Chapter 103

"Oh?" Frank raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to continue.

"I'm sure you know that slight variations in ingredients yield different results," Melanie explained, her gaze downcast. "Lily altered the formula and even instructed her assistant to make further, secret changes. I've also been unwell—a bad cold—and they took advantage of that. We had no choice but to ask for your help, Mr. Moreau." She seemed on the verge of tears, her distress evident. Frank watched her, his fingers tapping gently on the table. Their thoughts remained unreadable.

Nathaniel added, "She's right, Mr. Moreau. Mel has been overworked due to recent company problems, which led to her illness. Lily exploited this weakness to sabotage us. We have many outstanding client orders; failure to deliver on time will severely jeopardize the company!"

After wiping his lips with a napkin, Frank said, "Okay. Let's go to the lab and investigate."

Melanie and Nathaniel breathed sighs of relief. His earlier demeanor had worried them; they feared he would withdraw his support.

Nathaniel paid the bill, and the trio headed to the lab.

The lab staff had been working around the clock for days. This wasn't due to incompetence, but because the problem was complex. Even identifying the altered ingredients wouldn't suffice; they needed the precise quantities to replicate the results. Non-users might not notice the fragrance difference, but regular users, particularly loyal customers, would. A mistake would severely damage MN Inc.'s reputation, hard-earned over many years. There was no recovering from such a blow.

They inspected several labs, finding no progress. The next lab was empty.

"Where's Olivia?" Melanie asked, instantly recognizing the absent staff member.

"Olivia said she was too tired and went home to rest," a cautious staff member replied.

"Does she know we're in a critical situation? How can she rest now? Does she even care about her job or the company?" Melanie rebuked angrily. Nathaniel said calmly, "Don't get so worked up. Her irresponsibility warrants dismissal. We can discuss this later; it's a minor issue."

Turning to Frank, he said, "Mr. Moreau, shall we use this vacant lab?" Frank entered the lab without comment. "Where's the essential oil?" he asked, looking around. Nathaniel gestured to his assistant. "Bring the essential oil now!"

The essential oil was quickly brought in. Frank then asked, "Where's the formula?"

The staff member immediately produced the formula, the previous batch's finished product, and the existing analysis.