Chapter 671

After receiving the flash drive, Nathaniel listened to the audio recording repeatedly. Although it was just an audio recording, he knew Lily was aware of his recent meeting with Henry. She'd been watching them, and they'd let her get away with it. A cold sweat broke out on his back.

He'd always considered himself stealthy and Lily naive, believing he could easily avoid her notice. He was wrong. She had eyes everywhere. He needed to be more careful.

However, Nathaniel reassured himself that Lily didn't know much about his deal with Henry. Wilfred's cause of death remained undetermined. The most intriguing part of the recording was how Lily seemed to have "poisoned" Henry.

Since it was an audio recording, Nathaniel could only guess from the voices. Henry sounded as if he'd been poisoned, or perhaps Lily had struck him. The recording suggested she might have slipped toxins into a fragrance.

That was terrifying. While not a perfumer himself, Nathaniel had years of experience in the industry. He'd overseen many perfumers, frequently visiting their laboratories. Yet he'd never heard of toxins added to fragrances to poison people who smelled them.

Did such a thing exist? Regardless, it could be very useful to Nathaniel. A perfumer capable of creating such perfumes would shock the world, making Lily a societal menace and offering Nathaniel a chance for revenge. Even if the incident were faked, it would cause panic and ruin Lily's reputation.

Nathaniel pondered until dawn, carefully reviewing the recording. Once satisfied it was safe to leak, he stretched and breathed deeply. Arianna's advice to listen carefully made perfect sense now; she'd anticipated this.

After the police collected statements, several people were released. Lacking conclusive evidence, they awaited the forensics report. Lily and Justin rode home in silence; it had been a while since they'd shared a car ride like this.

As a child, Lily had lived at the Lodge family home. Justin, the eldest grandson, had always been close to Wilfred. Lily had envied him, believing he spent his days playing freely, unlike her forced practice sessions.

Growing up, she realized his burdens were far greater. He began his practice before dawn, and his outings were never for leisure but part of his rigorous training, kept largely private. Beneath his cold demeanor lay a kind heart.

To break the silence, Lily asked, "Is everything settled at the company?"

She knew unresolved issues remained, but she wasn't involved and couldn't help. Justin replied calmly, "Everything's fine."