The clock ticked, each second a measured beat. Lily sat on the bed's edge, stroking her abdomen with one hand, absently rubbing her phone screen with the other. She wasn't merely nervous; this anxiety was unprecedented. Past challenges had seemed surmountable, but this was different; this held the potential to endanger many.

She was alone. Mike would meet downstairs in the office at the appointed time. Their movements weren't invisible to the organization's surveillance, but there were always vulnerabilities. The "boss" was at his most vulnerable around noon. Mike's task was to distract the few bodyguards.

The remaining lackeys posed little threat to Lily. Her focus narrowed to the next hour; success hinged on seizing her opportunity. This was the risk she’d accepted.

Lost in thought, her phone vibrated, the silenced ring a dull thrum against her palm. Her fingers tightened instinctively, fearing bad news from Alexander. Overwhelmed, she couldn't process her fear.

The caller ID showed Olivia's name.

Relief washed over her, quickly replaced by a fresh wave of apprehension. It might not be good news after all.

"Hello?" she answered, her voice weary.

"Lily, you..." Olivia hesitated, then asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. What's up?" Lily cleared her throat.

"Nothing."

Lily wasn't convinced. Olivia's reticence hinted at unspoken concerns. After a pause, Olivia said, "Oh, that email I mentioned, the custom perfume request from Yudonia."

Lily was stunned. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she sighed in annoyance. "I completely forgot."

Lately, every task felt monumental and fraught with tension. The weight of it all had overwhelmed her.

The perfume commission felt particularly burdensome, given her current experimental project. While not directly involved in perfume development, her work utilized related raw materials for a product intended to cause harm. The thought itself was exhausting and irritating.

"Huh?!" Olivia's surprise was palpable. Lily's lapse in organization was unexpected.

"Can you postpone it? I genuinely don't have the time," Lily sighed.