However, considering that Lucian could be behind Herbscape Group’s scandal, Jack was more inclined to go against his usual instinct.
If Lucian wants to throw a wrench in our plans, why should I let him win so easily?
With that thought in mind, Jack agreed to Dean’s request. “All right. Give me some time.”
He hung up on Dean again.
Jack’s expression darkened further after he briefed his assistant on how they would help Herbscape Group.
He had easily snapped up the collaboration with Herbscape Group thanks to Lucian, yet now he was paying a hefty price to keep the collaboration and his company’s project alive.
Lucian would laugh his head off if he knew about this.
Something niggled at Jack’s mind. Why would Lucian pull a stunt like this now? He didn’t have to wait this long to punish Herbscape Group for pulling out of their deal. Farwell Group is powerful enough to leak such a scandal way before Herbscape Group signed their deal with us.
Jack failed to think of another reason for what seemed like a belated revenge.
His phone lit up with another call as he frowned over the issue.
Jack glanced at the screen and was surprised when he saw the caller ID. He answered the call immediately. “Ms. Jarvis, why are you calling me at such a late hour?”
Roxanne appeared conflicted as she asked, “Have you seen the news about Herbscape Group, Mr. Damaris?”
Jack replied in the affirmative, “Mr. Lacroix called me about it earlier. I’ve agreed to help them.”
His response stunned Roxanne.
If she were in Jack’s shoes, she would have cut ties with Herbscape Group immediately so that their scandals would not affect the company’s future projects.
Plus, if Herbscape Group had a history of unlawful practices, it would be difficult to guarantee that they would not do the same while supplying medicinal herbs in the project.
Any error during the project, intentional or not, could potentially cause massive losses to everyone involved.
Jack seemed to have sense her concerns. He reassured her, “We don’t even know if the news on the internet is real or fake. Since we’ve decided to work with Herbscape Group, we have to believe them. Even if the scandals are true, I’m sure they won’t dare to betray us when they remember how I’ve helped them today.”
Nonetheless, Roxanne remained hesitant.
Herbscape Group’s past actions did not sit well with her medical ethics.
She considered the topic from another angle. Jack was not only the heir to a family with a prestigious background in medicine but also a businessman. It was understandable that he prioritized profits in any of his dealings.
By extension, Roxanne would have to respect Jack’s wishes as a willing participant in his project.
As that thought crossed her mind, Roxanne suppressed her discomfort and replied, “That would be the best. That’s all I wanted to call you about. I have nothing else to add since you already know the situation. Let me know if I can help you with anything, Mr. Damaris.”
Jack expressed his gratitude at her offer. “Well, thank you in advance, then, Ms. Jarvis.”
They promptly ended their call.
Jack’s phone screen turned black once more, reflecting the grimness in his gaze.
Roxanne’s phone call reminded him that she was potentially involved in Farwell Group and Herbscape Group’s conflict.
Not long ago, Roxanne had agreed to be Herbscape Group’s technical advisor, and the scandals broke out shortly after that.
It seemed far more likely that Lucian’s actions had been triggered by Roxanne than an act of delayed revenge on Herbscape Group.
All for a woman. I can’t believe this could happen to someone like Lucian Farwell.
Jack scoffed at the irony of the situation.
If his hypothesis was true, he would gladly take Roxanne up on her offer to help.
Lucian woke up later than usual the next morning, having spent the night before following online discussions of Herbscape Group’s scandals.
When he opened his room door, he was instantly greeted by the sight of a furious little girl. He knew Estella was angry at him because he did not check in on her after getting home last night.
Lucian frowned, but he hid his frustration well. She was his child, after all, and he was not about to ignore her. He pretended not to notice her fury as he asked, “Essie, why are you looking for me so early in the morning?”
Estella looked up at her father and said grumpily, “Daddy’s a meanie! Daddy doesn’t care about me at all!”
Lucian’s brows arched in surprise. He did not expect his daughter to arrive at such a conclusion.
“Why would you say that?” he asked calmly despite knowing the reason behind her petulance.
Estella puffed up her cheeks in anger, but it soon deflated into sadness as she whined, “Ms. Catalina said you came home last night.”
She had already been upset at herself for falling asleep before her father returned home.
She had thought Lucian would visit her once he arrived home, but no one woke her up.
In fact, when she got up that morning, she had thought her father had been out the whole night and felt sorry for him.
Estella then headed downstairs, where to her dismay, Catalina revealed that Lucian had come home the night before.
Her sympathy instantly morphed into anger, and she stalked back upstairs, waiting outside Lucian’s bedroom to interrogate him.
Lucian knew Estella would burst into angry tears if he continued playing dumb.
He knitted his brows resignedly and bent down to stroke his daughter’s hair. “I was too tired last night, so I went straight to my room to rest instead of checking on you.”
Estella scrutinized his face for a long time.
Convinced that he was not lying, Estella gradually let go of her anger.
She tugged on his shirt and wailed, “But Daddy, I wanted to tell you something last night.”
Lucian sighed to himself. It was impossible to evade the topic that Estella pointedly wished to discuss.
He would have entertained her advice before knowing about Jonathan’s actions.
Now, however, he was doing something that could make Roxanne’s life difficult, and he was worried he would regret his actions after hearing Estella sing her mother’s praises.
Lucian removed Estella’s hand from his shirt and ruffled her hair, coaxing, “I have to rush to the office. Can we talk about this after I get back from work?”
Before she could react, Lucian straightened himself and walked around his daughter.
Estella realized belatedly that Lucian had escaped her sight. She hastily chased after him and whined, “But I won’t take up a lot of time. Wait for me, Daddy…”
Lucian frowned but resolutely ignored her pleas.
Meanwhile, Catalina watched them coming downstairs and was perturbed at how unmoved Lucian seemed despite Estella’s anxious expression.
She guessed the reason behind the young girl’s distress and said carefully, “Mr. Farwell, Ms. Estella was asking about—”
Her words abruptly cut off when she noticed Estella almost tumbling down the stairs in her haste to reach her father.
“Ms. Estella!” Catalina shrieked while racing toward the girl.
A moment of silence descended upon the room. When Lucian saw Catalina’s expression, he instinctively turned around. His heart skipped when he saw the state Estella was in. He swiftly reached out and caught Estella. “Be careful.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.