Early the next morning, Aurora woke up feeling refreshed and went to work with Julian. The moment she stepped into the office, every employee was stunned.


    Since thepany''s founding, Aurora had rarely shown her face. For months, she had been absent, and if not for their sries being paid on time, many employees would have assumed thepany was in trouble.


    Ian, however, no longer looked at Aurora with the affection he once had. Over the past two months, his rtionship with Heather had flourished.


    The two shared simr backgrounds and personalities, making their connection feel natural and inevitable.


    During this time, Mona had not been idle either. She had brought in numerous advanced resources from abroad, and thepany had begun developing its own skincare products.


    Heather had been assigned to the fashion department, where several foreign designers had been hired. Everything had started to fall into ce.


    Even without Aurora''s presence, thepany had been running smoothly. However, since most of the resources were still in the investment phase, thepany had yet to turn a profit.


    Fortunately, thepany''s benefits and resources were excellent, and the employees were motivated. Everyone, that is, except for Gemma, who was constantly fuming.


    She had thought that with Aurora gone, she and Ian would finally have a chance to be together. But to her frustration, Ian had inexplicably ended up with Heather.


    This was driving her crazy.


    Gemma''s face was perpetually sour as she watched Ian and Heather constantly exchanging shy nces.


    Both of them were inexperienced in rtionships, which made their interactions all the more awkward and sweet.


    In the morning, Ian would stop by to bring Heather a coffee. "Um... I picked this up on the way," he''d mumble.


    Heather''s cheeks would flush. "Thank you. This is my favorite vor."


    They''d exchange a quick nce, blushing, before looking away just as quickly.


    In the afternoons, Heather would return the favor and bring Ian a milk tea. "I happened to buy two," she''d say.


    "Thanks," Ian would reply, his face reddening once again.


    The sight of their innocent interactions made Gemma seethe. She was convinced Heather was faking her innocence. In this day and age, what kind of woman blushes just from exchanging a few words with a man?


    To Gemma, Heather''s demeanor screamed pretense. She was sure the woman had been with countless men in secret.


    As their rtionship deepened, Gemma grew so impatient that she began digging into Heather''s past, hoping to uncover some dirt.


    To her dismay, Heather''s background was spotless. She was a nk te, pure and unsullied. Gemma had been nning to use anything she found to expose Heather''s so-called scandals to Ian.


    Heather''s unblemished past only made Gemma more annoyed. In a world where few women were truly simple, Heather stood out as an exception.


    Watching the two exchange shy looks in front of her every day was driving her insane. But soon, the fashion and cosmetics departments would be moving to separate offices, meaning she wouldn''t have to see Heather anymore. The thought of it brought her immense relief.


    Just as Gemma was starting to feel better, Aurora returned.


    Unlike her casual and sweet style at home, Aurora''s work attire exuded dominance.


    She wore a perfectly tailored ck wool coat over a crisp shirt, paired with slim ck trousers. In her hand was thetest season''s designer bag.


    Her every step carried an air of authority.


    Mona, having heard in advance about Aurora''s return, greeted her at the door.


    Aurora went on a tour of the departments. "Mona, it''s a good thing you''ve been here. Thepany is finally getting on track."


    "How''s the perfumeing along? I heard Marcos is about tounch his," Mona inquired. Back then, Aurora had been somewhat motivated by rivalry.


    "Is that so? He hasn''tunched it yet? It''s been months," Aurora replied with a faint smile.


    Back then, if it hadn''t been for that particr perfume, she wouldn''t have gone to New York, nor would she have met Denis Vukic. In a way, she had Marcos to thank for teaching her a new skill.


    "After you left, manypanies refused to work with him because of the


    spokesperson issue. Even when Marcos lowered the price, no one wanted to take the


    risk.


    Everyone had the same condition as you-buying the perfume was fine, but Susan couldn''t be the spokesperson. Marcos had no choice but to pull the perfume back to his ownpany.


    When he was about tounch it, the scandal with Susan broke out. People used Marcos of being the third party in Susan and Hayden''s rtionship.


    The inte was in an uproar over the affair. With such a scandal, how could Marcos dare to put the perfume on the market?


    So, he''s beenying low for a few months, waiting for the matter to blow over before runching.


    I''ve heard he''s nning to release it on Christmas." Monaid out the details. "Christmas, huh? Perfect. I''d like to see whose perfume bes more popr-mine or his," Aurora said, her lips curling into apetitive smile.


    Clearly, Marcos had thoroughly angered her, prompting Aurora to go head-to-head with him.


    "You''ve already created a perfume? That fast?" Mona asked, her face incredulous.


    It typically took years to bring a ssic perfume to market. Even the shortest timelines required at least a year or two for formtion, testing, and refinement.


    Aurora had gone from a beginner topleting a perfume in just a few months-it seemed almost reckless.


    Aurora hadn''t done anyrge-scale testing yet. The perfume was in its final stages, but she hadn''t had time for widespread trials.


    Generally, testing was conducted in multiple rounds. After gathering feedback from each round, adjustments would be made to the form.


    Only after rigorous testing and adjustments would a brand finalize a perfume''s scent. This was why ssic fragrances could remain timeless for decades.


    "It''s quick, I admit. I haven''t done any testing yet," Aurora confessed.


    "So, you haven''t done any market research? What if it''s not well-received?" Mona voiced her concern.


    Without pre-release testing, there was no way to gauge public opinion on the fragrance.


    So far, only Aurora and Denis Vukic had tested it. To Mona, it seemed uncharacteristically impulsive for Aurora, who was typically calcted and strategic.


    "I trust him." Aurora''s confidence came from her trust in Denis Vukic.


    This perfume''s main ingredients were her design, and Denis had only made minor adjustments to harmonize the scent.


    Since even Denis Vukic thought highly of the perfume, there was no reason for it to fail. To doubt it would be to doubt Denis Vukic''s expertise.


    "You trust Lockman?"


    "No, someone else. Mona, don''t worry about this. I heard Julian prepared ab for me.


    Where is it?" Aurora changed the subject.


    "Follow me. I''ll take you there," Mona said, leading her to theb.


    Aurora had never been to this particr facility before.