Page 88 of Abandoned By My Alpha Husband

Lucifer.

Since that day we returned from the school, he hadn't come to the shop again. Occasionally, werewolves would deliver things—jewelry and clothing were secondary, mainly glass display cases, more sophisticated fragrance tools, and more precise equipment. Today, it was a bouquet of lilies. The delivery person said it was "arranged by His Majesty," bowed, and left.

Lilies and bay leaves.

I placed the bouquet in a vase by the register. The lilies sat there quietly, white petals unfurling. I stared at them, something tightening in my chest.

What was he doing? Was he alright?

These questions circled endlessly in my head, but I didn't know how to ask. What were we to each other now? Should I reach out first? I couldn't bring myself to, because every signal I'd given him was rejection.

I sighed and turned back to work.

The next morning, before I'd even gotten to the shop, I'd just opened my laptop to process orders when my phone started blowing up.

Messages flooded in one after another.

"Ms. Windsor, have you seen the news online?"

"Boss, something's happened!"

"Elena, people are saying your fragrance products are toxic!"

My fingers froze. I opened my browser and searched "Windsor Fragrances."

The screen filled with headlines.

"Windsor Fragrances Exposed as Toxic, Multiple Customers Report Adverse Reactions”

"Unethical Business? Windsor Fragrances Suspected of Using Harmful Chemical Components"

"Consumers Speak Out: Dizziness and Nausea After Using Windsor Fragrances"

My breath caught.

I clicked the first article. Photos appeared—medical diagnoses, screenshot conversations, pictures of my shop. The article claimed multiple customers experienced dizziness, nausea, insomnia, and allergic reactions after using Windsor Fragrance products. Hospital visits led to diagnoses of "chemical poisoning."

The comments section had exploded.

"Oh my God, I bought some too!"

"Throw it away now!"

"Unethical business!"

"Call the police!"

"I heard His Majesty visited her shop too. Did he approve this?"

"Evil werewolf! Damn her!"

My hands trembled. This was impossible. My fragrance used all-natural essential oils, every batch rigorously tested. There was no way they could be toxic. What terrified me more was how this had spread to Lucifer.

My phone rang. This time, it was an employee from the shop.

"Ms. Windsor!" The voice was frantic. "There's a crowd at the shop entrance! They're demanding answers! You need to come now!"

My blood turned to ice. "I'm on my way." I grabbed my bag and rushed out.