Claire had initially assumed that the Left An Cosmetics counter at Brighton Plaza would be similar to the ones she'd seen before—small, maybe six or seven square meters at most, with little more than a few shelves for products.
To her surprise, it was the complete opposite!
The Left An Cosmetics counter was located in the best part of the beauty section on the first floor, taking up an impressive fifty square meters. The main wall, situated directly in front of the entrance, was a striking blue—the signature color of Left An. The other two walls, including the entrance, were made of bright, crystal-clear frosted glass, which gave the space a sophisticated, luxurious feel.
Inside, five uniquely shaped counters—rectangular, diamond, oval, heart-shaped, and crescent—were arranged in a harmonious layout, all in varying shades of pink. Each one displayed an array of cosmetic and beauty products, creating an inviting atmosphere of elegance and style.
As Claire followed Sarah into the space, a delicate fragrance surrounded them. The scent was subtle yet captivating, carrying an air of mystery that seemed to calm the mind and soothe the soul with every breath.
"Sarah, what perfume is that? The scent is so unique. It's fresh but also has a seductive quality to it," Claire asked, intrigued by the intoxicating aroma.
Sarah, who had just turned on some background music—Ronankeating's *When You Say Nothing at All*—looked up briefly before glancing back down at the inventory list in her hand.
"That's one of Left An's bestsellers from last year—'Kiss Kiss BB,' the queen of perfumes. It topped the global perfume sales charts. But just a few months ago, the company abruptly announced it would stop production."
"Stop production?" Claire asked in disbelief. "If it was a global bestseller, why stop making it?"
"Well, like I said, it was sudden. And when I say sudden, I mean I have no idea why," Sarah replied.
"Was it designed by Ran Tao and his team?" Claire asked, glancing around at the products.
"Of course not! Ran Tao's not a perfume designer," Sarah said with a laugh, handing Claire a pale pink, three-piece uniform. "Here, try this on. You can change in the dressing room at the clothing store across the hall."
Claire took the uniform and started toward the dressing room, but paused after a few steps, turning back to Sarah.
"Wait, isn't Ran Tao the head of the creative team? I thought all the company's cosmetics and beauty products were designed by his department."
Sarah, busy checking the stock at one of the oval-shaped counters, lifted her head and dramatically rolled her eyes. "Claire, I'm seriously starting to wonder if you're from Mars—or if you got into this company because of some family connections. How do you not know the most basic facts?"
Claire laughed nervously, feeling a little embarrassed. "Oh, no, no… I just got a bit lucky, that's all."
*Lucky? More like cursed,* Claire thought. *If I had any real connections, I wouldn't be stuck constantly being toyed with by my boss.*
"The 'Kiss Kiss BB' perfume was designed by none other than the CEO himself. And it was his decision to stop production."
*What? The CEO? Lucas?!*
"Wait, you mean the CEO? He's a perfume designer?" Claire asked, thinking she must have misheard. How could *that* man—who was constantly playing games with her—also be a perfume master?
"Yep! Certified and world-class!" Sarah confirmed, giving her a little push. "Now hurry up and get changed. If we don't meet this month's sales target, they'll dock our bonuses."
Claire blinked, still trying to process what she had just heard as she hurried off to change. *Lucas, a perfume master? That arrogant, infuriating man?* The revelation was nothing short of mind-blowing.