Chapter 741

Until today, Lily had only dreamed of her own studio, unable to take concrete steps. Lisa's visit with a custom order, coupled with the Perfumers' Society incident, finally spurred her into serious action. Recent events prompted her to actively pursue her studio plans for the first time. However, Alexander had already anticipated her needs and taken care of everything.

Lily paused, spoon in hand, looked up at Alexander, and said firmly, "Thank you for all of this!"

Her serious tone startled Alexander for a moment. Seeing the gratitude in her eyes, he smirked, caressing her hair. "You're being silly," he said.

"No, I'm serious!" she insisted. "You have no idea. After meeting Lisa today, I started thinking about building a studio—location, costs, even whether you'd approve. I never even mentioned it to you!"

"It was all just thoughts," she continued. "I never expected you to have already arranged everything…"

Her emotions fluctuated wildly. At times, she considered Alexander the noblest person she'd ever met. She felt incredibly fortunate to have found him, to be with him for life. Just when she thought he couldn't be any better, he'd surprise her again.

"You're my wife," he said, smiling. "If I don't do it for you, who will?" He pinched her cheek. "Come on! You said you liked this dessert. Let's go home after we finish."

"We're really going home?" she asked, glancing at the time. It was late.

"What else do you want to do? Stay here overnight? I did arrange a bedroom for you, but it's empty. I could be your pillow, if you like," he offered, opening his arms.

Lily blushed, gently pushing him away. "No! I don't want a hard pillow."

"Really?" he said meaningfully. "You think I'm hard right now? Where?"

Lily realized she'd fallen into his trap and remained silent. He continued, "Even if you think I'm a hard pillow, you still hug me tightly every night."

"I'm not telling you where you're hard, so you can't hold it against me!" she retorted, standing to pack up her dessert box.

If Alexander's subordinates saw him like this, they'd be shocked. Lily recalled Rose's jealous, devilish glare at the press conference—the memory amused her.

"Speaking of which," Lily said, "I'm quitting the company." With her own studio, she could resign.

"You don't have to leave," Alexander said. "The company's already planning a separate brand for you. It's easier to operate under the La Beauté Group name." He took her trash and disposed of it. "I'll even arrange for a daily cleaning service."

"Since it's my own studio, I shouldn't use company resources," Lily countered. Pausing, she looked at him, retrieving a wet wipe to clean his fingers. "What you gave me today is a gift, but company resources belong to the company. We need to maintain a clear distinction between personal and company assets. I'll consider you a stakeholder in this studio, and you'll receive dividends if we profit."

When Lily looked up, Alexander's eyes crinkled at the corners in a smile, but his tone remained serious. Knowing her temperament, he didn't argue. "Okay," he said, smiling. "I'll wait for my share of the profits then."