Chapter 699

By 6:30, the ballroom of a five-star Brown City hotel was nearly full. Attendees included media reporters, renowned perfumers, and newcomers to the industry—anyone with even a tangential connection to the perfume world. The recent scandal had sent shockwaves through the industry, and everyone wanted to see how Lily Christian would respond. Would she apologize, or deny the recording?

Alexander Russell's car didn't approach the main entrance. He entered through the back, escorted by a bodyguard via the VIP passage to the lounge. His secretary, Rose, had arrived earlier to prepare. Hearing him approach, she rushed in with a stack of papers, attempting a calm facade that couldn't quite mask her nervousness.

"Mr. Russell," she said, pushing open the door. Finding the lounge empty, she looked surprised. "Ms. Christian… she hasn't arrived?"

"She has a prior engagement. She'll be here shortly," Alexander replied smoothly.

After their arrival, Lily and Alexander had parted ways—Lily returning to Rebirth, and Alexander to La Beauté Group headquarters. His absence had created a backlog of work.

"Time is running out. The press conference starts soon. Almost all the reporters and media are here," Rose said.

Rose was aware of the unusual relationship between her boss and Lily, so she held back her dissatisfaction. However, Alexander sensed her unhappiness. He thought, This is all Lily's fault. Anyone else would have been fired and held accountable. But since that woman is important to Mr. Russell, I have no choice but to handle this! The company's PR team was already cleaning up Lily's mess; they had organized the press for her—an unprecedented level of support for any employee. But Lily's absence was becoming critical. Despite never having met Lily, Rose harbored prejudices. She'd heard Lily belonged to the Lodge family of Sapphine and wondered if she was another spoiled, unreasonable young lady. The recording suggested Lily's past awards and work were fraudulent.

"It's not time yet, is it?" Alexander checked his watch. Calmly, he said, "Rose, when did you become so impatient?"

Rose was speechless. Despite his calm tone, years of working alongside him allowed her to detect his displeasure. She lowered her head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Russell. I overstepped."

"This is a significant event," Rose continued. "The impact on the company is substantial. You've seen the reports. Besides the media, we have numerous perfumers here, some very prominent. Our senior perfumers are also deeply concerned. This affects not only Ms. Christian but the entire company. And with Ms. Christian's absence, we may not have time to review her prepared statement."

"Forget it if we don't have time," Alexander said, sitting up straighter and checking his watch again. He showed no intention of contacting Lily. "Let's wait a minute more."

Rose remained silent, unable to argue.