Chapter 432: More Explosive Content

Honestly, forget about everyone else—Dylan was the most confused.

He'd been with the association for a couple of years now, working closely with Donovan and interacting with him all the time. How had he missed that Donovan had lost his sense of smell?

Was it a malicious lie, or...

Dylan got up, poured himself a cup of coffee, and stared blankly at his computer screen. Surprisingly, he wasn't as agitated as before; he could now think things through calmly.

He thought about all the events and evaluations he'd attended with Donovan over the years.

He hadn't noticed anything unusual at the time, but now, as he quietly reflected, Dylan could recall some details.

For instance, every time they attended evaluations, Donovan would always let him go first to analyze the newcomers' fragrances and work. Dylan hadn't thought much of it, assuming it was a test and training from a senior. After he finished speaking, Donovan would always praise him and then add a few nonchalant comments.

If it weren't for this incident, Dylan wouldn't have found anything odd. But over the years, it had always been like this, without exception.

Even when Donovan attended events with others, it was the same—others would evaluate first, and he would wrap things up.

His comments were always nonchalant, lacking constructive opinions, mostly perfunctory remarks, a few words of encouragement, and criticism, and that was it.

Could it be that Donovan's sense of smell was really impaired?

Thinking it over, Dylan picked up his phone and dialed the number he had previously called, but there was no answer; the message indicated the phone was turned off.

He figured Donovan might have turned off his phone to avoid the overwhelming attention.

With such a hot topic, the media and reporters must be going crazy, not to mention the concern from family and friends. It was normal that he couldn't get through.

Dylan then called the association's headquarters. "Hey, it's Dylan. Is Donovan there?"

"Donovan isn't here; he hasn't been to the association recently," answered his usual assistant. "Mr. Anderson, when will you be back? The association is a bit chaotic right now."

Dylan knew it was more than a bit chaotic. With this topic out, it was likely a complete mess.

Initially, the revelations were minor, even if some management issues were exposed. Those could be attributed to individual mistakes or oversight, requiring an apology and some reorganization—no big deal.

But now the topic had shifted to Donovan, the most authoritative figure in the association. If he had issues, who would trust the association? People would think the entire organization was rotten from top to bottom.

"I know, I'm working on it," Dylan said, gripping the phone tightly. "If you see Donovan, please have him call me back."

"Sure thing!"

After hanging up, Dylan dialed another number.

The phone rang without being answered, almost to the point of disconnecting automatically, when someone finally picked up.

"It's me, Dylan," he said directly.

"Mr. Anderson," Evelyn's voice was calm. "What's up?"

"Cut the crap. I want to know, are those posts about the association online you're doing?" He didn't want to beat around the bush; guessing games were pointless when both parties knew the truth.

Evelyn chuckled, "Are you questioning me? In what capacity, as the vice president of the association?"

"Doesn't matter what capacity. Are you brave enough to do it but not admit it?" Dylan moved the phone away slightly and pressed the record button.

"Did I say I wouldn't admit it? Did I say I did it?" Evelyn laughed lightly. "You mentioned the posts about your association; I saw them too. The content is indeed shocking. I'm curious, Mr. Anderson, are the posts true? As the vice president, you should know."

"Of course, they're false!" Dylan replied without hesitation. Such things couldn't be admitted, especially while recording. "Those are baseless accusations, clearly a setup. Evelyn, you had someone post those, and you fabricated the content, right?"

"Mr. Anderson, I don't know if the content is fabricated, but I didn't post them. Like the other netizens, I'm curious. May I ask, has Donovan really lost his sense of smell?"

Dylan felt as if his throat was suddenly constricted, making it hard to breathe.

Evelyn hung up, leaving him even more frustrated.

Evelyn hadn't fallen for his trap; his recording was useless.

After hanging up, Evelyn checked the time and went to the lab to observe the distillation and separation of the materials, recording the changes in form and data.

She was still working on her experiment. The theme perfume had been delayed due to cooperating with the police investigation. Although Samuel's bail allowed her to avoid staying at the police station, she still had to be available for questioning.

The police hadn't made much progress, repeatedly asking the same questions without further evidence or witnesses. The case was established but remained unresolved.

Fortunately, the Redwood Group had quieted down, no longer applying pressure. The issue with the perfume—whether it was the Redwood Group's internal problem or a collusion—remained undetermined, causing ongoing disputes.

The Redwood Group had withdrawn all their perfumes from the market, suffering significant losses, apologizing, and compensating. Evelyn's perfumes, though numerous and sold over the years, were only implicated by the Redwood Group's issues, and her involvement was unclear, so the impact wasn't too severe.

Moreover, Evelyn had recently left Seraphian Group, so the incident didn't affect Seraphian Group or Neogenito Fragrances much. Without new works, the turmoil didn't harm her significantly.

"I'm so glad you decided to resign back then; it was a brilliant move!" Laura said, removing her mask and washing her hands. "Otherwise, the company would be under pressure, and naturally, you'd be pressured too. You wouldn't be as free as you are now."

That's the benefit of having your own studio. Though it's tougher and more challenging, being your own boss means not having to deal with others' attitudes, offering more freedom.

"You're just happy you resigned and gained more freedom, right?" Evelyn joked, glancing at Laura.

Though joking, it was true. Laura had more freedom here, working together to build their brand, enjoying the entrepreneurial journey.

"I think so too. You guys have been too free lately; have you forgotten this is a studio, not home?" Samuel walked in from outside, with Kyle following behind him.