Julian Grant drove Aria Sterling home. Surprisingly, her family didn't give her a hard time. Freya Langdon also seemed to have reined herself in, merely rolling her eyes as she came downstairs.
Colin Sterling walked over with a smile. "Aria, you're back so late. Are you hungry? Should I have Mrs. Hayes make you a late-night snack?"
His sudden show of goodwill made Aria Sterling feel a little uncomfortable. She shook her head and immediately refused. "No, thank you. I'm not hungry. I'm going to my room now."
Aria Sterling had no time to worry about Colin Sterling and Freya Langdon. The contract with Zentex was being signed tomorrow, 'which means the factory needs to be ready.'
Aria Sterling went to bed early and arrived at the office the next day at just seven-thirty.
"Ms. Sterling, there's trouble at the old factory."
She had just stepped into her office when her assistant burst in, flustered.
Aria Sterling's heart sank. She immediately called Manager Rhodes.
The Sterling Group had many production lines. Over the years, Colin Sterling had expanded and opened many new factories, but the one in Norwick was the original Sterling Factory, the cornerstone of the company's reputation.
This factory had also once been managed by Aria Sterling's father, Lewis Sterling.
She had taken over this factory as soon as she returned, and now she was fully in charge. Manager Rhodes was the supervisor who reported to her, and he was also a veteran of the Sterling Group.
The call connected quickly.
"Hello, Rhodes, what's happened at the Norwick factory?" Aria Sterling asked anxiously.
Suddenly, Aria Sterling heard the sound of things being smashed, and an aggressive voice shouted, "Get your person in charge out here to deal with this, or we're not leaving!"
"Ms. Sterling, it's serious. An employee died at the factory," Manager Rhodes explained.
Hearing that someone had died, Aria Sterling's heart plummeted.
"I'm on my way."
Aria Sterling grabbed her bag and immediately instructed Mia, "Have the driver take me to Norwick."
The situation was urgent and Aria Sterling's phone battery was low, so she had to borrow Mia's phone to contact Manager Rhodes. She managed to get the gist of the situation.
The deceased was a factory employee. During an accidental fight with a coworker, he hit his head on a machine and was declared brain-dead. Now his family was causing a scene at the factory, demanding compensation at all costs.
"Rhodes, make sure the guards lock the factory gates. Don't let any reporters in under any circumstances. Find a way to keep the family calm. I'll get there as soon as I can," Aria Sterling instructed calmly.
'With this kind of incident, the worst thing is media sensationalism. It's best to handle it privately.'
"Okay."
Manager Rhodes moved quickly to carry out Aria Sterling's instructions, but someone else was faster.
Colin Sterling's office.
"Reporter Lawrence, I have a news tip for you. There's been an incident at the Sterling Factory in Norwick. A fatal one." Colin Sterling's chilling voice could make one's blood run cold.
But the moment Reporter Lawrence heard there was a death at the Sterling Factory, he excitedly grabbed his gear and rushed out the door.
Colin Sterling's lips curled into a satisfied, sinister smile. "You're most welcome."
Soon, the news of the death at the Sterling Factory broke and began trending online.
Damian Xavier saw it too.
In the video footage from the report, Aria Sterling was being pulled and shoved so hard she could barely stand, nearly falling over several times.
She was surrounded by an accusatory crowd, with no one offering to help.
Damian Xavier hesitated for only a few seconds before he stood up and left his office.
It was two in the afternoon when he arrived at the Norwick Factory.
Damian Xavier's gaze locked onto Aria Sterling, who was standing on the steps, his expression profound.
He took a cold bottle of mineral water from his car, opened the door, and stepped out.
"Hand over the murderer and pay up!"
"You're just stalling for time! Give us an answer now!"
The crowd was jeering.
Aria Sterling was shoved and pulled, stumbling back a step. The world almost went black, but just as she was about to faint, an arm shot out and wrapped around her waist.
The cool hand against her flushed skin helped clear her mind.
Aria Sterling looked up and her gaze met Damian Xavier's deep, dark eyes.
He seemed angry, his expression stern.
"Drink some water first." He handed her the already-opened bottle of water, but his eyes were fixed on the troublemakers.
"Thank you." Aria Sterling's voice was so hoarse she could barely form the words.
"Leave this to me." Damian Xavier helped her stand straight, then stepped in front of her.
Damian Xavier swept his sharp gaze across the crowd, his presence radiating immense pressure.
"Who's in charge here? Come inside with me and we can talk properly. Causing more trouble won't solve anything."
He spoke in a low voice. The troublemakers looked at each other, then all eyes turned to a stout man in a baseball cap who was leading them.
Damian Xavier knew at once that he was the ringleader.
The stout man's gaze was fierce, and he clearly didn't trust Damian Xavier.
"What if I go in with you and don't come out?"
Damian Xavier sneered.
"You can also choose not to go in. We can just keep dragging this out."
The stout man's eyes flickered. He finally relented and agreed to go inside the office to negotiate.
'Someone's already dead. Dragging this on won't do any good.'
Damian Xavier led the way, taking the group into the office.
When Manager Rhodes saw them enter, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"This must be so difficult for you both. Mr. Vaughn just called to ask about the situation here."
Aria Sterling caught the implication in his words. "You told Mr. Vaughn?"
"It all happened so suddenly, I just reported it up to the company," Desmond Rhodes explained.
Before Aria Sterling could react, a cool male voice spoke up from the side. "Why wasn't this handled by the police?"
Desmond Rhodes immediately shook his head. "We can't call the police. It has to be settled privately."
"Why?"
"The other person in the fight... is my nephew," Desmond Rhodes said with a sigh.
Damian Xavier frowned.
'So that's how it is. No wonder these people have just been dragging things out without getting anywhere, leaving Aria surrounded for so long.'
"Send me the security footage of the incident."
Desmond Rhodes immediately had someone do it.
"Are we going to talk or not? If not, I'm calling the cops!"
The stout man roared impatiently.
Aria Sterling frowned. "Let's talk in the office."
She walked toward Desmond Rhodes's office, and the stout man and Bruno Bishop's parents followed. Damian Xavier opened the video of the incident and began to review it closely.
"We demand five million in compensation, a house in Norwick Town for Bruno Bishop's parents, and for that Franklin Foster to turn himself in," the stout man said to Aria Sterling, his face menacing.
"Five million is too much."
Manager Rhodes's face instantly turned pale.
"Five million is the price for a life. For a company as big as the Sterling Group, five million is nothing," the stout man said, staring at Aria Sterling with a dismissive tone.
"Ms. Sterling, there are only a few dozen of us here. If you don't sort this out, we'll come and make trouble at the Sterling Group every single day."
His attitude made it clear he was certain they would be forced to pay.
"Besides, this incident is already in the news. The Sterling Group wouldn't let its reputation be damaged over a measly five million, would it?"
The stout man grew even more arrogant, crossing his legs with a smug look on his face.
It was as if he could already see Aria Sterling and the others agreeing to his terms.
Aria Sterling sneered.
'This man was living in a fantasy world.'
"Then let's call the police and have them handle it."