, I spent so much time in the lab doing numerous experiments and even traveled around to get the best raw ingredients.

“MN Inc. greatly benefited from my fruits of labor. I would love to know how much you two have benefited from me. I want you to tell me what I did to betray MN Inc.”

“Y-You, I…” Nate was unable to answer her accusation and stuttered to reply.

“I’m also disgusted by the company’s name. I worked to the bone while you two ripped the benefits and credits! Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up.” Lily continued with a snort.

“Mind your words, Lily!” Melanie felt angered by Lily’s words. “What I say is not as dirty as what you did! Let’s go, Mr. Hudson! This place stinks. I don’t want to stay here any longer.” Lily sneered at Melanie, picked up her bag, and planned to leave.

“Wait a minute! I didn’t ask you out to argue. Can’t we reconcile?” Nathaniel got up and grabbed Lily’s wrist when he saw her leaving. After all, he had not achieved his purpose of meeting her.

“No!” Lily stared at him coldly and slowly looked down at Nathaniel’s hand holding her. “Can you at least tell me if there is really a problem with the formula?” Nathaniel gritted his teeth and asked in hesitation. He was very nervous and worried. If all the formulas had a problem, it would not just affect this batch. It would affect everything, including MN Inc.’s future. Therefore, he had to ask clearly, even if it meant losing face.

Lily raised her head and looked at him. Nathaniel’s once loving face toward Lily was now riddled with anxiety, looking incredibly pathetic. Lily wondered why she even fell for him in the first place. “Haven’t you already figured it out?”.

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“Let go of me, Nate!” Lily said coldly. “What do you mean by that? Be more specific!” Nathaniel refused to let her go quickly. He still had a lot of questions that needed answers.

“Your current behavior is considered harassment. Mr. Hall, I advise you to let — “Lucas spoke, but Nathaniel interjected by thundering, “Shut up! Lily, you better clarify yourself. Did you do something to the formula? Is it fake?!”

Nathaniel glared at Lily. He felt a chill run down his spine with that possibility in mind.

Lily did not answer. Instead, she stared at Nathaniel‘s hand, holding onto her. Then she said coldly, “I will say this one last time. Let go, or I will end things like before.”

Her words made Nathaniel recall the incident in the alley as he immediately released Lily. He still remembered being surprised by Lily‘s fighting skills, speed, and strength. “Mr. Hall, I will dislocate your arm if you dare touch me like this again!” Lily looked at Nathaniel in disgust as she wiped her arm that Nathaniel grabbed with a wet tissue after he let go of her. Afterward, she threw the used tissue into the nearby trash bin and left.

Melanie returned to her senses when she saw Lily leaving and expressed dissatisfaction, “Why did you let her go? How could she just leave when she hasn‘t made things clear? When did you start listening to her?! Did you forget the company‘s current predicament?! She must have changed the formula.

“What the hell are you doing?! Why didn‘t you ask her for the real formula? Do you hear me talking to you? Nate, you are still in love with her, aren‘t you?! Tell me! Also, what does she mean like last time? What secret are you keeping from me? Answer me, answer me, Nate!” Melanie‘s heart was full of speculation, and she became even more annoyed when Nathaniel kept silent. She kept tugging his sleeve and became increasingly angry over time.

“All right already! Shut up! This is all your fault. If you weren‘t so useless, I wouldn‘t have to beg her like that!” Nathaniel‘s mind was in turmoil, and he got even more annoyed when Melanie threw a tantrum. He immediately shook her hand off his sleeve. Melanie was stunned at his words.

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Melanie was flabbergasted because Nathaniel had never treated her like that before. Nathaniel started speaking softly and coaxed Melanie patiently, even if she were petty. Nathaniel forgot to be discreet and not make a scene because he was shocked. He just snapped. He turned to look at Melanie and felt distressed, wanting to sweet–talk her. However, he also felt helpless at that moment. He sighed, saying, “I‘m a mess right now. I‘ll think of something soon. You should go home and rest.”

After speaking, Nathaniel left Melanie alone at the cafe. Melanie was angry and hateful. She had good luck in her love life and career over the past years. Melanie could be famous and kick Lily aside with one foot while sitting tight as MN Inc.‘ s first lady. She had it all planned and would have announced her retirement later.

The company had grown, so Melanie could spend more money to hire a few helpful staff members. By then, would MN Inc. still need Lily? Afterward, Melanie could finally enjoy peace of mind. However, she never expected Lily to get in her way when she was just a tiny step away from success.

Now, MN Inc. was facing a crisis, and Nathaniel‘s attitude was also significantly changing. It was all because of Lily. If it were not for her making trouble, MN Inc. would not be in such a predicament.

After leaving the cafe, Lily said goodbye to James in the parking lot, “Thank you very much for your help today, Mr. Hudson. I‘m sorry for troubling you.” She sincerely thanked and shook hands with James.

James said while shaking Lily‘s hand, “It‘s my job, so it wasn‘t too much trouble. It‘s just...” After hesitating for a while and meeting Lily‘s suspicious gaze, James continued, “I somewhat understood what you said earlier. Those two took your formula for themselves and falsely accused you of stealing.”

“Yes, but we can‘t use what I said as evidence in court, can we?” Lily asked with a faint smile.

“Unfortunately, we can‘t.” James nodded, surprised by Lily‘s calmness. “You don‘t seem worried about the lawsuit, Ms. Christian.”

“As you just saw, the other two are the plaintiff, and I‘m the defendant. Have you ever seen a plaintiff beg a defendant? If not, then I shouldn‘t be worried.” Lily‘s tone was relaxed, not showing an ounce of anxiety.

James felt persuaded and laughed as he replied, “Yes, I‘ve been in the business for many years, but I’ve never seen a plaintiff beg a defendant. Since that‘s the case, I won‘t need to worry about you. However, may I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Is the formula those two referred two honestly yours or...” James did not finish his sentence, but Lily knew what he meant.

She smiled. “There‘s a saying that one must not harm others but must also keep their guard up. Although it turned out I didn‘t know who those two really were, and my guard against them came a little late, it‘s better late than never, Don’t you agree?”

James understood what Lily meant and deepened his smile. “Indeed! Also, you won‘t hurt yourself if you don‘t intend to hurt others. You impress me, Ms. Christian.”

“Don‘t flatter me, Mr. Hudson. You‘re professional, knowledgeable, and discerning right from wrong. I still have much to learn from you in the future!” “I‘m pleased to have met you, Ms. Christian!” James reached out to shake Lily‘s hand again. This time more enthusiastically.

Lily shook hands with him and smiled, “Likewise.”

After saying goodbye to James, Lily planned to take a taxi to Rebirth. Jenny did mention that Lily did not have to rush to work, but since Lily had officially accepted the job, she hoped to adapt to the new environment as soon as possible. Jenny also said that Lily could officially enter the laboratory after Lily settled her personal affairs.

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The booking app had yet to respond since there were no available taxis around, likely because of the rush hour traffic. Not having a car at that moment proved to be an inconvenience

Nathaniel had bought a car before, which was still under his name. At first, Lily did not care about minor details like those, but on second thought, she had been foolish Sull, it was not a shame considering she did not want to bother with his belongings anymore. The car was not worth it.

Lily checked the time and debated whether to board the bus when she suddenly felt a pat on her shoulder from behind.

The pat had a threatening force, which caused Lily to frown and turn around She tried to break free, but underestimated how strong the grip was. The hand was still firmly on her shoulder, but the direction had changed. Now the two were face to face.

“Lily, do you still want to fight me?”

The man in front of her was skinny, wearing a crisp white shirt with tightly–buttoned cuffs The dazzling light reflected from his sapphire blue cuff links was blinding “Justin?” The name seemed almost unfamiliar when said out loud. “Let‘s go somewhere for a chat?” Justin raised his eyebrows, and although he released his grip, his request was unquestionable.

Lily did not object. She followed him across two streets and finally reached a more secluded alley. There was a wall on one end of the alley, a dead end, so no one was around. It was extremely quiet Justin walked to the furthest end before stopping, with one hand behind his back and the other hanging loosely by his side. He slowly turned around.

“Long time no see, Lily.” He stood there, looking at her from head to toe as if to examine her.

“Did you come to look for me on purpose?” Lily could hardly believe such a coincidence had occurred.

Over the past few years, it was impossible for Justin not to know where she was, but they had not kept in touch. Rather than being unable to contact each other, it was more of not wanting to.

She was so determined back then and left everything behind long ago.

Seeing Justin standing in front of her now, she had mixed feelings in her heart, but she still tried her best to stay calm.

“Why else?” After taking two steps forward, Justin continued, “Just look at yourself. What did you do to look like this?”

“...” Looking down at herself, Lily said nothing.

“Come back with me,” Justin made his intent clear in few words.

“No!” Lily decisively refused.

“You still haven‘t given up? How does he treat you in return for how you treat him? Don‘t tell me that you‘re still....”

Before Justin finished his words, Lily raised her head and looked at him, “No! Nate and I have gone our separate ways. From now on, I‘ve nothing to do with him!” “If so, why?” Justin kept staring at her, his eyes as still as water. “Could it be that after all this time, you‘re still p*ssed off?”

“...” Biting her lower lip, Lily pondered for a long time, “I‘ll go back.”

After a pause, she added slowly, “However, not now.“







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“Ultimately, you’re still upset.” Justin shook his head. “It’s true that when you left, grandpa said some harsh words, but he was also angry. We’re family. How could you take words said in anger seriously? It’s been so long. You’re suffering, and you should’ve had enough. Listen to those rumors, as well as the lawsuit. You’ve done this to yourself and are still unwilling to turn back?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to turn back. When I think in time, I will,” Lily straightened her back and added, “I’ll solve my affairs. Don’t worry. No one will know my relationship with you.”

However, that sentence seemed to anger Justin. “Do you think my family is afraid of being implicated by you? Do you think you can get away saying nothing? Why are you still so self righteous after all these years?”

“Well, then just assume that I am. I’ll tell my grandfather in person when I’m qualified to return.”

“Are you really not coming back?” Justin asked as he took another step closer, looking down at her.

His body was lean, which made him look taller. His skin was virtually translucent, although his lips were a sweet pink and not as pale. Seeing how his delicate lips showed no signs of violation, only three words came to mind – striking young man.

Lily raised her head, and her eyes were steadfast, “No.”

Before she finished speaking, a light wind headed toward her.

With little time to think, she immediately raised her arms in preparation to fight.

Justin was lightning fast. The pace was quick and dense when he raised his fist. Lily would have been attacked if she had not responded quickly enough.

After a few rounds of back and forth, Lily gasped for breath. Justin delivered a kick in the direction of her waist.

Lily received a blow!

His foot remained 3 inches away from her waist, and then he pulled his foot back. The whole time Justin was controlling his strength. The motion had been so swift that she could not dodge it in time.

“Your skills have declined,” he said lightly.

“Unfortunately, so!” Lily admitted frankly.

When she fought with Nathaniel’s bodyguards, she realized her ability had slackened in the past two years. It would have been a piece of cake for her in the past, but the fight that day left her wrist a little sore.

“You sure you’re not coming back?” Justin asked again.

Lily did not answer this time, but her eyes conveyed her reply. “All the best!” Justin said as he walked past her and left.

When Lily turned around again, he had already disappeared. She suddenly felt that her arms and calves were very sore. Although Justin did not use his full strength to attack, it still took some effort to defend herself.

However…

It seemed as if this incident had caught her family’s attention. She thought her grandfather had already given up on her the past few years, leaving her to fend for herself.

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Every staff in MN Inc.’s laboratory devoted themselves to the experiments and trials. However, the composition of essential oils was complex, and there are dozens of ingredients in the formula. Even with procedures, a small quantity variance would cause different outcomes when combined. The cause and manner of the issue would then be unclear.

Everyone seemed to be stumped. The staff had been working nonstop, putting up with neck pain and eyesores – except for one person. Olivia was still sitting on a chair with all the experimental equipment in front of her. Her body was leaned back, and her hands drooped down to her sides. Her head leaned against the chair, and she fell asleep the next second.

At that exact moment, Melanie walked in and saw the scene.

“…” She clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and then slowly reached for a blanket for Olivia

Probably startled, Olivia opened her eyes in a daze and murmured when she saw Melanie, “Ms. Thayer, you’re back.”

“Yeah!” Melanie said with a smile, “Olivia, are you tired? It must’ve been a tough day for you I just made a cup of coffee. Would you like a sip to refresh yourself?” “Huh?” Olivia gave the person in front of her a blank look as if she did not know who she was, thinking, ‘What in the world just happened?’ Melanie felt very uncomfortable being stared at, but she had to restrain herself. She held a grudge against Olivia before, but Melanie knew the consequences if she were to let her temper out.

“Why are you staring at me? Do you think I poisoned the coffee? Shall I take a sip first?” Melanie said half-jokingly and drank from the cup. “Look, I care about you!” “Thank you, Ms. Thayer. However, since you already drank the coffee, I don’t want to drink it anymore.”

“Never mind, then.”

Just as Melanie was about to say that she would make another cup, she heard Olivia continue, Besides, don’t you know there’s no eating or drinking these things in the laboratory?”

After all, coffee possessed an aroma, and any interference of fragrance would affect the perfumer’s judgement. Since the aroma of coffee itself was relatively strong, it could easily mask the other scents. How could Melanie make such a simple mistake as a perfumer and director?

She either did not take perfumery seriously, or she was ignorant. “I…” She smiled awkwardly, “Of course I knew! I came to check on you since you looked tired! If you can’t figure it out, stop and forget about it for a while. Let’s go out and have a chat.’

Melanie pulled Olivia out of the lab and sat her on the sofa outside. She re-brewed the coffee diligently, got some snacks and fruits, and placed them on the coffee table.

“You must be hungry. Have some snacks for now and I’ll treat you to something delicious later.”

Olivia held her hands in front of her protectively as she stared at Melanie in terror. “Ms. Thayer, whatever it is, please just say it. You’re making me nervous!”

Melanie was speechless. She immediately spun around, clenched her fists tightly, and gritted her teeth as she struggled to contain her fury.

It took her a while to cool down. When Melanie turned back around, she still had that smile on her face. “Olivia, I know you misjudged me, but it’s okay. I don’t mind. I just came to chat with you. Nothing else.”

Melanie continued, “Look, it’s been so long since we’ve worked together and we haven’t had a friendly conversation. You’re able to be friends with Lily without even working for her. Can’t you treat me as a friend, too?” She spoke earnestly, looked at Olivia with a smile, and waited for her response.

Olivia still maintained a vigilant attitude, staring as Melanie spoke. After Melanie finished speaking, Olivia blinked and shook her head decisively, “No!”

Melanie was speechless again.