Chapter 369

"You were in there for quite a while," Alexander said.

Lily had lingered before emerging. It was so long that all the other contestants had left.

She nodded.

"Mr. Will wanted to chat, so I took a little longer."

"What did he say?"

After some pondering, Lily remembered Wesley's words and became emotional. "He invited me to join his team."

Alexander nodded repeatedly. "That's high praise, don't you agree?"

"I rejected the invitation."

Lily shook her head, gazing out the car window. The streetlights outside flickered. The night scenery in Westwood was breathtaking; the city was notorious for its romantic appeal, the cradle of the perfume industry and home to many big brands. Many classic styles originated there.

Such an opportunity had been presented to her, but she had refused it.

"You rejected his offer? Why?"

Alexander paused, then said half-jokingly, "Were you scared you'd miss me too much?"

Lily glared at him. "How narcissistic! I want to make my own unique brand. I want to leave behind brands that sit in the Top Perfumer Hall of Honor." Her eyes shone brighter than the stars.

Alexander looked at her face, thinking his wife was exquisitely beautiful. Her confidence and determination had first attracted him. She was a woman of faith, and though she had once hit rock bottom, it couldn't conceal her sunny nature.

"I believe in you. You can do it," Alexander said softly, giving Lily the greatest affirmation he could muster.

Leaning into his arms, Lily felt immense satisfaction. It was a blessing to have his solid, warm embrace and his support.

"Right!" Lily suddenly remembered something and sat upright, looking directly at Alexander. "Something weird happened, though. Melanie was a no-show today."

"What's so weird about that? Maybe she realized she couldn't win and voluntarily withdrew. Maybe she just didn't want to participate anymore," Alexander shrugged, unsurprised.

Lily shook her head. "No, no! That's not like her! She did everything she could to get to the end. She wouldn't give up at the last minute! Maybe something happened to her? Maybe she got kidnapped?" She paused, considering. "However, the chances of that are probably pretty low, right? Did you"

They had chatted earlier. Lily suspected Melanie was the main culprit behind the scenes, but there was no concrete evidence. She wondered what Alexander had done to Melanie, considering what she'd told him about her and Alexander's temper.

Alexander feigned innocence, raising his hands. "I didn't do anything illegal. Besides, she's not worth it."

Lily looked into his eyes; he didn't seem to be lying. What he said made sense. Melanie was, after all, worthless in Alexander's eyes. He wouldn't have bothered.

Furrowing her brow, Lily thought, "It's so strange."

After the competition, Lily and Giselle parted ways. Alexander sent Giselle back to the company for an urgent task, leaving Lily and Alexander alone together in Westwood.