Ch. 1571..1580
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1571-- A Similar Situation
Cayden rushed over to the office when he received a call from the manager of the IT department at nine in the evening.
He went wide-eyed with shock when he saw the clip of the three kids dancing with their bottoms bare on the screen.
Naturally, he wouldn’t be able to solve an issue that even their technicians couldn’t.
Cayden was about to call the police about the attack when one of the employees said, “Wait a minute… This situation feels kind of familiar…”
Everyone shifted their gaze toward him upon hearing that.
The employee scratched his head nervously as he continued, “If I recall correctly, Pearson Group received a similar attack back then. Their screens also had a clip of a child dancing. Mr. Farwell sent me over to resolve the issue—”
He was halfway through his sentence when his supervisor smacked his head and cut him off, “If you know what this is, then hurry up and take care of it!”
“I wasn’t able to fix it that time. In the end, it was Mr. Farwell himself who resolved the issue and repaired Pearson Group’s security system,” the employee explained.
Everyone exchanged nervous glances when they heard that.
Farwell Group is paying us a really high salary to work here. What good are we if we can’t handle a simple virus like this and end up troubling Mr. Farwell to fix it for us? But…
The technicians could only let out helpless sighs as they stared at the dancing kids on the screen.
They knew they were unable to resolve the issue on their own. Fearing that the virus would corrupt the files in their system, they had no choice but to call for help.
“You guys continue working on this while I contact Mr. Farwell,” Cayden said, making a prompt decision.
As he wasn’t a part of the IT department, there wasn’t much he could do in that situation except swallow his pride and give Lucian a call.
Meanwhile, in the Farwell residence, Lucian was about to take his family out for a walk after dinner when he received a call from Cayden.
The look on his face grew solemn when he heard that the IT department needed him to resolve the firewall hack. “Got it, I’ll head over right away.”
“What’s wrong?” Roxanne asked in confusion.
“Something happened at work. I need to head over and have a look,” Lucian replied.
He then threw on his coat and walked out the front door.
The three kids exchanged glances when they saw the serious look on his face.
C-Could that be due to the virus I planted? Shouldn’t everyone be off work by now, though? That virus I planted was a very simple one, so they shouldn’t need to trouble Daddy with it, right?
Benny reassured himself as the three of them sat on the couch and watched television.
As nobody said a word, the entire living room fell silent all of a sudden.
Roxanne, too, was feeling a little depressed as she recalled the negotiation with Jack earlier that day.
Meanwhile, Lucian rushed over to Farwell Group as quickly as he could.
He couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of familiarity when he saw the three kids dancing on screen.
That was especially the case when he noticed the three kids were two boys and a girl.
Upon realizing that the boys looked similar to each other, he thought of the three kids at home and what Roxanne told him earlier.
As Lucian grew increasingly confused, the supervisor approached him and said cautiously, “Mr. Farwell, this situation is similar to the one at Pearson Group back then.”
Lucian shot him a glance before sitting down at one of the workstations. With an expressionless look on his face, he typed in a command on the keyboard.
A few seconds later, a string of codes appeared on screen.
The employees gathered around out of curiosity, only to gasp in awe as Lucian easily took care of the virus in a matter of minutes.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1572--Is The Company Doing All Right
Just as the crowd thought Lucian would stop, they saw him typing another string of code to trace the hacker’s IP address.
After he was done, he stood and faced the members of the IT department, who lowered their heads in guilt.
Not only did they revere Lucian because he was their boss but also because of his impressive skills.
They had no choice but to submit to his questioning.
“Farwell Group didn’t pay you all a high salary to do nothing.” Lucian was dissatisfied. “This is the second time it has happened already, yet none of you solved the problem or figured out who the hacker is!”
The crowd exchanged glances silently.
Right then, someone steeled themselves and explained, “The hacker’s far better than us, Mr. Farwell. We suspect—”
Lucian snorted meaningfully, cutting him off.
The crowd turned to Lucian in puzzlement.
While they weren’t paying attention, he returned to the seat and looked at the culprit’s IP address on the screen.
He appeared shocked but proud at the same time.
His expression confused the crowd, prompting them to wonder if their eyes were playing tricks on them.
Upon closing the window, Lucian uttered, “If none of you can’t even win against two children, then it’s time to self-reflect.”
Two children? Is Mr. Farwell mocking us?
Lucian was too lazy to explain the situation to the others. He turned to Cayden and ordered, “Cancel the bonus for everyone in the IT department this month.”
With that, he left.
The employees of the IT department lamented in their minds. Everything was going fine with our overtime work until a hacker suddenly penetrated our system and caused us to lose our bonus! What is this terrible luck?
Yet, none dared to voice their thoughts because Lucian had solved the problem they were supposed to.
By the time Lucian left the IT department with Cayden, it was nearly ten at night.
Just as he arrived at the company entrance, he stopped, lifted his head, and stared at the night sky.
When Cayden saw Lucian stop moving, he thought the latter was angry and spoke carefully. “Please don’t get angry, Mr. Farwell. They—”
Before he could finish his sentence, he heard Lucian say, “I want to use the small helicopter from the last time later. Make the appropriate arrangements for me.”
Cayden was about to ask Lucian more questions, but the latter stepped past him and got into the car.
Seeing that, he swallowed the questions at the tip of his tongue and made calls to fulfill Lucian’s request.
Lucian drove all the way back to the Farwell residence.
Upon entering the building, he saw Roxanne and the children were still in the same spots as when he left.
He didn’t notice how anxious the children were until after he discovered the hacker’s IP address.
When the children saw his return, they shuddered and quickly approached him with ingratiating smiles. “You’re back, Daddy? Is the company doing all right?”
Furrowing his brows, Lucian pretended to stare at them with a serious look. “None of you have anything to tell me?”
The moment he ended his sentence, the children promptly exchanged silent glances while looking dejected.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1573-- Prank
Upon noticing the serious atmosphere around her family, Roxanne approached them in confusion.
At the sight of their savior, the children quickly hid behind her.
“What’s the matter?” Reflexively, she shielded them and gazed at Lucian with worry.
Lucian looked at her and then at the children, feeling amused and exasperated. “You should ask them. Even though they’re still young, they’re quite bold”
In response, Roxanne turned to look at the children.
“We were wrong, Mommy…” Benny apologized as he gripped the hem of Roxanne’s shirt. “Can you ask Daddy not to get angry?”
“We were just goofing around,” Estella chimed in. “We didn’t expect to trouble Daddy…”
“We’re sorry, Daddy. We won’t do it again,” Archie said sensibly.
Confused by the children’s apologies, Roxanne turned to Lucian.
Lucian approached the children and pinched their cheeks. “If I hadn’t gone to the company, Mr. Lawson would’ve called the police.”
Upon hearing that, they felt even more guilty. “We know we were wrong, Daddy. Please don’t be mad at us!”
“It’s my fault! I wanted to hack into the company’s system. If you want to blame someone, blame it on me!” Benny came forward. “I just wanted to prove to Essie that I’m really good with computers.”
Then he grumbled, “Besides, I only infected the system with a simple virus I created as a prank. I didn’t expect…” I didn’t expect the employees in Daddy’s company would fail to deal with it and have to ask Daddy for help!
His complaint amused Lucian even further. “It’s all right. I don’t blame any of you. I was just surprised by how talented you all are.”
A smile settled on Benny’s countenance when he heard his father’s praise.
“It’s evident that we can skip the basics. This week, I’ll be testing all three of you. Then, based on the results, I’ll draw up your future curriculum,” Lucian added.
Without hesitation, the children agreed. They were aware that his skills were above theirs.
Finally understanding what had transpired, Roxanne reprimanded, “You three went too far. How could you hack Daddy’s company’s system as a prank?” Then she turned to Lucian anxiously. “Did the company lose any important documents?”
Lucian smiled at her comfortingly. “No. The boys were mindful of their actions and only played a prank on my employees, but their computer skills surprised Cayden and almost prompted him to call the police until he was reminded to contact me first.”
Hugging his mother’s leg, Benny said cheekily, “It was really just a prank!”
Lucian’s assurance and the children’s cheeky acting extinguished Roxanne’s desire to admonish the children. She reminded them in a severe tone, “I know all of you are talented at operating computers, but it’s not a tool for pranks. They should only be used for beneficial purposes.”
The children nodded obediently and apologetically.
Seeing that Roxanne was somewhat angry, Lucian hugged her in front of the children. “They’re still young. Besides, they’ve learned to be more mindful today. I’ll teach them the rest in the future.”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1574-- Bedtime Story
Roxanne blushed with embarrassment as Lucian acted intimately with her in front of the children.
Upon witnessing their father defending them, the children said to their mother confidently, “That's right! We're still children, so you can't get angry at us, Mommy.”
Then, when they saw their parents hugging, they tactfully turned around and closed their eyes.
“It's getting late.” Roxanne struggled out of Lucian's embrace frantically. “The children still need to attend school tomorrow and rest soon!”
Lucian released her and said, “I'll bring them to their bedroom. There's something else I want to talk to them about.”
The children's faces fell even though they already had a feeling their father wouldn't forgive them that easily.
Thinking Lucian would talk to them about that incident, Roxanne nodded and watched him bring the children upstairs.
After bathing the children, he watched them lie on their beds.
“Are you still angry at us, Daddy?” Benny hid half of his face under the blanket. “Will you forgive me if I tell you about the hole in the company's system?”
When hacking into the company's system, he discovered a hole in its advanced firewall, so he inserted a secret program into the virus.
After the virus was cracked, the program would activate and patch the hole in the system.
Lucian patted the boy's head. “I'm aware of it, and I know you all patched it.”
Benny sighed in relief. “Then are you still angry?”
Lucian shook his head. “I was never angry at any of you. I just wanted to tell you all a story.”
The children's eyes lit up. “Daddy's going to tell us a bedtime story?”
His nod spurred the children to tuck themselves into their blankets obediently and close their eyes. “We're ready! You can tell us the story now, Daddy!”
They were excited because it would be their first time listening to Lucian telling them a bedtime story.
Lucian began, “Once upon a time, there was a man called Jack—”
“Is this the story about Jack the Poet?” Archie opened his eyes and stared at his father with curiosity.
Grinning, Lucian nodded.
Benny lifted his eyelids, too. “I know this story! Mommy told us before!”
“Then do you know the moral of the story?” Lucian asked.
Upon hearing that, Benny turned to his brother.
Archie furrowed his brows and thought about the question quietly for a moment before answering, “The moral of the story is that we should study and don't waste our talent. Otherwise, we'll end up like Jack.”
Benny nodded seriously.
They have pretty good comprehension. Lucian smiled. “I'm happy that you two know the moral of the story.”
“We know what we did wrong, Daddy! We promise we'll study hard in the future! You can monitor us!” the boys apologized in unison.
Their attitude was a lot more genuine compared to earlier.
Lucian caressed their heads and tucked them in. “All right, it's getting late. You all should rest early. I'll leave after you've fallen asleep.”
The children nodded obediently and closed their eyes.
As he promised, he only left after they fell asleep.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1575--In The Wild
Roxanne had been sitting in the living room, waiting for Lucian to return while feeling bothered and worrying about the children.
When she saw Lucian descending the stairs, she asked caringly, “Are they asleep?”
Lucian went over to the couch and sat beside her.
He took in the tired expression on her countenance and pulled her into his embrace.
“I'm fine. Just feeling a little worn out.” Roxanne forced a smile.
Instead of panicking, like when the children were around, she nestled in his arms.
Lucian kissed her forehead, held her hand, and stood up. “When I returned from the company earlier, I noticed the weather was good today. I want to bring you out for a ride.”
Roxanne frowned. “I...”
She wanted to say she wasn't in the mood for it.
However, Lucian didn't give her a chance to object as he dragged her to the entrance.
Afraid they would wake the children up, they quietly stepped out and closed the door.
Even though they were in their own house, they were acting like thieves.
When Roxanne realized that, she thought it was funny and stopped feeling gloomy.
“The children were already asleep when I came out earlier. Don't wake them up. I only want to bring you out tonight,” said Lucian, seemingly detecting her feelings.
At that moment, it was past ten at night.
Roxanne shuddered when the night breeze blew past her.
The next second, a warm coat landed on her shoulders.
She turned back and noticed the regret on Lucian's face. “I should've grabbed more clothes for you since it's nighttime.”
Just as he concluded his sentence, he spun back.
Roxanne grabbed him. “I'm fine like this. What about you? Are you cold?”
Lucian held her hand and planted a kiss on the back. “I'm good.”
Hesitation flashed past her eyes when she saw the thin shirt on his body.
Before she could utter another word, he forcefully pulled her into his embrace.
“That's better.” He sounded satisfied as he brought her to the vehicle.
The car moved slowly toward the outskirts of the city.
Roxanne's face was still flushed as she admired the view outside the window.
When she noticed the gradual lack of cars passing them by and an increase in the density of trees, she wondered out loud, “Where are we going?” Why do we look like we're going to a mountain?
Lucian replied plainly, “We're going to the mountain.”
“Why are we going there so late at night? We can just ride around our neighborhood.”
As she spoke, she noticed a weird expression forming on his face.
“There are too many people around there. It's not convenient. I'm afraid people will call the cops if they see what we'll be doing.” Lucian cocked an eyebrow and glanced at her mysteriously.
As his vague but suggestive words repeated in Roxanne's mind, she felt her cheeks burning. Is he planning to do that in the wild?
At that thought, she wrapped her coat tighter around her body. “How about we just head back? It's so cold outside right now.”
She didn't want to say no outright because she feared her guess was wrong. She could only subtly express her desire to return.
However, Lucian was unwilling to do as she asked. “It took a long time for me to find this spot. Since we're already here, we might as well take a look first. If you don't like it, we can return right away.”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1576--I Thought
Roxanne stared at the desolate environment outside the window in panic and disbelief.
“I don't think this is a good idea, Lucian. Let's just head home now.” She sounded upset as she wrapped the coat around her tightly.
Lucian couldn't help but chuckle when he saw the panic on her face. “What's so bad about this idea? Do you know what I'm going to do?”
Roxanne's eyes darted around. “Aren't you planning to—”
Before she could finish, she noticed the car was slowing down.
Lucian glanced at her before alighting from the vehicle.
With no other choice, Roxanne swallowed her words and looked outside.
Her panic transformed into confusion when she saw the scene outside the window.
“Everything's prepared, Mr. Farwell,” reported Cayden as he respectfully stood beside the car.
Lucian nodded, walked to the passenger seat, and opened the door with a teasing smile. “This really can't be done near our home. Now that you've seen what I have in mind, do you still want to go back?”
In the distance was a helipad brightly lit by a few searchlights.
Several helicopters of varying sizes were sitting neatly on the helipad. One of the helicopters was the one used to pick them up from their home last time.
Roxanne remained dumbfounded for a long while before she returned to her senses. “So, what you said earlier... You meant you wanted us to fly in a helicopter?”
Raising his eyebrow, Lucian answered, “What did you think I was talking about? The only reason I could fly around the city last time for a short period was that the government approved it for an emergency situation.”
Roxanne blushed and glared at him with embarrassment. “Why didn't you say that earlier? I thought...”
“I don't mind if that's what you want.”
“No way!” Roxanne's eyes widened.
Her embarrassed and frustrated look made him smile as he grabbed her wrist. “Come on out. I'm taking you to relax.”
Roxanne got out of the car with Lucian's assistance, and Cayden greeted respectfully, “Mrs. Farwell.”
His words caused her to blush again. “Thank you for your efforts.” Lucian is such a scoundrel! I forgot Cayden was around earlier. He must've heard everything we said... Oh god, how am I going to face him in the future?
“You can go home now. Expect a bonus this month,” said Lucian to Cayden.
Cayden gave a reply and left because he didn't want to be their third wheel.
Soon, only the couple was left on the mountain.
Lucian brought her to a helicopter, then pressed something to open the hatch door.
He held her hand again and led her inside.
Roxanne examined the surrounding with curiosity.
The helicopter was bigger and better decorated than the one from before. The original seat had been replaced by a couch, and the floor was covered in soft carpet. There was even an elegant table inside with red wine and a few snacks sitting on top.
“I only made this decision before coming home, so Cayden had to set this up in a hurry.” Lucian's voice rang out next to Roxanne's ear before the door closed.
Dim lights illuminated the interior, creating a rather ambiguous environment.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1577-- Stay With You
“Sit.” Lucian held Roxanne's hand and gestured for her to sit on the couch.
After she sat down, Lucian stepped into the cockpit.
Roxanne raised her head and watched him operate the aircraft. Moments later, the helicopter slowly ascended into the sky.
“You know how to pilot a helicopter?” she asked, astonished.
Lucian chuckled. “Truth be told, there are very few things in this world I don't know how to do.”
Roxanne was stunned for a few seconds. He's not wrong, considering he was born into an extremely affluent family. He has too much energy and money to develop any interests and hobbies he has. It's a shame he didn't show any of it in our previous marriage.
Having guessed what was on her mind, Lucian glanced back and said, “I only learned how to fly a helicopter two years ago. As for the rest of my skills, I'll show them to you in the future.”
Roxanne flashed him a small smile.
As the helicopter flew high into the sky, Lucian suggested, “Look outside the window.”
Roxanne looked out and saw the moon and stars that were magnified before her eyes, making her feel as though she could touch them just by stretching her hand out.
As she watched the celestial objects in the sky slowly pass her by, she gradually relaxed and felt satisfied.
Retracting her gaze, she commented, “It's so beautiful.”
Lucian was delighted that she enjoyed the trip. “Do you want to look at the sea?”
Roxanne nodded at first, but shortly after, she asked in hesitation, “Can I? It's so late already.”
“It's pretty close, and the helicopter's fast. We'll be there in a few minutes.” Lucian was aware of her love for the sea. He speedily turned the aircraft around and flew toward the ocean.
Roxanne lay next to the window in anticipation and gazed at the mountains below.
Minutes later, the sea appeared in front of her.
As the waves rolled by, the stars and the moon reflected on the sea looked as if they were floating on the surface.
Roxanne was dumbstruck by the beauty of the scene.
Suddenly, Lucian appeared next to her. “Do you like it?”
Roxanne nodded subconsciously. Just as she was going to answer his question, she recalled something and pointed at the pilot's seat. “Why have you come here? The helicopter—”
He hugged her from behind comfortingly. “I've set it to autopilot.”
Still, Roxanne couldn't help but feel nervous as her body tensed up.
Upon detecting her tension, Lucian kissed the back of her ear and chuckled. “As long as I can stay with you, I don't mind if we fall.”
Immediately, she covered his mouth. “Don't say nonsense like that! We won't fall. The kids are still so young!”
Lucian intentionally buried his head in the nape of her neck with regrets. “Then will you die with me once they grow up?”
He was only half-joking.
Roxanne loosened her grip and stared at him with a probing look. “What's the matter with you? Why did you ask that question all of a sudden?”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1578-Lucian wrapped his arms around her even more tightly. “Nothing. The view just reminded me that you still haven't agreed to my marriage proposal.” If Roxanne refuses to accept my proposal, I don't think it's a bad idea if we just die here together right now.
When he brought up that topic, Roxanne couldn't help but recall that the ring was still in her possession. He said I should wear the ring if I agree, but...Embarrassed, she turned away, looked at the rolling waves beneath her, and argued, “Is that ceremony that important? If you're taking it that seriously, we should be sleeping in separate rooms right now.”
Her words stumped him, spurring him to reflect on his behavior.
However, after contemplating it for a long while, he didn't think he did anything wrong.
Instead, his thoughts aroused him. Unable to hold himself back anymore, he kissed her neck and started touching her inappropriately. “Those are two different things. Only we know how we're sleeping behind closed doors. I want everyone to know that you're mine.”
Upon detecting the change in his demeanor, Roxanne blushed. “You should go back to the cockpit lest something really happens!”
Lucian refused to give up that easily. “Look at how beautiful the scenery is...”
Swiftly, Roxanne grabbed his hands and asked, “Didn't you say you took me out on this trip for me to relax?”
Lucian let out a sigh and got rid of the indecent idea in his mind. He merely gazed at the sea while hugging her. “You still haven't answered my question.”
After calming herself down, Roxanne lowered her eyes and replied, “I already did. It's just that only the two of us know.”
That answer brought a satisfied smile to Lucian's face.
Roxanne could still feel his rock-hard member pressing against her back. She was so nervous that she didn't dare to move.
It wasn't until he returned to the cockpit and flew the helicopter back that she sighed in relief. However, she started worrying about her waist. I don't think I can avoid it tonight. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have left with him. Also, is it just me, or is he flying this thing really fast now?
After landing the aircraft on the helipad, he went over to her and asked, “Are you feeling better?”
Feeling touched, Roxanne smiled with glinting eyes. “Much better. Thank you.”
She didn't expect Lucian to care so much about her bad mood that he would deliberately bring her out on a helicopter ride at night.
“That's all you have to say?” Lucian frowned.
Roxanne was confused. She was about to alight from the helicopter when she saw the hatch door had opened when Lucian grabbed her wrist and embraced her from behind. “I don't get a reward?”
Thinking that he had calmed down, Roxanne planted a kiss on the edge of his lips.
Just as she was going to leave, Lucian wrapped his arm around her waist and deepened the kiss.
As Roxanne struggled to breathe, thanks to his overbearing kiss, she detected movements at his crotch.
Lucian's hoarse voice traveled into her ear. “I don't want to wait anymore. How about we give it a try in the helicopter? No one will see us.”
Pushing his chest away, she rejected, “No! Let's hurry back home!”
Instead of forcing her, he took her back to the car and drove her home.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1579-The couple spent a romantic, intimate night together.
Roxanne woke up the next day with her body aching. I wonder if I should sleep in the guest room from now on...
Lucian entered the room right then and looked at her with concern. “Feeling horrible?”
Roxanne bit her lip in embarrassment. “All thanks to you.”
Lucian sat beside her with a smile and massaged her waist. He didn't plan to apologize for his actions. “You should rest for a little longer before leaving the bed. Essie woke up early in the morning to prepare breakfast for you. She should be here soon to call you.”
Roxanne's expression froze. Afraid her child would see her in that state, she endured the pain and tried to leave the bed.
“Mommy!” Estella's voice rang out outside of the room.
Roxanne paused and twisted her back by accident, causing her face to contort in pain.
“What's wrong, Mommy?” When the girl saw her mother's expression, she dashed into the room and attempted to hug her mother's waist.
However, she was stopped by her father. “Mommy accidentally sprained her waist, so don't touch her. Are you here to invite Mommy to breakfast?”
Estella nodded.
Fearing that Lucian would say something he shouldn't to the girl if he kept going, Roxanne quickly said, “I'll head downstairs soon. Wait for me in the dining room, all right?”
Estella was still visibly worried about her mother's waist.
Roxanne shot a glare at Lucian and patted the girl's head. “I'm fine. It was just an accident. It's all right now.”
Then she stood up and took two steps away from the bed, which eased the girl's worry.
The moment Estella left the room, Roxanne dropped her act. I already didn't have much rest. This man has no self-control...
Lucian brought Roxanne to the bathroom apologetically to clean up. When he tried to do inappropriate stuff again, she kicked him out.
They dawdled for a while before heading downstairs.
Just as Roxanne arrived in the dining room, she saw a glass of milk and a sandwich on the table.
It was a simple sandwich, but it was pretty tricky for a five-year-old to pull off.
“Ms. Estella has been learning and practicing making breakfast for the past few days, Mrs. Farwell. It's only until today that she's willing to present her handiwork to you because she's satisfied with it,” said Catalina to the family.
Upon hearing that, Roxanne turned to Estella.
The girl looked at her with anticipation and sparkling eyes.
Roxanne felt touched and took a bite of the sandwich before beaming at Estella. “It's delicious! Good job, Essie!”
“You're better at making delicious food, Mommy!” said Estella when she heard her mother's compliments.
The girl's reaction made Roxanne laugh. “Why did you decide to make breakfast for me?”
Glancing at her brothers, Estella said, “I've been wanting to do it, but we made you angry again yesterday, so...”
The boys chimed in, “We know what we did wrong, Mommy! We promise we won't pull pranks anymore and will continue to learn from Daddy!”
Roxanne nodded gladly. “I'm glad you all do! I believe one day you'll all improve so much that you'll become the world's greatest hackers!”
At the side, Lucian concurred, “They do have the talent.”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1580-Do Not Contact Me
After breakfast, Lucian sent the three children to kindergarten while Roxanne went to the research institute.
“Dr. Jarvis, any news from Damaris Group?” Linda had been waiting for her in front of her office early in the morning.
Roxanne halted in his tracks when she heard the name Damaris Group. She recollected herself and replied, “We still need more time. What's wrong? Is there any problem with the factory?”
Linda looked helpless. “We used up the last batch of medicinal herbs yesterday afternoon, so now the factory is at a standstill. The person in charge contacted me last night, and we talked all night about the issue of stoppage pay for the workers.”
As a result of that, Linda did not sleep well all night.
Roxanne knitted her brows. She knew she had to tackle the problem, as it had worsened.
“All right. How much do they want? Proceed with the payment first. I'll solve this problem as soon as possible.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she picked up her pace and entered the office.
She glanced at the call log on her phone and noticed Jack's number was second on the list.
She gritted her teeth, mustered her courage, and called him back.
However, he hung up directly.
A few moments later, Roxanne received a text message: Ms. Jarvis, don't contact me if you haven't figured out the pricing issue. Call me only when you've figured it out.
Upon reading the message, Roxanne felt a wave of disappointment wash over her. She put her phone down and picked up a directory, searching for medicinal herb suppliers she had not contacted before.
As she flipped through the pages, she was overwhelmed with emotions.
Never in a million years did she expect Jack, who was once an elegant and refined young gentleman, to be a profit-driven businessman.
Now that their motive for this medicine was completely at odds with each other, they would most likely not cooperate again.
Realization hit Roxanne like a ton of bricks, and she immediately grabbed the phone to call the suppliers she missed yesterday.
However, she failed to find a supplier she was satisfied with.
Just then, she heard Linda's voice from outside the door. “Dr. Jarvis, the factory is requesting an additional one million for the stoppage fee...”
Despite the painful sting in her heart, Roxanne had to accept it for the moment.
She hung up the phone, strode out of the office, and said to Linda, “Gather all the research team leaders in the conference room.”
Linda nodded and called the team leaders over.
Ten minutes later, all the leaders appeared in the conference room.
“As you all know, our research institute is in a difficult situation,” Roxanne began in a friendly yet authoritative tone. “Do any of you have any suggestions on finding a new medicinal herb supplier?”
The leaders exchanged glances before one of them spoke up. “Dr. Jarvis, I'm confused. We have a good relationship with Damaris Group, so why did they stop supplying us with medicinal herbs?”
Another leader chimed in, “We know Damaris Group has the best medicinal herbs. Is there really no way to persuade them to continue supplying us?”
Faced with the employees' skeptical looks, Roxanne felt uncomfortable but ultimately decided to come clean. “Our original plan with Damaris Group didn't pan out, and we're now in need of a new supplier for medicinal herbs.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, silence fell over the room as everyone exchanged uncertain glances.