Marie’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at the snuff bottle-shaped, painted perfume bottle. Eastshore Nightfall, an antique perfume, she had only seen in old photos and videos. She couldn’t resist moving closer to inspect the perfume-filled giant ss disy.
“Oh, that’s only half-full,” Tina remarked casually.
“Even half-full is rare, you know!” Marie nearly squealed like a groundhog. Eastshore Nightfall was a perfume from a century ago; she thought it had long since disappeared. As an antique perfume and perfume bottle collector, the sight of the Eastshore Nightfall stirred a fiery passion within her.
Turning her gaze, she then spotted a ss bottle nearby with an inverted heart-shaped cap, and immediately regained herposure. “Just Butterfly’s Reverie,” though discontinued, it still had a substantial presence in the market. It was still essible if one had the money to buy from collectors.
Seeing Marie’s interest in the Butterfly’s Reverie, Tina added, “This bottle is a first edition.”
“What?!” Marie’s eyes widened again. “This bottle is a first edition Butterfly’s Reverie from 1919?”
Many perfumes might carry forward decades or even centuries of heritage, but their scents would often be revised. The original scent would change over time due to market demands or because certain natural ingredients became lost or banned, necessitating a switch to synthetic substitutes. Thus, first edition perfumes were extremely rare.
Then, she noticed several uniquely designed perfume bottles nearby, and her pupils dted. “Is, is that Apple Grove?” She pointed to a semi-transparent ss perfume bottle withyered arc patterns, its cap resembling the shape of a tree canopy, her voice trembling.
“Mhm,” Tina nced at it and nodded, “It’s Peter Johnstone’s creation, Apple Grove. The two next to it are also his works…”
“How do you have such rare antique perfumes and bottles?” Marie felt so excited she nearly fainted, reminding herself to breathe deep. She turned back, eyeing Tina suspiciously, “These aren’t fakes, are they?”
“Some of these are my collection, and others were left by my mother,” Tina responded gently, “They’re genuine; I only brought a few here.” Tina enjoyed looking at these antique perfumes and bottles as she created her scents, drawing inspiration from their stories.
“Only a few?” Marie took another deep breath, grabbed Tina’s hand, her eyes sparkling, “How many more do you have? Can I see them?”
Tina did not answer immediately, knowing that Tina’s mother, Reba, had been a renowned perfumer. The Reed familypany was once in a financial crisis and was revived byunching eight fragrances created by Reba. Marie had bought and adored each one.
“If it’s convenient…” Seeing Marie’s suddenly passionate gaze, Tina was slightly overwhelmed.
“Anytime is convenient for me!” Marie eximed with excitement.
Tina, “…”
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Downstairs in the living room.
Hayden Cohen had been squatting by the staircase, craning his neck to look upstairs. “Mr. Cohen, what are you doing?” Nathan Lehman asked as he passed by.
“I was seeing how long Marie has been with Tina, wondering why they haven’t started arguing yet,” Hayden Cohen said, puzzled.
“You want thedy and Miss Reed to argue?” Nathan Lehman frowned, not understanding his odd predilection.
“It’d be more interesting if they did, even better if they fight,” Hayden Cohen enjoyed the drama, “I just want to see what Mr. Farrell would do if Marie and Tina had an irreconcble fallout.”
Before he could finish, the door to Tina’s perfume room creaked open, and Marie walked out looking thrilled, clutching a perfume bottle she had begged from Tina.
As she stepped into the elevator, Marie suddenly realized something. Hey? What was she doing here to see Tina for?
“Mr. Farrell, could Tina have bewitched your mother?” Hayden Cohen couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed after such a long wait.
And seeing Marie’s submissive demeanor, it seemed she had been somehow charmed by Tina. Oh, the Marie he knew wasn’t afraid of anyone but Logan. Usually, if she got stubborn and caused a scene, even Jared Farrell got a headache.
Seeing Marie enter unhappy bute out content, he was convinced, “She must have been bewitched.”
On the couch, Jared Farrell kept his head down, typing on hisptop, only slightly relieved inside. He thought his mother woulde down crying after picking a fight with Tina.
Just then, Tina, feeling thirsty, went to grab a bottle of water from the kitchen fridge and headed back upstairs. Hayden Cohen stopped her curiously, “Tina, how did you manage Jared Farrell’s mother?”
Jared Farrell and Nathan Lehman couldn’t help but pause their work.
Tina paused, thinking back. She hadn’t really done anything, and Marie had just warmed up to her mysteriously. So, she concluded, “Maybe it’s my personal charm.”
Jared Farrell, “…”
Nathan Lehman, “…”
Hayden Cohen, “…”
Watching Tina walk upstairs, Hayden Cohen shook his head, muttering to Jared Farrell, “Your fiancee’s as arrogant as you.”
“That’s why we’re a match,” Jared Farrell chuckled softly then resumed typing.
Hayden Cohen rolled his eyes again. Although Tina’s handling of Marie was a blessing, Jared Farrell hadn’t anticipated that from that day onward, Marie started frequenting his ce daily. She never looked for him but headed straight for Tina’s perfume room, taking home an antique perfume one day, a perfume bottle the next, and samples of Tina’stest concoctions the day after.
However, Tina only allowed Marie to take from her own collection, not her mother’s treasures. Of course, Marie never took without giving; she stuffed all kinds of jewelry and adornments into Tina’s arms every visit.
Jared Farrell began to wonder if Tina could actually be his long-lost sister, considering how often Marie disturbed them, significantly reducing his alone time with Tina. He almost wanted to find a way to send Marie back to the capital.