Chapter 250: A Cure for Troublemakers
Sophia didn't expect Isabella to be so blunt with her.
After saying her piece, Isabella had simply hung up.
In the end, the matter was left unresolved. Sophia managed to redirect public attention by manufacturing controversy involving two celebrities. Within a few days, no one would remember William and Laura anymore.
The only difference from a real solution was that the issue could easily resurface. It would never truly go away. If William and Isabella captured public attention again, this incident would be dredged up in an instant.
But for the Montagu family right now, what they needed most was immediate, effective damage control.
For the moment, this approach seemed to work.
Isabella noticed the online controversy dying down she knew Sophia must have pulled some strings. But Montagu family business had nothing to do with her, so Isabella didn't particularly care.
She was in the middle of an experiment when the lab's landline rang. Emily hurried over to answer it.
"It's the Summit Holdings lab. They say they're having some issues,they want you to come over and provide guidance."
Emily looked at Isabella with concern. "Isabella, you don't think Mr. Montagu is trying to get revenge, do you?"
After all, Laura's situation had escalated because of Isabella's clarification post.
Isabella was holding a lab equipment she didn't answer Emily's question right away. She patiently finished her current experiment before setting down her tools.
"We're at a critical stage here too. I don't have time to go over there. You know the experimental procedures and measurements—why don't you go see what they need?"
Among all the researchers, Emily was the one Isabella valued most. She usually had Emily assist her during experiments, so letting her go provide guidance was already quite generous.
When lunch break arrived, the other researchers acted strangely. Instead of heading straight downstairs to the cafeteria as usual, they clustered around Isabella.
"Isabella, is what you said online true? Is your husband really Mr. Montagu from Summit Holdings?"
Curiosity was human nature, and with the person in question right there among them, the researchers' eyes sparkled with anticipation as they eagerly awaited Isabella's answer.
Isabella lifted her eyelids and glanced at them coolly.
"Want to know?"
Everyone nodded frantically.
"If you want to know, go ask William. If you keep pestering me, I'm going to get annoyed."
Isabella had always been meticulous about work, which made them see her as a serious person. After this warning, they scattered like startled birds, no one dared crowd around anymore.
When Isabella went downstairs for lunch alone, she actually felt more at ease.
Someone suddenly set down a tray across from her. She looked up to find Richard.
"What brings Mr. Spencer to the employee cafeteria today?"
Richard handed Isabella a bottle of water and sat down beside her quite naturally.
"Emily's not here, so someone should keep you company for lunch. Otherwise, our chief research officer looks lonely sitting by herself, like the company's isolating you or something."
Isabella looked around. She met several curious stares.
Making friends was naturally ideal, but if she would cause trouble for others, Isabella wouldn't force it.
"You want to distance yourself from William, but he has zero interest in that. All your efforts are wasted."
"I don't care what he wants. Once the court declares us divorced, he'll lose every bit of leverage." Isabella was stubborn. When she said she wanted a divorce, she meant it absolutely.
There was no room for compromise on this matter.
Richard seemed to be confirming something with these questions. After hearing Isabella's answer, his admiration for her only increased.
After lunch, Isabella took only a short break before returning to the lab to continue her morning's unfinished experiment.
She'd just started when Emily came back.
"They've barely gotten started over there. They haven't even done the initial experiment according to our previous guidance—there's literally nothing wrong yet, but they're already anxious to call someone over. I don't know what they're thinking!"
Emily complained. Isabella let out a soft laugh.
"You probably couldn't find more than a handful of normal people in all of Summit Holdings. Never mind—consider it a break." Just as she finished speaking, Isabella glanced at the lab bench. "Go sterilize your hands and help me record the data."
The experiment had just hit its stride. Isabella was controlling variables when someone suddenly tapped her from behind.
Isabella's hand jerked, and she accidentally added too much.
She turned around, her expression severe as she looked at the person who'd interrupted her.
It was a new intern in the lab, who shrank back under Isabella's gaze, too frightened to speak.
"Who's training you? Don't you know not to disturb people during experiments?"
The intern kept her head down, face flushed with embarrassment from the scolding. "I'm sorry, Ms. Capulet. I didn't mean to disturb you. It's just that Summit Holdings called again. They say they're having more problems and they want you to come over personally."
This time Isabella didn't send Emily. She pulled off her gloves with an irritated expression and removed her lab coat.
In the lab's storage room, Isabella rummaged around for a while before finding a wrench that felt right in her hand.
"Isabella, what are you going to do?"
"Go see just how big Summit Holdings' problem is that they absolutely need me there!" Isabella was fuming. "If I find out they're crying wolf, I'm going to unscrew someone's head!"
Isabella actually had plenty of patience, but her only requirement was that people not interfere with her work.
A morning's worth of experimentation ruined in an instant—there was no way Isabella wouldn't be angry.
Today she was going to cure these troublemakers. She'd make damn sure William understood she had a temper too.
Seething, she marched all the way to Summit Holdings. Isabella swiped her access card to open their doors, then made a beeline for the elevator.
The moment she entered, the receptionist frantically dialed the internal line.
"A potentially dangerous woman just went upstairs carrying a wrench. Please be advised!"
Isabella walked into the laboratory with a blank expression, her gaze sweeping around the room.
"What exactly is the problem?" she asked, her voice ice-cold.