Three days later.
Mr. Roland arrived punctually at the company entrance.
Caleb Vance hurried forward to greet him.
"Mr. Roland, the perfume you requested is ready."
A sycophantic smile stretched across his face, though a glint of schadenfreude flickered in his eyes.
"Oh? That quickly?" Mr. Roland sounded surprised. "I recall this order being quite challenging."
"Indeed," Caleb sighed dramatically. "Our new colleague, Miss Sophia Sullivan, completed the formulation in just two hours."
Mr. Roland halted mid-step.
"Two hours?" His expression darkened. "Are you joking?"
Caleb raised his hands in mock defense.
"Of course not. Miss Sullivan is our newly appointed supervisor—exceptionally talented."
He deliberately emphasized the words "two hours" and "exceptionally talented."
Mr. Roland scoffed, clearly unconvinced.
They entered the meeting room together.
Sophia had been waiting patiently.
Two delicate perfume bottles rested on the table before her.
At the sight of her, Mr. Roland's frown deepened.
"This is the person you assigned to handle my order?" His tone dripped with displeasure. "She seems far too inexperienced."
Caleb quickly interjected.
"Don't let her youth fool you, Mr. Roland. Her skills are remarkable."
Sophia remained composed and slid one bottle toward him.
"Please try it, Mr. Roland."
Hesitant, Mr. Roland picked up the bottle.
He gave a light spritz into the air.
Caleb held his breath, anticipating disaster.
This client was notoriously difficult to please.
The slightest dissatisfaction would trigger an explosive tantrum.
He could already picture Sophia being torn to shreds by his fury.
But then—
Mr. Roland's expression froze.
His eyes widened, locked onto the perfume bottle in disbelief.
Caleb's stomach dropped.
"Mr. Roland, is the scent unsatisfactory?" He feigned concern, stepping closer. "It's understandable—two hours was far too rushed—"
Before he could finish, Mr. Roland shoved him aside.
"This is it!" Mr. Roland's voice trembled. "This is the exact fragrance!"
He cradled the bottle with reverence, his eyes glistening.
"After our original perfumer passed away, no one could recreate this scent..."
Caleb gaped.
The other onlookers exchanged stunned glances.
Sophia, however, remained unruffled.
She pushed the second bottle forward.
"Perhaps you'd like to try this one as well, Mr. Roland."
He took it hesitantly.
This time, his reaction was even more intense.
"This... this is an improved version?"
Sophia nodded.
"I made slight adjustments to the original formula, increasing the iris ratio to enhance the fragrance's depth."
Mr. Roland praised effusively.
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! I'll take this one too!"
He carefully secured both bottles, his gaze now brimming with admiration.
"For future collaborations, you'll be my first choice."
Sophia inclined her head slightly.
"Thank you for your trust, Mr. Roland."
As the satisfied client departed, Caleb and the others stood rooted in place.
A problem they had struggled with for half a month—
Sophia had solved it in just two hours.
This wasn't humanly possible.
It was downright monstrous.