Chapter 548

Lily was surprised that gifting her friend a custom-made perfume caused such a commotion on the news and social media. Initially, social media discussions centered on the perfume, but they quickly shifted to the perfumer herself—her past, her appearance, and even her voice. Hashtags like "#Lily's custom-made perfume," "#Lily's heavenly voice," "#Lily the queen of plagiarism," and "#Lily looks like an actress" proliferated on Twitter. Had these not been hashtags, Lily might have thought netizens were creating new catchphrases using her name.

Faced with this unexpected situation, Lily was unsure how to react. It was a perfect example of unintentionally successful social media marketing. Her Twitter account gained four million followers overnight. While she was now well-known, she still hadn't adjusted to this sudden fame. More importantly, she remained unsatisfied with her perfumery skills and knew she had a long way to go before achieving world-renowned status.

"Aren't you happy to be famous?" Alexander asked, pouring them each a glass of red wine. He handed her one and sat beside her with the other. "Honestly," she replied, "I'd much prefer they focused on my perfume instead of me." As a perfumer, nothing was more fulfilling than public acknowledgment of her work. She had invested so much time researching and developing her product that genuine appreciation would have meant the world. However, the reality was quite the opposite: the public's interest in Lily eclipsed their interest in her perfume.

"Have you ever thought of starting your own brand?" Alexander asked, sipping his wine.

Lily's eyes lit up. "My own brand?" It was every perfumer's dream, but achieving it was difficult, requiring significant money and resources. While many top perfumers existed, few possessed their own brands. Most initially worked for established brands, building their reputations before becoming inextricably linked to those brands. At that point, brand ownership became less important than their established fame.

"I don't have the resources for that. Besides, Rebirth treats me well," Lily replied. She was grateful to Rebirth for allowing her to pursue her research and passion, and for providing leverage against Nathaniel. Leaving Rebirth now, after achieving recognition, would be downright selfish.

"You don't have to leave Rebirth," Alexander clarified. "You can remain, but with your own research area. They'll place your new products in a separate line, allowing you to name them under a different brand—your brand."

Alexander's proposal was tempting, and Lily found it hard to refuse. "That's such an attractive offer; it's difficult to say no!" Her eagerness was evident in her eyes. Alexander smiled. "Then don't."