Chapter 73 Cooperation
Michael chuckled on the other end of the line, "You know him?"
"Yeah," Rachel replied, a smile evident in her voice. "Ever since I started suspecting Radiant Beauty Spa of shady stuff, I've been consulting with him. Eventually, he took over my case."
"Great, that saves me the hassle of an introduction. Benjamin's one of the best lawyers around. You can trust him. If you need anything, just talk to him."
"Got it, Uncle Michael."
Michael said sternly, "But don't rely on him too much."
Rachel laughed softly, "Of course, I'll also lean on you, Uncle Michael."
"Good. Your dad and brother aren't around, so I'm your support. You can't tackle such a big issue alone. Don't worry."
Rachel felt a lump in her throat.
Ever since her mom passed away in that car accident, Louie and Matthew were hardly ever home, leaving her feeling a bit empty inside.
But now, Michael's words of concern seemed to fill that void.
She responded softly, "Okay."
Michael reminded her again, "And don't tell Steven for now. After all, it's about his mother."
"I know."
"Alright, get busy. Call me if you need anything. Don't handle it all by yourself."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Rachel's feelings of melancholy intensified, but after a while, she managed to calm down.
When she got home that evening, the smell of food greeted her as soon as she opened the door.
She recognized the scent of Steven's fried fish and spaghetti with meat sauce, the dishes he'd learned just for her after she said she loved them at a restaurant.
Her birthday was in August, and by then, Steven had already started seeing Nancy.
How ironic.
Steven came out of the kitchen and, seeing her, immediately called out with a smile, "Hey, you're back! Come have dinner. I was just about to call you to ask when you'd be home."
Rachel snapped out of her thoughts, walked over to the dining table, and saw not only the two dishes she remembered but also a vegetable salad and a bowl of soup.
But she felt as if she had been slapped in the face.
Thinking about how happy and sweet she felt when she first tasted those dishes made her face burn with anger.
"I already ate. You can enjoy it yourself," she said flatly and headed upstairs.
"Honey."
Steven stood there, stunned, calling out to her. Only after she disappeared from sight did he press his lips together and look away.The next day, after two days of rain and snow, the weather finally cleared up. The air was damp, and the biting cold wind felt like a sharp knife against the skin.
At ten in the morning, the market regulation and quality inspection departments came to Radiant Beauty Spa for a routine check.
Heather, feeling cold, didn't come to the spa that day.
As the manager, Juniper was extremely anxious.
Seven people from both departments showed their credentials, and the leader stated the reason for the investigation.
"We received a report that Radiant Beauty Spa is involved in false advertising and product fraud, along with evidence. We're here to investigate. Please cooperate."
Juniper was shocked and quickly explained, "There must be some misunderstanding. Our spa has always operated with integrity. How could we be involved in false advertising and product fraud?"
"Whether it's a misunderstanding will be determined after our investigation. Where's the person in charge?"
"Our boss isn't here today. I'll call her right away."
The leader nodded, "Lead the way."
Juniper didn't dare delay. She signaled to someone nearby to notify Heather and gave a meaningful look.
The person understood, nodded, and went to make the call.
The inspectors mainly checked the spa's promotional materials, product testing, ingredient lists, and sourcing channels.
After photographing and recording everything, they selected twelve products from the warehouse to take back for testing.
Heather rushed over just as the inspectors were waiting for her.
"Are you the person in charge of Radiant Beauty Spa?"
"Yes."
Her face was pale from anxiety.
"Regarding the false advertising and product fraud at Radiant Beauty Spa, the notice is as follows: Radiant Beauty Spa is ordered to rectify the issues within 15 days. Additionally, based on your monthly sales, a fine of $127,000 is imposed. The results of the sample tests will be notified after the inspection."
The market regulation and quality inspection departments arrived quietly but left with a noticeable impact, drawing the attention of people from nearby shops.
What broke Heather even more was that in the afternoon, the market regulation department posted the penalty notice on the nearby commercial bulletin board.
Rumors about Radiant Beauty Spa's fraudulent activities spread quickly.
Heather felt numb, as if the world was spinning around her.
It was clear that someone was targeting Radiant Beauty Spa and her.
Her mind was in chaos, and she felt dizzy.
Shoppers on this commercial street were influential, and such news would soon spread throughout Dawnlight City.
Thinking about facing Gavin's questions and Maeve's ridicule made her heart race. She closed her eyes and fainted.
When she woke up, it was already dark. She recognized the familiar layout of the master bedroom in the side wing of The Martinez Manor.
Several people stood around her.
Gavin, Steven, Rachel, and Hestia.
Maeve had come over after hearing about Heather's collapse and learning that Gavin had returned.
In just one month, the small spa had been involved in two major incidents, making Gavin feel embarrassed.
Heather's eyes first landed on Gavin's serious face.
She knew Gavin's temperament well.
Feeling uneasy, she decided to use Gavin's influence to handle the situation and find out who was behind it.
Her hands waved weakly in the air, and her voice was filled with sobs, sounding pitiful and fragile.
"Gavin, I just wanted to run a spa to pass the time. Who did I offend to deserve this? What should I do? Can I still keep the spa open?"
Gavin softened when he saw how tearful and pitiful she looked.
He knew Heather well.
Such a kind and gentle person couldn't possibly engage in consumer fraud.
He held her hand and reassured her, "Don't cry. I'll have someone look into this."
Rachel had seen this scene many times over the years.
But it still gave her goosebumps.
Heather, though already in her fifties, still had flawless skin and a great figure.
And she was so adept at playing the victim.
It was no wonder Gavin felt protective.
Maeve's face darkened at Heather's pitiful act, "Two shameless old fools."
Rachel watched Maeve leave and bit her lip.
Thinking about the illegal business ledger in the small study's safe, she hesitated for a few seconds but decided to follow Maeve.
Steven noticed and instinctively wanted to call out to Rachel, but hearing Heather's crying, he swallowed his words and hesitated for about half a minute before quietly leaving the room.
Rachel called out to Maeve, who was heading downstairs, "Mrs. Martinez."
Maeve turned back, her well-maintained face showing indifference, "What is it?"
Rachel understood the importance of privacy.
After all, the side wing was Heather's territory.
She stood about three feet away from Maeve, wearing a gentle smile, her voice calm, "I invited Alice to an art exhibit at Stargaze Gallery last time and gave her my business card, but she never contacted me. I know she loves Autumn's work, and it's rare to have an exhibit so close. It would be a shame if she missed it."
Maeve frowned slightly. She hadn't heard about this before.
Just as she was about to ask more, someone appeared at the staircase, making her pause.
Steven couldn't hear everything clearly, but he was worried Rachel might suffer at Maeve's hands, so he quickly walked over and asked, "Rachel, what's going on?"
Rachel turned to him, seeing his worried expression, and shook her head, "It's nothing. I just found out that Alice likes Autumn's work. There's another exhibit at Stargaze Gallery next month featuring Autumn and Leo. It's a month-long event. Alice is welcome to attend if she's interested."
Steven looked at Maeve, "If Alice likes it, she should go. Rachel is her sister-in-law, no need to be formal."
Maeve's face turned cold at the emphasis on "sister-in-law," but she didn't argue, "I'll pass on the message to Alice. Whether she goes is up to her."
With that, she turned and left.
Steven watched her go, then turned to Rachel, speaking softly, "Rachel, even if you want to annoy Maeve for Mom's sake, don't rush in alone. Maeve has a bad temper; I'm worried she'll take it out on you."
Annoy?
Did he think her words to Maeve were a deliberate provocation?
Rachel frowned but didn't explain further. She simply replied, "Got it," and went to the kitchen to get Heather a bowl of chicken soup.
Back in the main house, Maeve pondered Rachel's words, feeling there was more to them.
Especially the part about the business card, which Alice had never mentioned.
After some thought, she called Alice.
Rachel received a call from Maeve the next day around noon, which didn't surprise her. They arranged to meet at a coffee shop in the afternoon.
The weather was nice, with the ice and snow melting and the afternoon sun warm and pleasant.
Rachel arrived early, choosing a seat by the window and ordering a cappuccino with milk and sugar and a slice of strawberry mousse cake.
The Martinez Manor was a bit far, so she waited about twenty minutes before seeing Maeve walk in, dressed in a burgundy cape coat and carrying a crocodile leather Hermès bag.
Rachel put down her cake spoon and stood to greet her, "Mrs. Martinez."
Maeve saw her and nodded slightly, walking over to sit down and ordering a hot Americano from the waiter.
Once the waiter left, Maeve focused on Rachel, "I apologize on Alice's behalf. She's always been careless and thoughtless. She attended a birthday party that night and got drunk. The next day, she forgot all about the business card."
Rachel was taken aback. She had thought Maeve was simply uninterested, hence the lack of contact.
So it was because Alice never mentioned it.
This made her more confident about today's collaboration.
She smiled gently, "No worries, Mrs. Martinez."
"I hear you have something you want to collaborate on, related to your mother-in-law," Maeve got straight to the point. "It's not her idea to contact me, is it?"
Rachel's expression remained soft, her eyes calm and warm, "If it were her, I wouldn't need to be so secretive, avoiding her and Steven. I would have spoken to you directly when I visited The Martinez Manor last time."
Maeve thought that made sense.
Besides, Heather wouldn't seek her out for a collaboration.
Her interest piqued, especially since Rachel was avoiding Steven.
She remembered Steven's protective demeanor yesterday when Rachel spoke to her.
She knew how close the couple was.
Soon, the waiter brought the coffee. Maeve took a sip, "Go ahead."
Rachel didn't beat around the bush. She took out a few papers from her bag and gently pushed them towards Maeve, "Mrs. Martinez, take a look at these first. Otherwise, you won't believe me no matter what I say."
Maeve set down her coffee, puzzled, and picked up the papers. At first glance, they looked like ledgers.
Daily and monthly totals.
The monthly totals were substantial.
But on the third page, she noticed the title: [Radiant Beauty Spa Business Ledger.]
She was shocked and confused, "What are you showing me this for?"
Rachel took a sip of her coffee, her voice calm and measured, "This is the ledger for Radiant Beauty Spa's illegal illegal operations."