Chapter 19

Their expected compensation was only $600,000—negotiation was necessary. Seeing Joanna's firmness, the man relented. "Alright, I'll speak to the boy's parents."

Joanna, after a thoughtful pause, said, "I'm leaving for abroad this afternoon and may be gone for several days. Respond by 2 p.m."

"We'll do our best," he replied.

He hurried from the office. Cora and Mr. Brycen watched him go, then turned to Joanna. "Miss Haynes, isn't $400,000 excessive? It sounds like blackmail. We wouldn't pay that much in court."

Joanna took a deep breath. "It's a gesture of respect for the deceased. A little extra, out of humanitarianism."

The negotiation was swift, lasting less than an hour. The man returned. "The parents agreed to $400,000, but they want cash."

"Deal."

"I'll get the finance department to withdraw the money. You'll sign a receipt and guarantee letter."

"Fine!" The man's eyes gleamed. $200,000 each—a quick way to get rich. "Get those people outside to leave!"

Minutes later, the protestors and debris were gone. Michael sighed in relief. "Miss Haynes, you're amazing! Before you arrived, they demanded $1.2 million!"

Joanna dismissed the praise. "The matter's settled. Clean up and prepare to resume work."

They inspected the warehouse, overflowing with appliances, particularly rice cookers and cleaning robots.

"How many orders this month?" Joanna asked.

"A dozen contracts. Neorace and Skywinds returned orders; we sold some, but there's a huge surplus," replied an employee. Joanna sighed. The employee casualties were resolved, but the massive inventory—over $16 million in goods, excluding overhead—weighed heavily on her. Before, as a marketing manager, orders were plentiful. Now, as president, she struggled to manage everything, especially with the impending custody battle with Bruce.

Her phone buzzed. It was Jaydon, who had called repeatedly in the past two days, but her phone was with Bruce.

"Hey, Jay," she answered.

"Joanna, why haven't you been answering?" His deep voice was laced with concern.

"Jay, where are you?"

"Abroad."

"Oli!"

Jaydon paused. "Joanna, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry."

"I'm sorry"

"Why apologize?"

He sighed, clearly troubled. He never anticipated this, and felt responsible for her being implicated. The Greyport media linked them romantically; now, his scandal was affecting her.

Joanna, sensing his frustration, offered, "Calm down. Don't return to Greyport yet. Wait until things settle."

"Can you handle this alone? I'm worried."

"I can manage. Don't worry."

"Michael mentioned problems at the factory?"

"Yes, it's resolved." Jaydon felt worse—he'd left Joanna to handle the mess.

"Joanna, are you angry?"

"Why would I be? You're a good friend. I'm grateful for your help."

Jaydon's voice softened. "Are you really not angry?"

A hint of disappointment colored his tone. He knew she never loved him; his scandal wouldn't change that.

"That's fine. I'll hang up."

"Jay, don't feel pressured. Treat it as a vacation. You can start over." Joanna understood online abuse and feared he'd become depressed.

"I won't break down that easily."

They exchanged goodbyes. Joanna remained depressed. She wanted to avoid Greyport's media.

"Cora," she called.

"Miss Haynes?"

"Find a private investigator. Find Mrs. Maxwell. I'll send information."

Cora, Joanna's efficient right-hand woman, immediately began the search. Joanna sat gloomily. She needed to find Mrs. Maxwell, a nurse who had cared for her grandfather and brought her to Bruce's room six years ago. Only she could shed light on what happened then.

A knock interrupted her thoughts. Michael entered, holding stacks of bills. "Miss Haynes, we can't keep filling the warehouse. We should use a livestreamer to sell the goods. It's popular in Mossbourne; some streamers sell $200 million worth daily."

Joanna, unfamiliar with livestreaming, was surprised. Michael explained the potential and mentioned popular streamers like Brother Trumpet and LeroLife. He showed her Brother Trumpet's live stream.

"Let's try it," Joanna decided.

However, the next morning, Michael delivered disappointing news. Both Brother Trumpet and LeroLife declined due to the Haynes Group's damaged reputation.

Joanna fell silent. Her online image had scared off these streamers, who valued their fan base.

"I understand," she said calmly. She decided to approach Brother Trumpet herself, especially with Jaydon away.

"Miss Haynes, are you really going to Greene Town?" Cora asked, concerned about Brother Trumpet's temper.

"Yes. Let's try."