Chapter 306

A young woman in an elegant princess gown, her ash brown hair cascading down her shoulders, gracefully navigated through the crowd.

She clung to Harrison Whitaker's arm, her youthful face glowing with a radiant smile. That smile alone dissolved the tension hanging in the air.

The moment Harrison looked at her, his stern expression softened into one of pure adoration.

"You've been running around again, haven't you?" he chided gently.

"I wasn't!" she protested, then paused, suddenly aware of the odd atmosphere.

Glancing around, she blinked in confusion. "Why is everyone staring at me?"

Her gaze swept the room, and she realized the crowd wasn't just focused on her and her father—but also on...

"Evelyn!"

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she called out the familiar nickname. Instantly, she released Harrison's arm and rushed forward to grab Evelyn Carter's instead.

"It's really you! I'm not imagining things! Evelyn, you're here! Did you come to see me?"

The entire room, including Evelyn, fell into stunned silence.

At that moment, the happiest person present was this bubbly, carefree young woman.

"I knew we'd always be friends! Why did you disappear on me? The sachet you made for me lost its scent after a while. I searched everywhere, but nothing compared to yours. Now that you're here, you have to tell me—"

"Ahem."

Harrison cleared his throat sharply, cutting her off. "Serena, mind your manners."

He couldn't reprimand her too harshly in front of everyone, so he settled for a warning.

"Daddy! I'm being perfectly polite!" Serena protested, tugging Evelyn forward. "Don't you remember? This is Evelyn, my best friend from Veridia! The one I told you about!"

She positioned Evelyn directly in front of Harrison, beaming.

"Evelyn, meet my dad!"

Both Evelyn and Harrison were left speechless.

This is beyond awkward, Evelyn thought.

Swallowing her discomfort, she extended her hand. "Hello. I'm Evelyn Carter, Serena's friend."

Harrison studied her outstretched hand, then glanced at his daughter's eager expression. With a measured nod, he accepted the handshake.

"Nice to meet you."

And just like that, the explosive tension from earlier dissipated.

The hostility in the air vanished completely.

Whispers of envy rippled through the crowd.

No one had expected Evelyn to be acquainted with Harrison Whitaker's daughter.

To them, this was a golden opportunity—an instant shortcut to success in the perfumery world.

With Serena's favor, they assumed Evelyn would effortlessly rise to the top.