Chapter 369: Brushing Off

"So what if he doesn't know? All the medicinal herb suppliers in Horington, following Farwell Group's lead, stopped working with Roxanne. We're doing the same," the person replied flatly after a brief silence.

Rex belatedly realized he'd been tricked, his heart sinking. It was too late to do anything.

"What if Mr. Queen asks about it?" he asked cautiously.

The person paused before dismissing him. "Just tell him the truth. It's obvious he doesn't know about Farwell Group, since he wants to see you. Tell him everything."

The call ended.

Cold sweat drenched Rex's back. The person hadn't revealed anything, but Rex wasn't a fool; Jonathan clearly knew nothing.

I've been dragged into this mess, but I dare not offend either of them

Rex still hadn't devised an excuse when his car pulled up outside the Queen residence. He had no choice but to knock.

The butler opened the door. "Mr. Tanner, welcome. Mr. Queen and Old Mr. Queen are waiting for you."

Drenched in sweat, Rex hesitated. He assumed Jonathan wanted to question him, unaware Alfred knew about the matter.

This is far worse than I imagined.

He had no option but to face it.

Head hung low, Rex followed the butler to the living room. Silence stretched.

Rex glanced at the man on the couch, fear flashing in his eyes. Alfred, cane in hand, glared furiously. Jonathan sat beside him, his expression deadpan, yet his presence powerful.

A chill ran down Rex's spine as their gazes met. "Mr. Queen, Old—"

Jonathan interrupted icily, "It seems you know why I summoned you."

Rex nodded sheepishly. "Yes. It's about our company's failure to supply Dr. Jarvis's research institute with medicinal herbs."

A fist slammed on the table. Rex froze, his heart clenching.

"If you knew, why did you disobey my orders?" Jonathan glared at the furious Alfred. "Rex, I trusted you with the medicinal herb business. How could you do this? Explain yourself!"

Rex immediately confessed. "It was my fault, Mr. Queen. I'll apologize to Dr. Jarvis personally and arrange immediate delivery!"

Jonathan's stare was withering. "Are you trying to dismiss this by claiming it was all your fault?"

Rex was a trusted subordinate. Learning Rex had refused to help Roxanne, Jonathan initially suspected manipulation. He'd summoned Rex to uncover the truth, never imagining this attempt at evasion.

He knows why I was summoned, but refuses to name the culprit.

"Mr. Queen, I" Rex was torn. Both men were superiors; he dared not offend either, planning to take responsibility. He didn't realize Jonathan insisted on knowing the culprit.

The edits focus on:

• Sentence structure: Combining short, choppy sentences for better flow.
• Word choice: Replacing informal words (e.g., "matter-of-factly" with "flatly") and clarifying vague phrases.
• Punctuation: Correcting comma splices and improving overall punctuation consistency.
• Narrative flow: Improving the pacing and transitions between paragraphs.
• Removal of extraneous material: Removing the advertisement text. The italicized sections are retained as they appear to be internal monologue.

The revised passage is more concise, readable, and maintains the original meaning.