Chapter 290

Victoria Sterling stood outside the door, her worry growing with each passing minute. She pulled out her phone and dialed Isabella Thornton. "Has Evelyn said anything to you about new product developments?"

"No. Why? What's going on?" Isabella had just returned from the hospital, grocery bags in hand, before diving into housework. The hum of the vacuum cleaner filled the background, making it hard to hear Victoria clearly.

"Evelyn locked herself in the lab and won't respond. I tried talking to her, but she's completely shut me out. I don’t think she’s okay. I’m really concerned."

Isabella froze, her grip tightening on the vacuum handle. She quickly switched it off, muttering under her breath, "Could it be because of what happened earlier? She seemed fine when she left."

Victoria’s curiosity piqued. "What happened earlier?"

"It’s complicated. She’s still in the lab, right? I’ll go check on her." Isabella hastily set aside her cleaning supplies, untied her apron, scrubbed her hands, and rushed out the door.

The lab remained eerily silent. Frustrated, Victoria could only sink into the sofa outside, waiting. As office hours ended, employees trickled out one by one. Nearly an hour had passed before Isabella arrived, breathless from hurrying.

"Is she still in there?"

Victoria gestured toward the lab with a pout. Isabella nodded and hurried over, knocking firmly. "Evelyn, it’s Bella. Open up. What are you doing in there? Let me help you. Evelyn—"

Before she could finish, the lab door swung open, releasing a wave of nauseating fumes. Isabella recoiled, coughing violently, her eyes watering. She couldn’t stop.

Victoria jerked her head up at the sound, but before she could react, the overpowering stench hit her too. She doubled over, hacking. "Wh-what is that?"

Both women struggled to breathe, yet Evelyn stood unaffected, blinking at them. "Were you looking for me?"

Silence.

They had been pounding on the door, calling her name—how could she not know?

Between coughs, neither could form a coherent response.

"Sorry. Forgot to turn on the ventilation," Evelyn said flatly. She reached over and flicked the exhaust fan on. The air cleared slightly as the fumes dissipated.

Once she caught her breath, Isabella wiped her teary eyes and scanned the room. "Evelyn, what were you doing in here? That smell was unbearable."

"Just an experiment. I wanted to see what happens when you combine the strongest scents." Evelyn stepped out, her expression shadowed. The day’s events had clearly left her in a dark mood.

What do you get when you mix all the worst things together?

In perfumery, bold risks sometimes led to breakthroughs. Evelyn had shut the world out, losing herself in the process.

"You could’ve suffocated in there!" Victoria rasped, still coughing. "That wasn’t bold—it was reckless."

"The results were interesting. I kept samples for further testing." Evelyn peeled off her gloves with clinical detachment.