Chapter 127

An oppressive silence descended upon the room. The stakes were high; anyone making such a mistake would face serious repercussions. If the news reached outsiders and Rodrigo's complaints became public, it would damage the company's image and potentially cause its market value to plummet.

Allison opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, a young woman interjected, defending Marc.

"Marc, how can you say this has nothing to do with you, Mr. Lloyd?"

"Marc is the project leader," another woman stated. "I can attest to that. Miss Clarke only helped him mix the sample fragrance. The subsequent mistakes cannot be blamed on her."

This woman, who had never previously confronted Marc, stood her ground. "You tried to take credit earlier, and Miss Clarke gave it to you. But now you're going too far. From formulation to coordination, all that work was Ms. Clarke's. You took the glory and now you want to avoid the blame. What shamelessness!"

Others joined in, their voices rising against Marc. "Exactly, Marc. You were steering the ship in the early stages, reporting the numbers. Mr. Lloyd, we can check the internal network and find those figures you initially reported."

"Count me in! I just checked; Marc reported 4,500 bottles. You can't get away with that! When it's time to work, good luck finding Marc. But when it's time to bow, he's more enthusiastic than anyone!" Many were already fed up with Marc's antics. This incident was the final straw, especially since his actions had endangered his own interests.

Marc's face reddened with fury. "You... you are all lying!" He hadn't expected such a betrayal.

Allison realized that while some genuinely defended her, others were merely protecting their own interests. She didn't care; she'd encountered enough disloyal people to remain unsurprised.

Kellan, having overheard the commotion, calmly tossed the project documents in front of Marc. "Even a child could do this math, but it doesn't work out for you. Why? Because you're too immersed in office politics. If you can do the job, do it. If not, pack your bags and leave."

Feeling the weight of responsibility, Marc adopted a plaintive tone. "Mr. Lloyd, I didn't mean to. I simply forgot. I didn't mean anything by what I said before..."

The office was simmering with annoyance, and his whining only exacerbated the situation. Allison's chilling look silenced him instantly. "Right now, we need to focus on solving the problem, not assigning blame. The damage is done, regardless of who caused it."

Facing the crisis, Allison calmly analyzed the situation. The priority was appeasing Mr. Carman and accelerating production. He was notoriously picky, yet he had previously praised their service. Any word of his complaint would be a major embarrassment. "I propose we draft a compensation plan for Mr. Carman and maintain clear communication."

Kellan nodded in agreement. "Miss Clarke is right. We need to focus on rectifying the matter."

After the meeting, Allison, as lab manager, orchestrated the team. "Everyone, ramp up production according to the formula I've provided. There should be no errors this time. If a problem arises, we'll address it then."

Once tasks were assigned, she went to see Rodrigo. At their meeting place, she went straight to the point. "Mr. Carman, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. A team member miscalculated, and there are no excuses. We understand your reluctance to withdraw the complaint, but we want to make amends."

Allison had met Rodrigo at a tea house. Upon arrival, she offered a sincere apology and served him tea. "I've prepared your favorite coffee. We can discuss compensation shortly."

Rodrigo's anger subsided as he saw Allison's effort. She had previously suggested adding more iris to the fragrance, exceeding his expectations. He had a positive impression of her, making him more receptive. When he saw his favorite tea, his eyes lit up.

"Miss Clarke, how did you know this was my favorite?"

"The last time you visited our company, you were wearing a fragrance that had this tea as a top note. A person's fragrance often reveals their tastes. Nobody wears a perfume they dislike. So I took a chance."

His thoughtful words shortened the distance between them. Rodrigo's anger had vanished. As long as the order was fulfilled on time, he would withdraw his complaint.

To his surprise, Allison gave him a bottle of perfume. "This is another fragrance I've developed." He smelled it and praised its traditional elegance, the tea top note and sandalwood base. "It gives off a sense of classic refinement."

Allison smiled. "I think this fragrance suits you perfectly. As an apology, I'd like to give it to you as a gift. As for the rest of the order, we will work overtime to ensure it's finished in one day."

Rodrigo, charmed by the perfume, laughed. "It's just a minor matter. I'm surprised to see you here, considering it was clearly an employee's mistake. As long as the order is fulfilled, I'll let it pass."

He handed her his business card. "Miss Clarke, your perfume skills are truly exceptional. I love all the fragrances you create. Would you consider joining my company? I'd be happy to offer you a very competitive package..."