Chapter 1


    Chapter 1 Betrayal


    Seraphina Jones woke up with a slight headache at midnight and felt her mouth as dry as a bone.


    Even so, Seraphina was still happy.


    Seraphina was a perfumer and had been working on a perfume for a long time. After she finally made


    it, she named it First Love. It would be sent to attend a perfumerypetition tomorrow night. After she


    won the prize in thepetition, she and Julian Brown, the man she loved, would start discussing their


    marriage ns.


    It had been five years since Seraphina and Julian knew each other at college. Besides, they had been


    in love for three years.


    Seraphina gave up a lot of things and devoted herself to the study of perfume. Her efforts finally paid


    off. With her help, Julian’spany grew bigger. A bright future seemingly smiled at her. For this


    reason, she drank a few more drinks at night.


    Seraphina pinched the bridge of her nose and nned to find some water, but she heard a strange


    noise from the next room.


    Seraphina lived alone in the small rented apartment. Julian would stay asionally, but he would only


    stay in the guest room alone.


    Hearing the noise, Seraphina couldn’t help worrying about if there was anything wrong with Julian.


    But when Seraphina got closer to the door of that room, she heard a woman’s voice.


    “Julian, will Seraphina hear us?”


    “Isn’t it exciting? Don’t worry, honey. I put a drug in her drink. I’m sure she won’t wake up till tomorrow


    morning.” Although the man’s voice was full of short gasps, Seraphina could recognize that it was


    Julian’s voice.


    Seraphina’s heart sank. Seraphina put so much concentration into the study and development of


    perfumes over the years that she often suffered from insomnia and needed sleeping pills to help her fall


    asleep. Therefore, she developed some resistance to drugs that helped or made one sleep.


    “When I win the award with the new perfume at tomorrow’spetition, I will be a senior perfumer and


    have a stable position in this circle. There will be plenty of investors for you to choose from in the


    future. Moreover, you can recruit as many perfumers as you want, including those better than


    Seraphina.”


    Seraphina, who was standing at the door, clenched her hands and recognized it was Vivian Garcia who


    was speaking inside that room.


    Vivian was Seraphina’s best friend from college. However, since they were still college students, she


    had been keeping an improper rtionship with Julian whom Seraphina took as her fiancé.


    Seraphina naturally heard of some rumors. She just stubbornly chose to trust Julian and Vivian, but the


    reality gave her a fierce p in the face.


    “Sweetheart, I even included part of the letters of your name in mypany’s name. You know how


    much I love you! As for Seraphina, I just take her as a springboard. If it weren’t for you, I would not


    have tampered with her form in the perfumerypetition that was held for beginner perfumers


    before,” said Julian.


    “I don’t want you to mention her name. Tell me whom you love more, me or her?” Vivian’s voice was


    already soft. At this moment, it could dazzle Julian as Vivian deliberately spoke in a nasal sing-song


    voice. However, Seraphina only found it disgusting.


    Seraphina gritted her teeth, widened her eyes, and red at the door as if her gaze could go through


    the door and fall on the nasty man and woman inside.


    “Of course… I love you!” Julian mumbled.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    There then came some waves ofughter and groans that made Seraphina sick. Seraphina clenched


    her hands into fists, pressing her fingernails against the skin hard. The pain in her palms brought her to


    her reason which then suppressed her urge to rush in.


    Never had Seraphina expected that what waited for her after years of dedication was a lie and betrayal


    from her boyfriend.


    Three years ago, Seraphina became famous in a provincial perfumerypetition. At that time, she


    received invitations from a lot ofpanies, including majorpanies like Apex Corporation. But she


    refused them all and focused on helping Julian as he just started his business.


    In a perfumerypetition two years ago, something went wrong with the perfume Seraphina


    developed. Seraphina was then mocked as a “noseless perfumer”. Seraphina racked her brains at that


    time but couldn’t find out what went wrong with her perfume. Julian had always been around and


    thoughtfully asked her to quit attending anypetitions and focus on studying and developing


    perfumer behind the scenes. Vivian then reced Seraphina and began to attend the relevant


    Seraphina was moved at that time, thinking that they would go through all kinds of hardships as long as


    Julian and she supported and apanied each other, but now she found that she was more like a


    pawn in Julian’s hand.


    Julian named thepany “Prosperian Company” back then. He exined that thepany would


    ovee all the difficulties and embrace prosperity through their joint efforts. Seraphina believed it.


    But now, it turned out Julian named it that way only because it had a part that was the same as Vivian’s


    and Julian’s names.


    Clearly Julian and Vivian made thepany a testimony to their deep love for each other in a way that


    was hard to be noticed by others, including Seraphina who had been in high spirits and always wanted


    to help Julian get hispany stronger. Now Seraphina felt that she was ridiculously stupid!


    Seraphina’s anger finally calmed down. She stayed up all night, and it was almost dawn when she


    heard that Julian and Vivian left.


    Immediately, she got up and rummaged around. Finally, she found a gilded business card.


    Three years ago, Dashiell Martinez, the CEO of Apex Corporation, gave Seraphina a business card in


    person. It had been three years, so Seraphina was not sure if Dashiell had ever changed his phone


    number.


    Seraphina held her phone tightly. After the call was answered, she felt a little nervous as she said,


    “Hello, it’s Seraphina Jones. Is this Mr. Martinez?”


    Seraphina paused. Seeing the phone was not hung up, she quickly continued, “We met once at the


    perfumerypetition in the province three years ago. You gave me one of your…”


    “Yes, I remember.” Dashiell only said three words. But his husky voice surprisingly relieved Seraphina’s


    nervousness.


    “Well, here’s the thing. I have a business deal that you may be interested in.”


    After a short silence, Dashiell said in a deep voice, “Come to my office at nine o’clock tomorrow


    morning.”


    Hearing that, Seraphina said in a hurry as she was worried that Dashiell would hang up, “Wait a


    minute… Mr. Martinez, we may not be able to make it tomorrow. Can we do it today? Besides, it is not


    convenient for me to talk about it in your office. Can we talk about it at another ce?”


    Seraphina was so anxious that she finished her words very fast. After that, she couldn’t help but feel


    nervous again.


    Apex Corporation ounted for two-thirds of the market share of domestic cosmetics and skincare


    products, not to mention its wide business scope andrge capital background.


    As the CEO of Apex Corporation, Dashiell was a business legend. Therefore, Seraphina thought it was


    lucky for her that Dashiell was willing to take the time to see her. She felt she was bold as she was


    pushing her luck and asking Dashiell to change the time and ce to meet.


    But the truth was that Seraphina had to do that.


    The new productunch and the Debut Scent Competition would start at night that day. If Seraphina


    went to talk about the business deal the next day, it would bete. Besides, if she met Dashiell at


    Dashiell’spany, it would attract a lot of attention, which would have a bad effect on her ns.


    Seraphina held her phone and waited for Dashiell’s answer with bated breath. She knew she was


    taking a gamble.


    However, what responded to Seraphina was a dead silence thatsted for about one minute. Just as


    Seraphina thought her request was going to be rejected, she heard Dashiell say, “Okay. We can meet


    at the café on Garden Road thirty minutester.”


    “Okay. Thank…”


    Before Seraphina could finish her words, Dashiell interrupted her, “Remember to bring your driver’s


    license and birth certificate.”


    “What?” cried Seraphina in astonishment.


    Dashiell, however, hung up directly.


    After a while, Seraphina still doubted if she had heard it right, but as she was pressed for time, she


    didn’t think too much about it.


    Seraphina quickly changed her clothes and dressed herself up briefly. She then went out.


    Fortunately, Garden Road was not far away. Seraphina arrived on time. When she was about to enter


    the café, someone stopped her.


    “Ms. Seraphina Jones?”


    The man called Seraphina’s name directly, but Seraphina didn’t know him.


    “My boss is waiting for you. Please follow me.”


    The man reached one of his hands, inviting Seraphina to go in another direction. Seraphina looked in


    that direction and saw a long ck Lincoln car parked by the roadside.


    Seraphina knew in an instant who the man’s boss was.


    Without hesitation, Seraphina walked towards the car. The driver opened the door for her. It was hard


    for Seraphina to see the man’s face from outside. She only saw two slender legs and a pair of shining


    shoes on the man’s feet.


    Seraphina got into the car. It was a bit cold in the car, so she unconsciously shivered before looking up


    at the man. “Hello, Mr. Martinez. I…”


    “Get to the point.” Dashiell only threw a few words, as aloof as when they talked on the phone before.


    Seraphina stopped abruptly and then saw Dashiell’s face.