The thugs were infuriated when Deanna dared to insult them back. The hall echoed with all sorts of unpleasant words.
Lance heard them and was almost consumed by rage. Deanna noticed his change, knowing he was standing up for her. She gently patted his hand and soothed him, "No need to be angry with these people; they will get their punishment."
Lance saw that Deanna was unfazed by the surrounding noise and nodded slightly.
However, out of Deanna's sight, he exchanged a meaningful glance with Xavier. Normally, he couldn't bear to say a harsh word to Deanna, so how could he tolerate these people insulting her?
Xavier understood Mr. Mercer's intent and nodded in acknowledgment.
After more than two hours, Deanna and Lance finally left the police station. Escorted by bodyguards, they got into their car and drove away. The reporters who had stayed behind at the police station, hoping to get some information, ended up with nothing useful. Reluctantly, they continued to wait outside, planning to interview the police or anyone else who might come out to learn more about the case.
After leaving, Deanna and Lance planned to visit the research institute. When they arrived, the institute had been mostly cleaned up; all the damaged items had been cleared out, making the space appear much larger. Brent hurried downstairs upon hearing of Deanna's return. "Miss, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. How's the cleanup going?" Deanna asked with concern.
Brent replied honestly, "It's almost done. Except for the top-floor lab, every other floor needs renovation. Those people were terrible; they even splashed paint on the walls."
Hearing this, Deanna's face darkened. She had put a lot of effort into establishing this research institute, and it hadn't been long before it was thoroughly destroyed. However, thinking about the impending punishment and compensation those people would face, she felt somewhat relieved.
"No worries, those people will get what they deserve," she reassured Brent before asking, "Has Mr. Grant returned?"
Brent shook his head. "Mr. Grant hasn't come back yet. He said they discovered something that needs further investigation."
"I see. Then notify everyone that once the cleanup is done, they can go home and rest for a couple of days to calm their nerves. Salaries and bonuses will be paid as usual by the institute. For those injured, there will be additional compensation from us. Also, let the production line staff go home and rest as well. We will decide on resuming work later," Deanna instructed.
Brent was surprised by her arrangements. He wasn't clueless and cautiously asked, "Is there a problem with our partner hospitals?"
"Yes, all hospitals we cooperate with have paused their partnerships. They want to wait until the case is resolved before deciding whether to continue or terminate," Deanna confirmed.
She understood the hospitals' difficulties. Given that there was no conclusion to the case yet and the online rumors, no hospital would risk continuing their cooperation.
Brent nodded in understanding. Just as he was about to say something else, Xavier hurried in from outside, holding his phone with a grave expression. "Mr. Mercer, there's trouble. A journalist is maliciously attacking our company online, guiding public opinion against us. Our company's official website has been flooded with negative comments."
"What happened?" Lance frowned.
Xavier glanced at Deanna before reporting truthfully, "The rumors say that you, Mr. Mercer, are shielding Missus, disregarding the law, using power to have the police detain those troublemakers. Moreover, in the stock market, many individual investors are maliciously selling off shares at low prices, causing our stock to drop by five points."
Lance's face turned icy upon hearing this. He narrowed his eyes dangerously, deep in thought.
After a moment, he spoke in a cold voice, "There must be someone behind this journalist. Find out which news agency he belongs to and keep an eye on those individual investors. Also, have our PR department issue a statement that we will pursue legal action against any baseless rumors. Personally, I firmly believe that Genesis Labs' products could never harm anyone."
Deanna was stunned by his words. She never expected Lance to stand so openly and firmly by her side. At that moment, she looked at the man before her with deep emotion and love.
However, despite her feelings, she didn't want Lance to get entangled in this matter. She turned to Xavier and said, "Follow Lance's instructions for everything except the part about defending me."