Chapter 1262
The trio remained silent. Cayden and Colby stood to one side, watching Lucian examine the lab counter, each lost in their own thoughts. Colby's nervousness was almost debilitating.
Given the choice, he wouldn't have obeyed Lucian's order to restore the experimental scene. It risked exposing his misdeed. Refusal, however, would have been tantamount to a confession. After weighing his options, he'd reluctantly rearranged the medicines, making a subtle alteration. He could only hope Lucian wouldn't notice.
Lucian remained oblivious to Colby's turmoil. He meticulously inspected the medicines, comparing them to the details from that day's surveillance footage. He clearly remembered Roxanne touching every bottle.
Suddenly, he focused on a transparent bottle in the corner for several seconds before turning to Colby. "Bring me to the surveillance room again."
Unease washed over Colby; his pupils constricted. He'd noticed Lucian's prolonged stare. Had he discovered something? Colby's hands trembled, but under Lucian's gaze, he forced a calm demeanor, tucking them into his white coat pockets and nodding. "Okay."
He led them to the surveillance room. Lucian replayed the footage, studying it intently. As expected, Roxanne had accidentally knocked over the transparent bottle but quickly recovered it. The differences were slight, yet the bottle on the lab table was a different size. The quantities of medicine also differed.
Lucian's gaze shifted to Colby, visible on screen behind Roxanne. He found it hard to believe that Colby, a veteran researcher, wouldn't distinguish between the two bottles—unless he'd done so deliberately.
"Mr. Farwell, did you notice anything?" Colby asked cautiously, attempting to regain control.
Lucian regarded him with an inscrutable expression. "Nothing for now. I'm afraid I'll need you to maintain that specific arrangement, Dr. Galloway."
Colby breathed a sigh of relief, his expression relaxing slightly. "Okay. I'll do my best."
Lucian nodded, then left the surveillance room without another glance at the footage. Cayden followed.
Once outside the research institute, Cayden started the car. "Mr. Farwell, are we returning to the company, or is there another stop?"
Lucian grimaced, glancing at the institute's entrance. Colby stood respectfully, watching them leave.
"Back to the office," Lucian said. "And I want to see all recent purchase orders from the research facility by tonight."
Cayden readily agreed, starting the car and heading towards Farwell Group. At the institute's entrance, Colby's legs felt weak as Lucian's car disappeared. Lucian's ambiguous response left Colby uncertain whether his guilt had been discovered, a terrifying prospect.