After several days of hard work in the lab, the results finally arrived. Lily held a small bottle of amber-colored essential oil, handling it as if it were a priceless treasure. Olivia, equally excited, exclaimed about its delightful fragrance. The lab filled with the unique scent. Lily had never encountered such a fragrance before; it was a precise fusion of floral scents, subtly complemented by a relaxing, refreshing herbal aroma.

Although Lily had extracted only a small bottle of essential oil, this raw material was sufficient for her envisioned themed series.

"Olivia, please refrigerate this. We'll proceed to the next step," Lily instructed, removing her gloves to wash her hands. She then checked the experimental data, ensuring accuracy, before emailing Lisa. "The product you requested will be ready within two weeks—in time for your event," she wrote.

"That's fantastic, Lily! I knew you could do it!" Lisa replied happily. Pausing, she added, "By the way, I heard you've been having some minor troubles. Need any help?"

"No need," Lily replied with a smile. "It's nothing significant." Lisa couldn't offer much assistance anyway.

"Okay!" Lisa said, respecting Lily's privacy. "Mr. Corden is visiting in a few days. Free to meet? He wants to invite you to dinner."

"Mr. Corden?" Lily was surprised, recognizing the wealthy Hylander businessman from Westwood. "No need for the trouble. I don't have much of a relationship with him."

"We're all friends! Besides, Nick misses you and often speaks of you."

Lily smiled, remembering the little boy she had once saved. "Let's arrange something soon, then."

"Wonderful! I'll leave the themed perfume series to you. I can practically smell it through the phone!"

Lily laughed at Lisa's enthusiastic tone. "You can see it when it's ready. It's not quite finished yet."

She had only extracted the raw essential oils; four perfume models would use the oil as a base, each with different added ingredients to create a unique scent profile. The final products would share a unified base but possess individual character.

"Okay, then I'll—"

The doorbell rang. Olivia checked the access control screen, her expression changing as she saw several people in police uniforms. "Lily…" she whispered.

Lily sensed Olivia's alarm. "I have to go. I'll call you later!" she told Lisa, hanging up and approaching Olivia. "What's wrong?" Olivia pointed at the screen; Lily frowned slightly.

Is the Perfumers' Society finally taking action? she thought. However, the issue hadn't escalated to a legal matter; at most, they would ask questions and attempt civil mediation.

"It's alright. Open the door," Lily instructed, tidying the lab bench. After a moment, there was a commotion outside, and Olivia admitted the police. The atmosphere felt tense.

"Which one of you is Lily?" someone demanded.

Lily turned. "I am."