Chapter 8 I'll Handle It In Person

Joshua made his way directly to the hospital. Upon arriving at the door of operating room, he spotted a slender figure crouched against the wall. "Natalie," he called out in a deep voice.

At the sound of his voice, Natalie looked up and rushed into his arms. "Josh!" she exclaimed.

While Joshua's embrace was warm, Natalie detected a familiar perfume that she had caught a whiff of on Lyla the other day. She blinked thoughtfully.

Joshua held her shoulders and furrowed his brows. "How's Quentin?" he asked with concern.

Natalie bit her lower lip, fighting back tears. "He just got wheeled in," she sobbed. "Josh, I'm so scared. If something happens to him, I don't know what I'll do..."

Joshua interrupted her mid-sentence. "Quentin will be fine. I won't let anything happen to him."

Realizing that Natalie was shivering in her thin clothes, Joshua took off his suit jacket and draped it over her. He gently led her to a chair to sit down, and Natalie looked up at him with teary eyes. "I've been trying to call you," she said in a sad, hurt tone. "Why didn't you answer?"

Joshua's gaze turned grave. "It won't happen again," he promised.

Natalie rested her head on his shoulder and spoke softly. "I'm really scared. He's only three years old."

Meanwhile, Lyla emerged from the Harvey Corporation building, feeling ill and uneasy in her stomach due to the sunny weather. She had intended to visit the hospital but a phone call interrupted her plans.

"Ms. Moreno, we haven't received the payment from Alicko Corp yet," Melba Stanley, Lyla's secretary, said with an anxious tone on the other end of the line.

Lyla halted in her tracks and inquired, "Please give me all the details."

"They've agreed to transfer the funds into our account by 3 pm. But it's already getting late now... I've called several times to check but no one is picking up," Melba replied in a worried tone.

Lyla glanced at her watch and realized it was already 6 pm. She ended the call and dialed the CEO of Alicko Corp. Unfortunately, he hung up on her, and his phone was switched off. She tried to contact someone else from the company but her attempts were in vain.

Furrowing her brows, she called Melba back. "Book me the latest flight to Criminfield. I'll handle this matter in person."

Lyla was not a typical rich, idle lady. Before she married Joshua, she already held the position of Deputy Director of the Business Department at a branch company of the Highbridge Group.

The Alicko Corp had been their long-term partner. But this year, they'd delayed payments several times.

Now, with no communication from them, Lyla, who was responsible for the partnership, had to deal with the situation.

Moreover, she didn't feel like staying in Cleopatra and facing Joshua. This was a chance for her to get away from it all.

That night, Lyla boarded a flight to Criminfield and began her journey of being shut out.

"Could you please inform Mr. Bowen that Lyla Moreno from the Highbridge Group would like to see him? It won't take up too much of his time." Lyla flashed a smile at the receptionist.

The receptionist responded politely, "I apologize, Miss Moreno. Mr. Bowen's schedule has been very hectic lately, and he is unable to make time to see you."

There it is, again.

Lyla leaned on the counter and blinked pitifully. "This is the third time I've been turned down. It's quite chilly outside today. Are you truly going to send me away like this?"

The receptionist gave a small sigh. "I'm truly sorry but Mr. Bowen's schedule is jam-packed."

Melba, who was standing behind Lyla, interjected, "We don't necessarily need to meet with Mr. Bowen. We simply need to meet with someone from your financial department to resolve the payment issue... Hmm... "

Lyla covered Melba's mouth and pulled her away with an apologetic smile.

Melba was exasperated. "Ms. Moreno, why did you interrupt me? He doesn't have time? He just doesn't want to see us! The Alicko Corp is the one delaying the payment, not us!"

Lyla purchased two cups of coffee and handed one to her secretary. "You know how it is these days. Being a debt collector isn't easy."

Melba proposed, "Then let's take legal action. After all, they are the ones who breached the contract. If this news spreads, the Alicko Corp will be looked down upon in the industry!"

Lyla responded with a smile, "We have to wait until we get the payment."

"But we've been coming here for three consecutive days and he still won't see us. What else can we do?" Melba pouted. "I heard that the Alicko Corp has been experiencing a shortage of funds lately. Even if we meet with him, we may not receive the payment."

Lyla was at a loss for words. She lightly tapped her forehead and said, "Stop being so negative."

"I'm concerned about your career, Ms. Moreno. You and Ms. Torres are vying for the position of Chief Director. If we fail to retrieve the payment, she might win over you."

That was true.

Indeed, this was a valid concern. Lyla took a sip of her coffee and pondered. Then she said to Melba, "You can head back to the hotel for now."

"What about you?"

Without turning around, Lyla gestured with her hand and declared, "I'm going to battle for the position of Chief Director."