Chapter 353: Some Secrets Discovered
Thea Sherwood followed them inside, but only saw the two of them enter a private room. She couldn’t get in, which only made her more curious about what they were going to discuss.
Mr. Sam was over sixty and held a high status, making it incredibly difficult to get acquainted with him under normal circumstances.
Even Thea Sherwood, despite trying everything, had never gotten a chance to meet with him alone.
Thea Sherwood didn’t understand why Mr. Sam also treated Ivy Sherwood differently from everyone else.
’Could it be that Ivy’s success in landing this project has something to do with Mr. Sam?’
Inside the private room, it was just Ivy Sherwood and Mr. Sam. They ordered their food, and Mr. Sam also had someone bring red wine.
Ivy Sherwood then switched to fluent English. "Mr. Sam, your cholesterol was high before. You really shouldn’t be drinking."
Mr. Sam laughed heartily and told the waiter to cancel the wine.
The food arrived quickly, and they chatted as they ate. "Iris, the awards ceremony for the competition is coming up. Since you’re already here in Elandra, why don’t you go accept the award yourself?"
"I have to accept your trophies for you every time. Do you have any idea how many I’ve got piled up? I made sure the trophy design was especially beautiful. You don’t dislike my trophies, do you?"
Ivy Sherwood smiled. "Of course not, Mr. Sam. How could I possibly dislike them? I’ll take them all with me this time. Just make sure you don’t regret it."
"They were yours to begin with. Why would I regret it?"
Ivy Sherwood said, "I’ll have to skip the award ceremony this time. I’ll trouble you to accept it on my behalf again, Mr. Sam."
"Fine. You never show up. People are starting to doubt if Iris is even a real person. I even saw someone suggest you might be an AI."
Ivy Sherwood chuckled softly. Mr. Sam continued, "I still remember your first competition. You didn’t leave any information. It took me forever to find you. I was wondering who this mysterious Iris could be, and who would have thought it was a little girl not even in high school yet."
"Speaking of which, I have you to thank for that, Mr. Sam. The registration requirements have become more comprehensive over the years. If it weren’t for you, I might not have been able to compete while keeping my information private."
Mr. Sam laughed loudly. "I hear you’ve recently started your own brand and that it’s doing quite well."
Ivy Sherwood said, "You’re too kind. I’m just getting started."
The two chatted a bit more about the past before Mr. Sam said, "One more thing—I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but the Princess of Elandra says she’s been dreaming of a unique and unforgettable fragrance. She’s putting a lot of effort into finding it. There’s a handsome reward for anyone who can recreate the scent. I think you should give it a try."
"The Princess gave a specific description. You can find it online."
This piqued Ivy Sherwood’s interest. She decided she would give it a shot.
"Thank you for telling me, Mr. Sam."
"Don’t mention it. I was quite happy when I heard you were signing with that company. You’ve always been so low-key, I felt like your talent was being wasted. But now, seeing you with your own brand, having developed it to this point on your own strength—it’s truly wonderful."
Mr. Sam was truly fond of Ivy Sherwood. From their very first meeting, he had felt she was a special young woman.
"But I am curious," Mr. Sam added, still puzzled. "When you created your brand, why not just reveal that you’re Iris? If people knew it was founded by Iris, it would surely take off in no time."
Ivy Sherwood smiled and explained, "Iris is a clean, pure identity. She represents my love for perfumery, and nothing more. I don’t want the name Iris to be tainted by the scent of business."
Mr. Sam nodded in understanding.
The two finished their meal at a leisurely pace and then left the restaurant together.
Thea Sherwood had been waiting outside the whole time. When she saw Ivy Sherwood and Mr. Sam come out talking and laughing, she quickly took out her phone and recorded a video.
She recalled that the perfumery consultant for the company Ivy Sherwood was signing with was none other than Mr. Sam. This made her even more convinced that Ivy hadn’t landed this project through clean means. ’Otherwise, with so many competitors, why would they possibly choose Ivy?!’
She didn’t think Ivy Sherwood had that kind of ability on her own, but she had heard that Ivy’s relationship with Quentin Blackwood was ambiguous. It would be a different story entirely if this was Quentin’s doing—if he’d casually thrown a small project at Ivy just to play with and make her happy.
’Even if I can’t get this project, I will not let Ivy Sherwood have it.’
After returning to her hotel, Ivy Sherwood did a search online and, sure enough, found the Princess’s description of the fragrance she desired.
The Princess’s description was very ethereal; it seemed she herself didn’t quite know what scent she was looking for.
Fragrance is inherently difficult to describe. It looked like creating the perfume the Princess wanted would not be easy. ’Perhaps I’ll have to find an opportunity to learn the specific details of the Princess’s dream.’
Due to the time difference, Ivy Sherwood’s sleepiness had already passed.
If all went according to plan, she would sign the contract the day after tomorrow. After that, she would stay for another two days before heading back home.
Just as Ivy Sherwood was thinking this, a video call from Quentin Blackwood came in. She quickly answered.
It was ten o’clock at night for Ivy Sherwood, which was only six or seven in the morning back home. Quentin Blackwood, on the other end, was already awake.
"How are things? Are you adjusting okay?" Quentin Blackwood’s voice came through.
Ivy Sherwood held up her phone. "I’m adjusting fine. The scenery here is beautiful, too. It’s not a bad place for a vacation."
"You should be resting now. Go to bed early."
"Jet lag. It’s already time to wake up back home, so how could I possibly fall asleep now?"
"You have to sleep even if you’re not tired. Be good."
"I’m already in bed. I’ll go to sleep right now." Ivy Sherwood obediently lay down, placing her phone beside her.
Quentin Blackwood’s voice came from the phone. "Come back soon. And remember to miss me."
Ivy Sherwood buried her face in the covers. They had only been apart for a short time, but she already missed Quentin Blackwood a little.
’But I’ll be back soon anyway,’ she thought. ’If things go smoothly, I might even be able to return a day or two early.’
It all depended on the schedule. Returning early would be ideal, of course, but since nothing was confirmed, Ivy Sherwood hadn’t mentioned it to Quentin Blackwood.
Quentin Blackwood had intended to let Ivy Sherwood sleep with the call still connected, but a call came in from Zane Linton.
He must have seen that Quentin was on another call, so he sent a text message instead: President Blackwood, I have news about the Jade Pendant.
Seeing the message, Quentin Blackwood said to Ivy Sherwood, "Zane Linton is calling me. It might be about work. I need to take this."
"Go ahead, don’t worry about me. I’m going to sleep anyway."
"Mm, good night."
Ivy Sherwood replied, "Good morning."
After Ivy Sherwood hung up, Quentin Blackwood called Zane Linton back. "What’s going on with the Jade Pendant?"
Zane Linton had been investigating nonstop for several days and had finally found some clues.
Zane Linton’s tone was very serious. "The Jade Pendant was likely left behind by Miss Sherwood’s mother. I had my people make some inquiries, and they’ve uncovered some secrets..."