Chapter 853

Noah was the most confused of all. He’d been a member of the Perfumers’ Society for years and, given his position, was close to and frequently in contact with Lawrence. Yet, how could he not have realized Lawrence had lost his sense of smell? “Is this a prank, malicious framing, or…?” He rose, made coffee, and, cup beside him, stared dazedly at the computer screen. His earlier irritation had subsided; he was calm enough to think clearly.

He recalled years of participating in events and co-commentating with Lawrence. He hadn’t noticed before, but upon reflection, something was amiss. For instance, whenever analyzing newcomers’ fragrances, Lawrence always asked him to comment first. Noah hadn’t questioned it, assuming it was a test or assessment from the elder perfumer. Lawrence always praised his commentary, adding only a few neutral words afterward. Nothing seemed unusual until the recent events involving the Society. For years, this pattern had been consistent, regardless of whether Lawrence was present or participating with others; he consistently let others judge before offering his own concluding remarks—generally brief, encouraging, or mildly critical, but never insightful or exceptionally opinionated.

Noah began to suspect something was truly wrong with Lawrence Adler’s sense of smell. After considering this, he called Lawrence’s last known number. Unfortunately, it went unanswered; the operator announced the number was unavailable. He surmised Lawrence might have turned off his phone, as the situation was undoubtedly unbearable. The controversy was considerable; reporters and media were likely frantic, and Lawrence’s family and friends besieged with calls. Thus, it was unsurprising his call didn’t go through. He then called the Perfumers’ Society headquarters. “Hello, it’s Noah Richards. Is Mr. Adler there?”

Lawrence’s assistant answered, “Mr. Adler isn’t here. He hasn’t been to headquarters recently. When will you be back, Mr. Richards? Things are…chaotic.” Noah knew it wasn’t merely chaotic; it was highly chaotic. Initially, the exposed news wasn’t critical; internal management issues could be attributed to human error. A few apologies and corrections would have sufficed. However, the controversy now involved Lawrence, the Society’s most authoritative member. If he had a problem, who would trust the Society’s competence? The public would assume the entire organization was corrupt.

“I know. I’m working on a solution.” Gripping the phone tightly, he added, “If you see Mr. Adler, please tell him to call me back.”

“Yes, of course!”

He made another call; again, it went unanswered, but the line remained open, ringing persistently. Just as it was about to disconnect, someone finally answered.