She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 890

Because of their established dynamic, Reginald Thorne didn't question Dominic's complaint for a second.

"I... keeping receipts is just a good habit," Dominic lied, his voice tight.

"Right." Melanie's smile was razor-sharp. "And I suppose ignoring our wholesale channels to purposely buy retail at a massive markup is just another one of your 'good habits'?"

Dominic pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed the sudden sweat on his forehead.

It was a glaring tell. But whether he looked guilty or not, Melanie knew exactly what this was: a calculated hit job.

She had personally overseen the development of that supplement. Even if she hadn't, the Royce Group had a spotless, decades-long reputation. They didn't produce toxic garbage that made people violently ill.

Under Melanie's piercing stare, Dominic couldn't even maintain eye contact. His heart hammered in his chest, but he forced himself to double down.

"The Lockridge Group has its own line of wellness products. We only bought a small retail batch of your supplements because a few specific patients requested them. And look what happened."

He cleared his throat, trying to project authority. "Thank god we only bought a few bottles. If we had rolled that poison out to the entire facility, the damages would be catastrophic!"

Dominic finally lifted his chin, aiming a look of righteous fury at her.

He had to sell the performance, especially with Reginald watching.

The reality was that the Royce Group's supplement was perfectly safe. Dominic had bought a few real bottles to get the receipt, but the pills he had actually fed the patients were cheap, contaminated knock-offs.

Emboldened by Dominic's aggressive stance, Reginald finally stepped in to scold her.

"You see the problem here, Ms. Royce? If your product hadn't caused this mess, the Lockridge facility wouldn't be dealing with a crisis. VP Hale informed me that the patients are completely boycotting your brand, and they're threatening to sue the convalescent home over the side effects!"

Reginald's tone made it abundantly clear whose side he was on.

Suddenly, he caught Melanie's icy, unyielding glare. The raw authority in her eyes made him realize he was being too openly biased.

"Now, don't misunderstand me, Ms. Royce. This isn't a personal attack," he backpedaled slightly, pulling a formal folder from his briefcase and presenting it to her.

"This is the official complaint VP Hale filed with my office. It includes detailed medical logs and symptom reports. It explicitly states that multiple patients suffered severe gastrointestinal distress and dangerous blood sugar spikes after taking your product. VP Hale suspects this isn't an isolated incident—it's a contaminated batch."

Reginald paused, pushing the folder closer to her.

"Standard protocol dictates that we pull samples for immediate lab testing. Until those results come back, I strongly advise you to suspend all sales of this specific batch."

"This isn't a punishment; it's a routine investigation. But if you choose not to cooperate, the scope and severity of our inquiry will escalate considerably. I hope you understand my position. I'm not targeting you, and I'm certainly not targeting the Royce Group. I'm just following the law."

Hearing Reginald deliver the final blow, Dominic couldn't stop a dark, victorious smirk from pulling at the corners of his mouth.