Chapter 301
Chapter 301
Lisbeth had just pulled into the company's underground garage when her phone started buzzing nonstop. Financial news alerts kept flooding her screen:
《European Eco-Brand Velora Embroiled in Toxic Materials Scandal》
《Velora Accused of False Advertising, Lawsuits Underway in Multiple Countries》
《Exclusive Distributor "Citrus Shine" Future in Jeopardy?》
Citrus Shine. Her company.
When she'd founded it, Lisbeth had chosen that name with hope—it was supposed to be her starting point, her new beginning.
She pocketed her phone and pushed open the car door.
She would never let anyone destroy what she'd built.
The elevator took her straight to the office floor. The moment the doors opened, the usually noisy workspace fell silent. Every employee's gaze flicked toward her, then quickly dropped. Only keyboard clicks and hushed whispers remained.
Her assistant Quinn rushed over clutching a folder, face pale. "Ms. Whitaker, thank God you're here! Briar and Flynn from marketing are waiting in the conference room, and the bank's called twice…"
Lisbeth strode toward her office, heels clicking sharply against the marble.
Inside, CFO Briar and Marketing Director Flynn were already seated.
Briar clutched several freshly printed reports, edges crumpled in her grip. When she saw Lisbeth, her voice came out hoarse. "Ms. Whitaker, this is the breakdown of our investment in the Velora project. According to the contract, if the brand is proven guilty, we could face massive penalties… Preliminary estimates—if worst comes to worst, our cash flow won't last a month."
Lisbeth took the reports. The paper felt ice-cold. Before she could finish reading, the desk phone rang.
It was Sophia.
"Lisbeth, you saw the news, right?" Sophia's voice crackled through the receiver, background noise chaotic. "Don't panic. I'm in Europe talking to the brand. They're saying it's a smear campaign by competitors…"
"Ms. White," Lisbeth cut her off, voice edged with frost, "you promised me overseas media resources and channel support. I need those contacts. Now."
Two seconds of silence.
"…There's been a communication issue on that front. Lisbeth, you need to hold steady. Keep things under control domestically. I'll handle things here and be back soon. I promise I'll make this right!"
"How long?"
"I… can't say for sure. As soon as I can."
The call ended. The dial tone felt painfully loud in the quiet office.
Lisbeth set down the receiver and stared out the window. The city looked prosperous as ever, but she felt the ground beneath her feet crumbling, inch by inch.
Her personal phone rang. The screen read "Sebastian."
She stared at his name for several seconds before answering.
"I saw the news." Sebastian was in his own office, concern threading through his voice. "Where are you? Do you need me to come over?"
"At the office." Lisbeth's voice was quieter than expected, but steady. "You don't need to come. I can handle this."
Sebastian's tone softened. "Beth, don't carry this alone. I can send over our legal and PR teams."
"No." Lisbeth interrupted gently, glancing at her employees. She turned away, lowering her voice. "This is my company. My project. I want to try handling it myself first. I can't always rely on you."
The silence on the other end lasted longer this time.
"…All right." Finally, Sebastian sighed. "Call me if you need anything."
---
Meanwhile, Leopold heard the news from his assistant and immediately reached for his phone to call Lisbeth.
But even with her number pulled up, he didn't dial.
He knew she wouldn't answer. Lisbeth was stubborn. She'd never accept comfort or help from her ex-husband.
His assistant, watching him hesitate, said, "Mr. Hearst, the information you asked me to look into—I have results."
Leopold's head snapped up. "Let me see it."
The assistant watched him scan the documents urgently and sighed inwardly. If only he'd realized this sooner. Now it's anyone's guess whether Ms. Whitaker will even appreciate it.
---
Back in her office, Lisbeth issued a series of orders and had PR immediately work to suppress the media storm, hoping to buy Sophia some time.
She was exhausted. She pinched the bridge of her nose and was about to ask Quinn for coffee when her phone buzzed.
A text from an unsaved number. But the last digits looked familiar.
Leopold. After all these years, he'd never changed his number.
[I've put together a summary of some past project materials related to Velora. Thought it might help.]
A file followed.
Lisbeth stared at the sender's name, then glanced at the call log showing her recent conversation with Sebastian.
Her finger hovered. Then she opened the file and scrolled quickly.
Inside was information she hadn't been able to find before. This brand had been in financial crisis for a while but had hidden it—until now. The funds Citrus Shine had invested were essentially gone.
This was fraud.
Her hands trembled as she exited the file and typed a reply:
[Received. Thank you.]
She immediately called Sophia, but the line went straight to a cold, automated voice.
"The number you have dialed is currently unavailable…"
Lisbeth's fingers shook. The phone nearly slipped from her hand.
---
At The York Group, top floor.
Noah knocked lightly before entering Sebastian's office. He placed a file on the desk and gave a quick report. "Mr. York, here's the preliminary crisis assessment for Mrs. York's company. Also, about the brand investigation—I found something…"
He paused, watching Sebastian's expression carefully.
"We're not the only ones investigating this brand. The Hearst Group is too. And they started earlier than us. They probably have more information."
Sebastian was signing a document with his fountain pen. The tip paused, almost imperceptibly. Then he slowly closed the signed file and pushed it aside.
"Understood," he said, voice perfectly even.
Noah said nothing more and quietly left. The heavy office door closed, sealing out all sound.
Sebastian stared at the file. The deeper he read, the tighter his frown became. This crisis had erupted too suddenly, too perfectly timed. It didn't look accidental.
It looked deliberate.
He stood, grabbed his phone, and headed for the door. But halfway there, he remembered that phone call.
He slowly returned to his desk and sat down.
Fine. If she wants to handle it herself, let her.
---
The customs notice arrived at three in the afternoon.
An official document, stamped and sealed, was placed on Lisbeth's desk. CFO Briar stood across from her, face drained of all color.