Chapter 202 Didn't See Edward

Aria probably didn't see it coming when I actually slapped her. She clutched her swollen cheek and screamed, "Where are the security guards? Someone's committing a crime here! Arrest them now!"

In no time, employees flooded out of their offices, and security guards rushed to stand between Aria and me. The security captain, upon seeing me, straightened up and gave a respectful bow. "Mrs. Howard!" he greeted.

That simple gesture of respect was like gasoline on the fire in Aria's heart.

"Are you blind?" she yelled. "She doesn't deserve to be called Mrs. Howard anymore. I am the future Mrs. Howard! You're fired! Get out of here!"

Aria shoved the security captain, but he was solid as a rock. She couldn't budge him an inch and ended up stumbling backward, almost falling.

The employees around us burst into laughter that was like a dagger to Aria's pride. She glared at them and snapped, "What are you looking at, you useless bunch? Get out of the Howard Group!"

The ruckus eventually caught the attention of Albert, Edward's secretary.

Albert hurried over, probably not wanting to confront Aria directly, so he took it out on the crowd. "Have you all done your work? Why are you standing around? This doesn't concern you!"

Seeing Albert's angry face, the crowd quickly dispersed. Aria, thinking she had found an ally, stood tall and confident again.

But Albert ignored her completely. He walked straight to me, bowed slightly, and said humbly, "Mrs. Howard, Mr. Wilson, we weren't expecting you today. Please forgive us for not being prepared."

He bowed deeply again. I always believed in treating those who were polite with respect, so I nodded and asked, "Where's Edward? I need to discuss something with him."

Albert's face showed a hint of awkwardness, but he still led David and me to the reception room. After we sat down, he poured us coffee and said, "A small company we're working with had some issues. It wasn't a big deal, but Mr. Howard insisted on handling it personally, so he's out of town on a business trip."

Albert seemed sincere, his expression natural, no signs of lying. David and I exchanged a knowing look and shook our heads slightly.

But David wasn't ready to let it go. He sat up straight, looking serious, and said to Albert, "Just last week, a friend of ours was drugged at one of your company's clubs. This is serious. How does your company plan to handle it?"

Albert sighed deeply, sounding tired. "Mr. Howard went on this trip to investigate that matter thoroughly. He's been working non-stop to get to the bottom of it."

I didn't expect Edward to be so hands-on with this issue, and I felt a mix of guilt and gratitude, thinking maybe we had him all wrong. Since we couldn't see Edward or find any useful clues, David and I decided to leave.

As we walked through the office lobby, we saw Aria bossing around the employees.

I couldn't help but ask Albert quietly, "Has Aria been hanging around the company a lot lately?"

Albert rubbed his temples and said, "Ever since you and Mr. Howard divorced, Aria's been bugging him to let her join the company. She says she wants to learn how to manage it, but in reality..."

He trailed off, then sighed deeply, "Since she took over, there have been constant complaints. Employee morale has tanked, and resignations have shot up."

My curiosity piqued, and I asked softly, "With all these issues, why doesn't Edward do something about it?"

Albert shrugged helplessly. "Mr. Howard's swamped with work every day, so he can't focus on these details. Plus, there was an incident where a pregnant employee was mistreated. Mr. Howard stood up for her, but Aria made things difficult for that employee behind the scenes. If this keeps up, the Howard Group's cohesion and morale will suffer."

As Albert spoke, he led David and me out of the building. At the entrance, he bowed slightly and said, "Mr. Howard instructed that if you come to see him, you don't need an appointment. It's just unfortunate he's out of town today. Next time, you can schedule directly with him or contact me."

I nodded and smiled gratefully, thanking Albert.

On the way out, I turned to David and asked, "Do you think Albert's telling the truth?"

David frowned but kept his tone calm. "In business, everyone's shrewd. If he's lying, it would be hard to tell."

I nodded, agreeing with him.

"Diana, after all this, do you still plan to keep running Stellar Legal Advisors?" David suddenly asked.

I looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

David took a deep breath and said, "I used to think Lila was struggling to manage Stellar Legal Advisors, but now her safety is at risk. I'm worried that if this continues, your safety will be in jeopardy too."

He didn't need to say more; I got his point. He was right. What happened to Lila was dangerous, and who knew what trouble we might face next.

I sighed and said, "But the law firm is under Lila's name now. Whether to continue or not is her decision."

That was all I could say. I knew I needed to have a serious talk with Lila about this.

Marital Turmoil: Back Off, First Love!
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