Chapter 233

Hazel’s POV

I stood frozen in place, staring fixedly at the heavy door that had just slammed shut, my fingertips tightening bit by bit. Turning toward Fred, my voice sounded dry. "What’s going on? Everything was fine just a moment ago, wasn’t it?"

Fred turned and walked toward the window to make a call. I sat in the chair, staring vacantly at the desk, my fingers unconsciously picking at the cover of the contract. The paper deformed under my grip, leaving behind a trail of creases.

The door was pushed open once again.

It wasn't Fred, but my assistant. Her face was deathly pale, and she clutched her phone tightly.

"Ms. Hazel, something terrible has happened!" Her voice was barely a whisper, yet it couldn't mask the panic of someone on the verge of a breakdown. "There’s a crisis at Nelson Tech Group!"

"Their medical equipment has been exposed for cutting corners, with illegal heavy metal content far exceeding safety standards. They are now under strict investigation. The news can no longer be contained; the stock price is plummeting, and many partners are pulling their funding."

She took a deep breath, her voice trembling violently. "Furthermore, because Nelson Tech Group is an affiliate of Skyline Innovations, we have also been blacklisted by the industry. All the companies we were about to sign with have put everything on hold, saying they need to wait for the investigation results."

My head buzzed, as if I had been struck by a heavy blow.

I collapsed into the chair, my vision darkening. I gripped the edge of the desk to keep from sliding onto the floor. I forced myself to breathe deeply, trying to organize my chaotic thoughts.

Fred finished his call and turned around. Seeing my expression and the state of my assistant, he walked over quickly. "What happened?"

After hearing the assistant’s report, Fred’s expression changed instantly as well.

I steadied myself, pulled out my phone, found Dylan’s number, and dialed.

It was picked up after two rings.

"What is it?" Dylan’s voice was as cold as ever.

I took a deep breath, trying my best to make my tone sound calm. "Dylan, have you heard? There’s a crisis at Nelson Tech Group."

Before he could respond, I took the initiative to apologize. "I’m sorry. I don’t know why things turned out this way, but I will investigate it thoroughly. I will never drag you down with me."

My voice was trembling, but I suppressed it with all my might.

Dylan was silent for half a second. "It’s fine. I’m investigating it too. If there’s a problem, we’ll face it together."

My fingertips turned white from the pressure, but I finally let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

After hanging up, Fred stood by, watching me, his eyes full of concern. He walked over, his voice soft. "Don't be afraid. I’ll go inquire further and see where the leak happened."

I shook my head, my heart already half-cold. "Take me home."

Fred didn't insist. He picked up my bag and helped me out of the hotel.

In the car, I leaned wearily against the seat, closing my eyes in silence. Fred glanced at me several times through the rearview mirror, wanting to speak but hesitating. Seeing my pale, paper-thin complexion, he ultimately said nothing.

The car stopped in front of the Nelson Family Mansion. I pushed the door open, and Fred handed me my bag. "Call me anytime if you need anything."

I nodded and dragged my heavy feet into the courtyard.

The living room was in shambles. Helen was sitting on the sofa, her eyes red and swollen. As soon as she saw me return, she stood up and grabbed my hands tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Hazel, you're finally back! Such a big thing has happened to the company, what should we do? Your uncle, he..."

She choked on her words, unable to finish.

Bruce stood by the window, his back hunched and his shoulders slumped, as if he had aged ten years overnight. Emily was curled up in the corner of the sofa, clutching a pillow, her eyes red. Hearing the commotion, she looked up at me, her lips moving, but no sound came out.

I walked behind Bruce, my voice ice-cold. "What exactly happened?"

Bruce turned around, his gaze avoiding mine. After a long silence, he spoke in a hoarse voice. "It’s my fault... To save on costs, I found a cheap raw material supplier. I thought I could save a sum of money, but I didn't expect... I didn't expect it to cause such a disaster."

He paused, his voice dropping lower. "That batch of materials had excessive metal content. It should have been stopped during quality control, but I used my connections to force it through."

I closed my eyes and let out a long, shaky breath.

When I opened them again to look at him, the anger was gone, leaving only bone-deep disappointment and exhaustion.

"Do you know the consequences of doing this? Do you know that Skyline Innovations will be implicated? Do you know how much I’ve had to smile and how much I’ve had to say to win over a single partner?"

I was practically shouting.

Emily stood up from the corner, her voice tearful. "Hazel, what’s the point of saying all this now? My classmates are all asking if the equipment is really problematic; I don’t know how to answer. Hazel, you have to find a way!"

I ignored her and turned to press Bruce. "Have you found out who reported it?"

Bruce was stunned for a moment, then avoided my gaze, his voice low. "Just got a lead; haven't confirmed it yet."

I closed my eyes. "Once you find them, bring them to me immediately."

Bruce nodded repeatedly and turned to make a call. I took my phone out of my bag and glanced at Emily. "Come upstairs with me."

Once inside and the door was shut, I looked at Emily sternly. "Listen to me. From now on, if anyone outside asks you, say you don't know. You haven't heard anything, and you don't know anything. Messages on your phone—don't reply, and don't delete them, just act like you never saw them."

Emily nodded. "I understand."