Chương 18: 18. "Vivienne's Frustration: Troubles at Delacare's Headquarters"

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Three days later,

The buzzing streets of the city were filled with whispers and murmurs as people discussed the latest news that had spread like wildfire. A young man, fixated on his phone, had caught sight of a familiar face on the news channels, prompting his friend to lean in for a closer look.

"Hey buddy, that's definitely Director Mael from the Nexus General Hospital," his friend confirmed, eyeing the image on the screen.

But it wasn't just these two young men who were talking about it. Everywhere one turned, the same topic was being discussed. This morning, the esteemed Director's house had burned down to the ground, sending shockwaves through the community.

The police had already investigated the case and found that it was due to a gas leak. However, there were a few individuals who were privy to some inside information and were certain that this was yet another sinister act committed by the Shadow Syndicate.

Despite the tragedy, there was a silver lining in this dark cloud. The Director's wife and son had luckily been out of the house at the time, and thus had emerged unscathed.

As the news spread, the city was awash with a range of emotions- from disbelief to shock, from sympathy to suspicion. Each individual was left to ponder what had truly occurred that fateful morning.

....

Sterling Mansion,

Butler James burst into the office room of Lucien's home, his face etched with urgency. "Master Sterling, see this news, we have a situation!" he exclaimed, waving his phone in the air.

Lucien looked up from his work, his curiosity piqued by Butler's urgent tone. "What is it?" he asked, his eyes narrowing in concern.

Butler James quickly switched on the television that hung on the wall in front of Lucien, and the screen flickered to life. A news report was playing, detailing the horrifying events that had occurred at the home of Director Boran Mael the night before. The house had burned to the ground, with only the traces of a gas leak left behind as evidence.

"When did this happen?" Lucien asked, his mind whirring with suspicion. He couldn't help but feel that there was more to this supposed "accident" than met the eye.

"About last night," Butler James replied grimly, his gaze fixed on the television screen.

Lucien's eyes narrowed further as he pondered the situation. "Do you have any suspects as to who could be involved in this case?" he asked, his voice low and intense.

Butler James nodded gravely. "Most likely The Shadow Syndicate," he replied, his voice laced with bitterness.

Lucien's suspicions deepened at this. It made perfect sense. After all, he had given Boran Mael a chance to make amends and atone for his past mistakes. The Shadow Syndicate would no doubt see this as a direct challenge to their authority, and they would not hesitate to retaliate.

Lucien's mind raced with possibilities, each one more dangerous than the last. He knew that if he was going to take down The Shadow Syndicate, he needed to know who was involved with them, both directly and indirectly.

"Try to find out how many big families or upper class people are involved with Shadow Syndicate," he instructed Butler James, his tone serious. "Be subtle about it, we don't want to let them get wind of our investigation."

Butler James nodded, his face grim. He knew that this was not going to be an easy task. The Shadow Syndicate was notoriously secretive, and they would not take kindly to anyone meddling in their affairs.

Butler James nodded, his face a mask of determination. "Yes, Master Sterling. I will proceed with caution and ensure that we do not draw any unwanted attention to ourselves."

With that, he bowed respectfully and took his leave, leaving Lucien to his thoughts.

Lucien leaned back in his chair, his thoughts still focused on the task at hand. He knew that this was only the beginning, and that things were about to get a lot more dangerous. But he was determined to see this through to the end.

....

After three days of intense medical care, Amara showed slight signs of recovery. Despite her progress, she chose to remain in the hospital to fully recuperate before leaving. She didn't want her mother to worry unnecessarily, so she kept up the ruse that she was away on a business trip in another city.

Vivienne was a great help to Amara during her stay. She often visited and brought with her Amara's colleagues, who were happy to see her on the mend. They all wished her a speedy recovery and promised to cover her workload while she was away.

The hospital's upper management was in disarray after the disappearance of their director, Mael. His burnt-down house added to the mystery surrounding his absence. Despite the turmoil, the hospital's usual system remained uninterrupted. It was a top medical facility in the country for a reason, after all.

The hospital room where Amara was staying was quiet and sterile. The walls were painted a pale shade of green, and the floor was made of glossy linoleum. The bed she lay in was white and pristine, with crisp white sheets and fluffy pillows. The machines monitoring her vitals beeped softly in the background.

Amara's days were filled with rounds of physical therapy, medications, and visits from friends and family. She was grateful for their support and the excellent medical care she was receiving. The hospital staff were all professional and dedicated, making her feel safe and cared for.

Despite the bleak circumstances surrounding the hospital's management, Amara found solace in the familiar routine of her recovery. She knew she had a long road ahead of her, but she was determined to get back to her normal life as soon as possible. With the help of her loved ones and the hospital staff, she knew she could make a full recovery.

...

As Vivienne sat in her office, she thought that the day had finally settled down and that she wouldn't be facing any further problems. However, her peace was short-lived as a frantic woman in her early thirties barged into her office, with worry etched on her face and hair flowing behind her.

"Boss, something is wrong with our systems!" the woman exclaimed, her voice filled with panic. "The data is being erased repeatedly, and if not for the technical team reacting fast enough, we might have lost our backup data too!"

Vivienne glared at the woman, reprimanding her for her unprofessional behavior. "Rhiannon, calm down. Don't just barge in here like that!"

But Rhiannon was clearly agitated and was not going to calm down easily. "You say calm down, damn it! Once you see this, you might have the same reaction!" she exclaimed, grabbing Vivienne by the hand and dragging her outside.

They went to a nearby cubicle where Rhiannon gestured towards the computer screen. Vivienne's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the screen, which showed a pixelated monkey dancing and making weird faces while staring at them.

"What is this?!" Vivienne exclaimed, looking incredulous.

"Fortunately, the data has backup, so not all of it was lost," Rhiannon said. "But we can't work today with the systems like this!"

Vivienne was frustrated beyond belief. "Just what is wrong with this world? Can't I have a peaceful day?!" she exclaimed, looking at the monkey's weird dance as if it were mocking her.

Despite her frustration, Vivienne quickly sprang into action and gave a series of instructions to shut down any systems connected to the local server. She did not want to risk any possibility of data theft while they were not paying attention.

Vivienne vowed to find the culprit behind this mess and teach them what a frustrated lady can do. She was determined to get to the bottom of this, no matter what it took.

....

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