Chapter 1
She was over the moon because she had finally created the “First Love” formula, the perfume she had worked on for many years. After winning the upcoming competition, Lily and Nathaniel Hall’s wedding would be on the agenda.
The couple met in university, known each other for five years, and dated for three. Lily left everything behind to focus on perfume formulas and finally managed to help Nathaniel expand his company. Thinking of the beautiful future ahead, she indulged more in drinking.
She rubbed her temples, wanting to get some water to quench her thirst. However, she heard strange noises coming from the adjacent room.
Lily lived alone in a rented apartment. Occasionally, Nathaniel would stay overnight, but he typically slept in the other room.
The noise Lily heard made her worry if Nathaniel was feeling unwell. When she got closer to the source, she heard a woman’s voice instead.
“Nate, won’t Lily hear us?”
Although the woman’s voice was unclear, Lily was sure it belonged to someone she knew. She instantly felt disheartened.
Lily had developed insomnia due to her extensive research on perfumes. She started relying on sleeping pills over the past few years, making her somewhat resistant to its effects.
“I’ll become a top perfumer tomorrow after my new product wins an award. It’ll secure my status in this industry, and you’ll have tons of investment opportunities knocking on your door. Then you can recruit as many people as you want! How could Lily compare to me?”
By now, Lily identified who was speaking as she clenched her fists. It was Melanie Thayer, Lily’s good friend from college. She was having an affair with Lily’s fiancé. Lily had heard the rumors before but chose not to believe them blindly. Despite that, the truth was hurting and tearing Lily apart.
the grand scheme
voice was delicate, and she sounded sensual whenever she stretched her words to a higher pitch. However, it was not to
eyes, wishing she could see the shameless couple right through the door. The sounds she soon heard made her nauseous. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palms till they bled. Doing that helped Lily stop herself from barging
after being crowned champion at the regional perfumery competition. She received countless offers, including one from one of the prominent industry players, La Beauté Group. However, she rejected them to focus on helping Nathaniel with the business he had just established.
years ago, there was a problem with her perfume. Everyone ridiculed her, calling her a perfumer without a sense of smell. Back then,
work behind the scenes while Melanie joined
hurdles together,
was just two random letters
was lovey-dovey while Lily helped Nathaniel expand his company unconditionally. It was ridiculous now that Lily thought about it. Lily’s fury gradually diminished as calmness took
Alexander Russell, gave Lily his name card personally. She
the call, so she continued, “We met at the regional perfumery competition three years ago. You
man’s deep voice and three simple words somehow calmed Lily’s nerves.
proposal to make, and I figured you might
some silence, Alexander replied, “Meet me at my office at 9
when she quickly stopped him. “W-Wait, Mr. Russell, it might be too late tomorrow. What about today? Plus, it’s inconvenient for me to meet you at your office.
blurting out her words, she could not
not an ordinary company. It owned over 67% of the market share in the beauty industry nationwide, not
miracle for Lily that he agreed to meet with her, yet she dared to negotiate the details of their meeting. Still, she