Chapter 421 She Still Refuses to Yield

Chapter 421 She Still Refuses to Yield

"What if the industry association puts pressure on the Seraphian Group?" Evelyn asked, raising an eyebrow.

Laura looked shocked. "They wouldn't dare, would they?"

The Seraphian Group was a giant in the industry. Would they really be scared of a mere Fragrance Association?

Evelyn chuckled, giving her a knowing look. "Do you think the Fragrance Association is just some small-time club?"

"Think about all the famous perfumers in the association. If they all team up to put pressure, it could seriously mess with perfume production. And the board members, the president—do you think they're just perfumers?"

In reality, many of them had significant political clout. Because of this, the association had a semi-official status, wielding enough power to set industry regulations, make demands, and even blacklist someone if they felt slighted.

This was why Evelyn disliked the association. It had strayed far from its original purpose, which wasn't what she wanted.

"Given all that, how can you still be smiling? Shouldn't you be figuring out a solution?" Laura hadn't realized the situation was so serious. She had assumed that with Samuel around, everything would be manageable, no big deal.

But now, hearing Evelyn's explanation, it seemed even the Seraphian Group might not be able to handle it, and Samuel might not be able to counter it either. Yet here Evelyn was, lounging under the pergola, sipping coffee without a care.

"What's the rush?" Evelyn said nonchalantly. "If they want to blacklist me, let them. As perfumers, our primary focus should be on creating better, more exceptional perfumes, right?"

For Evelyn, the most important thing as a perfumer was the craft itself. Nothing else mattered as much.

"But..." Laura started to say something, but Evelyn suddenly stood up. "I've got it!"

Laura had no idea what she was talking about, but she watched as Evelyn moved to the corner of the garden.

The wooden stakes they had planted earlier still looked bare, but upon closer inspection, tiny green shoots were sprouting. Though small, they were a vibrant green and quite adorable.

Evelyn crouched down, sniffed the shoots, and then carefully lifted one with her fingers, gently rubbing the leaves.

They were so tender!

A slight touch caused a bit of the skin to break, releasing some sap.

She rubbed the sap between her fingers and brought it to her nose, a look of delight spreading across her face.

Laura came over too. "What is this?"

She had seen Evelyn plant these stakes days ago, thinking they were just ordinary pieces of wood. If not for the new shoots, she would have believed they were dead.

She had seen many raw materials for perfumes, but this wood didn't seem special. It had a typical woody scent, not like any common fragrance ingredient. Yet Evelyn treated it with such care, as if it were a treasure.

"It's something special!" Evelyn smiled, clearly pleased, unaffected by the blacklist threat.

After experiencing so much, she had learned to take these things in stride. Besides, she had anticipated Dylan's actions, so she wasn't too surprised.

"Go grab my tray," Evelyn instructed.

Laura hurried inside to fetch the tools. When she returned, she watched as Evelyn carefully snipped a few tiny shoots and placed them on the tray. There weren't many, but as she lifted the tray, Laura caught a whiff of a unique fragrance.

"This scent is really something!" Laura couldn't help but bring the tray closer for another sniff.

"Isn't it?" Evelyn said proudly, "Be careful not to damage my precious shoots. Now, let's get to work."

She had been waiting for these shoots, and if her hunch was correct, they would create a new, unique perfume.

The Fragrance Association's office in Summercrest City was a large compound. Dylan checked the trending post and the association's draft blacklist notice, which hadn't been sent out yet. He was waiting for Evelyn's response.

So far, there had been no response from her side, not even a hint of movement.

Evelyn's stance was firm. She hadn't even called to try and smooth things over. Deep down, Dylan didn't want things to escalate to the final step. He just needed her to show some humility.

Talent was real, but genius was debatable. Regardless, in this country, she should be under the association's control. An uncontrolled element was a destabilizing factor that needed to be removed.

Yet, Evelyn remained defiant. Did she really think Samuel alone could protect her?

Dylan pondered this when someone entered. "Mr. Anderson, there's a woman outside asking to see you."

"Evelyn?" he asked, looking up. Most people here knew Evelyn and what she looked like.

The person shook their head and replied, "No, she says her name is Redwood."

Dylan initially thought to refuse, but then he glanced at his computer, where the trending list was still displayed. He smirked. "Let her in."

He hadn't expected Ruby to come here.

Ruby wore a light purple dress today, making her look a few years younger and quite charming.

She had put on light makeup, different from her usual office look, and had curled her hair, clearly having put effort into her appearance.

"Mr. Anderson," she greeted, spotting Dylan immediately. To be honest, while Dylan might not be as handsome as Samuel, he still stood out in the room.

Moreover, the Anderson family was as influential as the Whitman family. If she could be with him, she was confident she could eventually overshadow the Seraphian Group.

With that thought, Ruby's smile brightened. "Nice to see you again."

Dylan gave her a cool look and said, "I didn't expect you to have the leisure to visit me for coffee, given the chaos at your company."

Following his gaze, Ruby saw the trending list on his computer screen. She knew the recent trends were dominated by the Redwood family's issues and understood what he meant. She smiled nonchalantly. "I'm not here for coffee. I'm here to bring you a gift, Mr. Anderson."

Dylan looked at her empty hands and small shoulder bag. "What gift?"

"A gift to deal with our common enemy," Ruby said, sitting down at the table opposite Dylan, her leg lightly brushing against his.