Chapter 23

I was just getting ready for work when I got a call from Mr Gregory to check the internet, and I did without wasting time. I was shocked when I saw a review claiming that our face moisturizer brought pimples and boils to her face instead of moisturizing it. There were even pictures of her so-called 'before and after' backing her claim and as a result, other blogs and news stations made articles on it.

Without wasting any more time, I did all I had to do and left for work. I was just a few meters away from the company, when I saw the press gathered at the front. My phone beeped and I checked to see a message from Mr Greg informing me about the press and asking me to pass through the back gate, but it was too late. The press already saw me and they immediately came at me, surrounding my car. I quickly messaged him to send guards instead.

As I waited for the guards, the press were already going crazy, knocking at my car and asking me to come down. Thankfully, the glasses were tinted so they couldn't see me, but I could. I jammed my teeth together, biting my lips at intervals. The guards were taking longer than expected and it was really eating me up right now.

Placing my hands over my face, I sighed out. A knock on the window made me look up. It was a guard. He opened the door and the reporters began attacking me with questions, but they couldn't get to me. The guard and his four other colleagues prevented them from getting close as they escorted me in.

"Bitch! Look what you've done to me." My head which was kept down whipped up to see the lady with the pimples. My legs stopped on my own as we made eye contact.

"Boss." I looked at the guard who urged me to go on. Taking one last glance at her, she smirked, but I looked away, entering the company.

"Young miss. Are you okay?!" Mr Greg rushed to me.

"Did you check the account she used in posting it, if she had other pictures posted before now?" I asked instead of answering his question.

"I checked, but it seems to be a new one, cause there are only a few posts and none of them have pictures of her."

I sighed loudly as we walked into the elevator. Our stocks would start fluctuating if this is not sorted out immediately and business partners will surely start pulling out their investments.

"What should we do?" Mr Greg asked as we walked into my office.

Without a word, I sat down on my chair, palming my face with a sigh. This shouldn't be happening, not now. We've only gone through the first release of the product, and we are just getting back on our feet.

My mind went back to the press I encountered earlier on. The lady's smirk. Everything. It seemed planned, she even brought the press to back up her claims, cause it's surely not true, and I can't let her false claims affect the company.

"Can you find out where she lives? Maybe the people around would know her and what she looked like before now."

"I'm not sure, but I will try to find out."

"Thank you." I smiled at him, and he nodded, walking out of the room.

The ringing of my phone made me reach for it in my bag. It was Karen calling.

"Hey, what's this news going around? Who is that bitch that accused your product of causing pimples to her ugly face?" Karen's questioning voice came up.

"I have no idea. She even came to the company with the press."

"What! That bitch. I bought your product and it's perfectly fine, so who does she think she is to say such things about it. She is ugly with or without pimples!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at her last statement. Even though I couldn't see her, I could imagine her face all puffed up and red in anger. Thinking about it made me smile. I have her at least.

"Are you there?"

"Huh?" I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn't hear all that she was saying.

"Are you worried? Don't worry, everything is going to work out. Rooting for you!" She cheered.

"Thanks babe!" I replied with the same energy and she laughed.

We talked for a bit before she hung up.

_______

XANDER

"Did you see the news?" I questioned as I poured wine into two glasses. I looked at Reed who was seated on a couch. We were both in my new house. I took the glasses when I was done filling it before handing one glass to him.

"I did. Silvana is probably crying right now."

I chuckled and sat beside him. We clink our glasses together before sipping from it. I put on the TV and the clip of Silvana being attacked by the press.

"Wow. She is good." Reed spoke up when it got to the part where the lady with pimples called Silvana a bitch.

"I know, right? I chose her for a reason." I chuckled and he nodded, suddenly facing me with a serious look. "Are you sure she won't cause problems later on. No one must find out about us or we are gone."

"Don't worry, I'm not that dumb. Even though anything goes wrong, which is surely not happening, she won't be able to do anything, I paid her well and also made her sign a contract to pay triple of what I gave her if she spills out anything, and more importantly, her daughter's life is in my hands. Her daughter has a weak heart so one wrong move from her, her daughter is gone."

"You are bad, man." Reed laughed out and I smiled. I will do anything I can to get rid of Silvana. Where she is right now is not her place and I will make sure she leaves, just like I planned this out with Reed.