Chapter 1695

"What?! An abandoned factory?!" Maria exclaimed, her voice sharp with disbelief. "How could you let her work in an abandoned factory? It's a terrible place! You have countless factories and buildings; can't you provide her with a proper workspace?" She jumped up, her anger evident. "Give her a suitable working space immediately! How can you be so stingy?"

Fabian, facing her accusation, cried out in protest. "That's not it! Rhea insisted on working there. She said the experiment was delicate and she wanted a place she could easily leave. What could I do? Even if I were stingy—which I'm not—I wouldn't do that to my daughter!"

Maria, hearing her daughter's reasoning, fell silent. Her anger and anxiety remained, but she knew Rhea's resolve. If this was Rhea's choice, no one could dissuade her. "That child," Maria sighed, shaking her head. "What is she thinking?"

Noticing workers still removing furniture from the house, her anger flared again. "Enough! We're replacing the furniture, not emptying the house! Are you trying to strip my home bare? Put that down!" she yelled.

The workers, unsure whether to proceed or return the items, exchanged nervous glances before turning to Fabian for guidance. Knowing his wife's mood, Fabian avoided an argument. With a wave of his hand, he said, "That's enough for today. Finish what you've started and sell the rest. We'll replace everything with new furnishings."

"Okay!" the workers chorused.

At that moment, the butler rushed in, panicked. "S-Sir… bad news. Someone wishes to see Ms. Moore."

Fabian frowned. "Ms. Moore? So? What's the panic? Who is it, and who do they think they are, coming to look for Ms. Moore like this?" Curiosity flickered beneath his irritation. It was unusual for anyone to seek out Rhea. She hadn't had any friends since she began her studies, and though he'd offered to let her have friends over, she never had. Her time abroad had yielded no mention of friends either. It seemed she had none. This was strange.

"Who is it? Man or woman?" Maria asked, her interest piqued.

Before Fabian could answer, the "someone" in question barged in. The group of men looked burly and menacing, clearly not there on a friendly visit. Fabian stared, then his lips thinned into a frown. "Who are you?! How dare you trespass on my property?! Do you know who I am?!"

One of the men stepped forward, his voice cold and hard. "I'm afraid Ms. Moore has made an enemy."