Hale Global didn't just acquire companies—it rehabilitated them like lost planets re-aligned into orbit.
The lab for Morgan Fragrance was completed exactly 7 days after acquisition approval.
When Lila entered it for the first time, she stopped breathing—not from fear, but reverence.
Rows of ingredient vaults lined the walls containing rare natural sources:
Madagascar Vanilla Absolute
Bulgarian Rose Solvent Extract
Tasmanian Freesia Oil
Icelandic Glacial Mineral Base
Atlantic Saline Mist Essence Preserved via Molecular Vapor Capture
Italian Lemon Zest Volatile Strain
Everything was labeled in handwriting replicating her mother's original ledger font.
"How did you copy her lettering?" she asked Serena quietly.
Serena tapped one of the glass cupboards. "The CEO memorized the notebook patterns. Insisted scanning machines learn nostalgia calibration."
Lila whispered back, "He scans feelings and prints logic."
Serena smiled knowingly. "And you dissolve logic and print feelings."