Chapter 359 Keep It That Way for Now
Riley had stayed up way too late the night before. The next morning, her phone's obnoxious ring yanked her out of her deep sleep. Half-asleep, she groped around her nightstand until she finally grabbed the phone.
She squinted at the caller ID and croaked, "Hello? Deacon?"
Deacon's voice was sharp and urgent, cutting through her grogginess. "Dr. Monroe, we've got a problem."
Riley snapped awake and sat up. "What happened?" she asked, her voice still raspy.
Deacon sounded worried. "We were supposed to get a batch of medicinal herbs this morning, but they haven't shown up. This isn't normal."
Riley's face hardened. Their herb suppliers were usually super reliable. If they said the herbs would be there in the morning, they were there, no question. But today, nothing.
If those herbs didn't show up soon, several projects would be stalled, messing up their research and costing the institute a lot of money.
"Have you called the suppliers?" Riley asked, putting her phone on speaker as she started getting dressed.
"I did," Deacon said, clearly frustrated. "Some didn't answer, and the ones who did were all vague, no real answers."
If they had just said they didn't want to work with them anymore, it would've been easier. But the suppliers were all dodgy, not giving a straight answer. As a result, he couldn't even begin to secure alternative suppliers.
Riley felt a knot of anxiety. "Got it, I'll be there ASAP."
She hung up and headed downstairs. The two boys were already at the dining table.
Winston was all better and ready for kindergarten. They were excited to see Finley.
When Riley came down, the boys looked at her, hoping she'd take them to school.
Riley saw their hopeful faces and sighed. "Something urgent came up at work. Sophie will take you today."
Winston and Landon looked bummed but were used to Riley's busy schedule. They nodded and said, "Mommy, be careful."
Riley nodded and dashed out the door.
Last night, she had planned to hand over her duties to Deacon and take the boys abroad. She thought she had met Chandler's expectations by fixing a ton of issues at the institute and teaching the researchers new techniques. But now, this mess had thrown a wrench in her plans.
Riley drove with laser focus and got to the institute where Deacon was waiting, looking stressed.
She walked up to him and asked, "Do the researchers know?"
Deacon shook his head. "No, I didn't want to freak everyone out."
Riley let out a small sigh of relief. "Good. Let's keep it that way for now. Fill me in on everything."
Deacon nodded, and they headed to Riley's office, talking in low, urgent voices.
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