Chapter 838: Speculation About Herbscape Group
After putting the children to bed, Roxanne cleaned the kitchen and went upstairs to her study. Although she'd agreed to be Herbscape Group's technical advisor, she knew little about the company. Before collaborating, she decided to research them online.
She was shocked by the results. A search for "Herbscape Group" yielded numerous accusations of tax evasion and illegal drug sales. Almost all associated searches were negative. This was jarring; she'd interacted with Herbscape Group while sourcing medicinal herbs for the research institute and remembered them having a good reputation. Why the negative press? Even if she hadn't known, Jack surely should have. Why would he choose to work with such a seemingly dreadful company?
Frowning, Roxanne clicked the top search result—an article published that day. It claimed Herbscape Group was selling illegal drugs and evading taxes through various methods. Government departments had announced a full investigation. A three-minute video provided purported evidence. Even if Herbscape Group refuted the allegations, proving their innocence would take time, and a swift resolution seemed unlikely.
Roxanne's heart sank. Despite being from a local Horington news site, the article had over ten thousand comments. Many were spiteful and accusatory. One commenter lamented the betrayal of trust by such a large company. Another alluded to a past lab leak, suggesting Herbscape Group might be developing illegal drugs.
Roxanne was speechless. The rampant speculation had already driven Herbscape Group's share price down by more than half. The more she read, the heavier her heart felt. The situation eerily mirrored her own past slander. She'd only overcome that with Lucian's intervention and Harvey's support.
If Herbscape Group's image wasn't salvaged, Roxanne feared their collaboration would suffer, potentially impacting even the Damaris Group project. The thought was unsettling. She couldn't determine who was behind the attack, or even if Herbscape Group was the intended target.