Chapter 858

Alexander placed his hand on Lily's shoulder, saying thoughtfully, "If it's bothering you, I'll block all this nonsense." He could help, but she insisted on handling it herself. Her resourcefulness surprised him.

"I've come this far and won't back down!" Lily declared, standing tall. "I think I need another phone number." She couldn't turn her phone off—she might miss important information—but the constant calls were irritating. A second number was the solution.

"No problem. I'll have someone arrange it immediately," Alexander said, leaving the kitchen with Lily. He glanced at the silent phone, then asked, "There's something I don't understand."

"What is it?" Lily asked softly, pouring two cups of warm water and handing him one.

"Is it true Mr. Adler lost his sense of smell?" He'd been shocked by the news. If Lily hadn't revealed it, he would have dismissed it as slander. Even trusting her completely, he still had to ask.

Lily's hand froze, then she nodded.

"When did you learn this?" If true, Lily's insight was remarkable. Lawrence was a titan in the perfume industry, highly respected. Many current perfumers were his students, who in turn had their own students. Yet, none had noticed his loss of smell. Nor had Alexander's intelligence network. Such a significant development wouldn't typically go unnoticed. So how did Lily uncover this closely guarded secret?

"I was initially skeptical," Lily said casually, sipping her water. "I watched many perfume-related videos—documentaries, competitions, events. My curiosity led me to notice that whenever Mr. Adler participated, he was always the last to comment, speaking very little."

Alexander considered this. "He's an authority figure. There's nothing unusual about him speaking last."

"That's what I initially thought. But in older videos, Mr. Adler wasn't like that. He was rigorous, even harsh, scolding perfumers whose work he deemed substandard, sometimes reducing newcomers to tears. His comments in recent years have become far fewer and less critical, often just reiterating what others had said. He's also significantly reduced his participation, attending only indispensable events, and offering no constructive criticism," Lily explained emotionally.

She wouldn't have exposed this if the Perfumers' Society hadn't cornered her. Lawrence had likely lost his sense of smell some time ago. He should have retired; a perfumer's sense of smell is crucial. He'd concealed this to maintain his position. But exposing this had its advantages. He was irresponsibly guiding the younger generation.