Chapter 667

The situation far exceeded Nathaniel and Arianna's expectations. The revelation of the wealthy families' secrets caused immeasurable reputational damage. While they intended to cover it up, the news had already spread throughout Sapphine and Brown City, and the entire country was aware. The media, adept at sensationalizing such events, fueled the fire.

The Lodge family faced immense chaos. They were issuing statements at the police station while awaiting the forensic report on Wilfred's cause of death. Their company was in turmoil. Reporters interviewed high-level executives, but remained largely uninformed. Panic gripped the Lodge family as public opinion raged.

Arianna watched the news, a faint smile playing on her lips as she sipped red wine. "Good! I hope it gets messier!" she thought. The more chaotic the situation, the better her chances of exploiting it to her advantage. First, however, she needed to address her family's affairs.

Bang! The office door burst open. The sound alone identified the intruder. Arianna calmly switched off the television and set down her wineglass.

Damian stormed in, clearly irritated. "Ari, how can you sit here drinking wine while everything is falling apart?!" he exclaimed, already acting like the company head.

Arianna remained unfazed, smiling. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Damian gesticulated wildly. "Do they not understand? I'm the general manager of this project! The branch manager! Why are they listening to Hall? Is this the Tanner Corporation or the Hall Corporation?!"

His frustration was clearly fueled by Nathaniel. Arianna resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This is obviously the Tanner Corporation, but you're not a Tanner, she thought. Instead, she poured him some wine, patted his shoulder, and said, "Even you know this is the Tanner Corporation, our family's company. Why is an outsider intimidating you?"

"He's not intimidating me, he disagrees with me! I suggested we hire internationally renowned perfumers to create exquisite perfumes, guaranteeing market success. He questioned the cost, their reliability, and our existing perfumers' capabilities, claiming all the best perfumers are foreign."

While Damian understood the project, his knowledge of the perfumery industry was limited. He knew a few famous perfumers, but believed hiring foreign ones was the best and most straightforward path to market success. It would also bolster his standing within the company.