Chapter 434 Is It Really Necessary!

Chapter 434 Is It Really Necessary!

Evelyn glanced at her phone and hung up, continuing her meal.

It rang again shortly after. She hung up once more. This repeated several times.

"Who's being such a pain? Want me to tell them off?" Samuel joked, noticing Evelyn's irritated expression, and reached for her ringing phone.

Evelyn pressed the hang-up button and shook her head. "You'd have to yell at a whole bunch of people."

Samuel raised an eyebrow, thinking for a moment. "Reporters?"

The frequent calls from multiple people at the same time could only be from the most eager media outlets digging for a story.

Evelyn shrugged. She was full and had lost interest in eating. She stood up and started clearing the dishes.

"Leave it," Samuel said, "I'll handle it."

This time, Evelyn didn't listen to him. She helped him put the dishes in the dishwasher and sighed as she listened to the machine hum.

In the living room, her phone was still ringing. Evelyn lazily glanced at it.

"Is it about the Donovan thing?" Samuel guessed, always able to pinpoint the issue.

Evelyn nodded. "I knew once this story broke, I'd be in for a rough time."

Even though there was no concrete evidence that she was the one who leaked the story, her recent fierce clashes with the industry association had drawn a lot of attention. With the association's scandals coming to light one after another, it was inevitable that people would suspect her.

"It doesn't matter who leaked it. If it's the truth, there's nothing to fear."

"I'm not scared, just annoyed." Evelyn leaned against the counter, looking up at the ceiling with a long sigh.

Initially, she just wanted to be a quiet perfumer, creating scents she loved and that others would enjoy. Different fragrances, different moods, all bringing joy and sweetness.

In a world where so many things are fleeting, preserving a scent that reminds people of her presence seemed romantic.

But Evelyn hadn't expected that even such a simple wish would be so hard to achieve.

First, Liam had stolen all her honors and achievements, then teamed up with Vivian to deceive her. Her time at Neogenito Fragrances had been happy, but any success there quickly drew the attention of the Fragrance Association.

Their "invitation" was more like coercion. Whether she wanted to or not, their invitation was supposed to be the highest honor, and refusal was not an option.

When she declined, they retaliated fiercely, nitpicking and even threatening to revoke her license, preventing her from being a perfumer. Meanwhile, the Redwood Group was also scheming against her.

Evelyn couldn't understand why it was so hard to quietly do something she loved. Why couldn't these people focus on their work instead of playing power games?

"If it's bothering you, I can handle it," Samuel said seriously, putting an arm around her shoulders.

He could have dealt with these issues for her, but she insisted on handling them herself. He hadn't realized how capable his little wife was until she took matters into her own hands.

"I've come this far; I'm not backing down!" Evelyn straightened up. "But I think I need to get another phone number."

Turning off her phone wasn't an option; she might miss important information. But having a backup plan would be less annoying.

"That's not a problem. I'll get it sorted right away," Samuel said, walking out of the kitchen with her. He glanced at the still-ringing phone and couldn't help but ask, "There's something I don't quite understand."

Evelyn poured two glasses of warm water, handing one to him, and nodded for him to continue.

"Is it true that Donovan lost his sense of smell?"

Samuel had been shocked when he first heard the news. If it hadn't come from Evelyn, he would have dismissed it as a baseless rumor.

Despite his complete trust in Evelyn, he couldn't help but ask.

Evelyn paused, holding her glass, then nodded.

"When did you find out?" If it was true, Evelyn's insight was remarkable.

Donovan was highly respected in the perfume industry, almost a leading figure. Many current perfumers were his students, who had their own students, creating a vast network.

How had so many people failed to notice he'd lost his sense of smell?

Even his own intelligence network hadn't picked up on it. Such a significant issue couldn't have been completely hidden. How had Evelyn discovered it?

"At first, I just suspected," Evelyn said calmly, taking a sip of water. "I've watched many videos on perfumery, from educational to competitions and events."

"I initially found it odd that Donovan always gave the final critique at events, spoke last, and said very little."

Samuel thought for a moment. "That's true, but it's not unusual. He's an authority, a heavyweight, so it makes sense for him to have the final word."

"Yes, I thought so too. But in earlier videos, he wasn't like that. Donovan was very strict and outspoken, harshly criticizing poor work, even making newcomers cry. But in recent years, he's spoken less, and his critiques lack the sharpness they once had, often just repeating others' comments and adding a few words."

"His participation in events has decreased, except for those he couldn't avoid or important occasions, and he hasn't offered any substantial insights. His critiques used to be very educational."

Evelyn sighed. If she hadn't been forced into a corner, she wouldn't have exposed this.

But revealing it had its benefits. Donovan had likely lost his sense of smell years ago. As a perfumer, losing such a crucial ability meant he should have retired.

Hiding the truth and staying in a prominent position, giving guidance, was misleading and harmful.

Really, what was the point?