Maryann tried to compose herself. "Now I know why you kept delaying me from getting Golden Health patented," she said. "You knew that Riley wouldn't waste any time in getting his formula patented first." She shook her head. "Then, when Riley had our factory closed, you were secretly happy since that meant we would have nothing to do with Dynamic Health.
"Then you used that time to tell everyone that Dynamic Health was harmful. Even though it was the truth, you knew that nobody would believe you, and they would think you were just saying it out of jealousy.
"You made sure that if Dynamic Health had any adverse effects, nobody could blame you because you had already warned everyone about it. Rather, you would get praised for raising the alarm."
She deliberately didn't mention the Harmony Healing ointment for fear of getting upset.
"We're all just pawns in your game, aren't we?" she asked incredulously. "Me, Julie, Riley, Norman, and even Brian and the medical department. My God, I really didn't expect this from you, Alex!"
She had never thought that a man of such youth and inexperience could have come up with such a plan.
Alex remained silent and showed no emotion.
"Alex, I don't know whether to be pleased with your success or be worried!" she said, exasperated by him.
"You're not who I thought you were," she said in a slightly wounded voice. She was disappointed in him and felt disheartened by the situation.
Alex looked at her and smiled. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept you in the dark," he said. "I was just worried your reactions might give the game away, and then my plan would have failed."
She forced out a smile. In theory, Alex's actions were justifiable, but she still felt hurt.
"I understand," she said. "If you hadn't hidden it from me, then there might have been trouble. Riley's been watching us, so it would have been easy for him to pick up on the clues.
Alex remained silent. He knew that if it were to happen again, he would do the same thing and not tell her.
Maryann changed the subject. "What about Lindsey?" she asked. "It seems that you've entrusted her with all your matters. You certainly trust her more than you trust me."
She couldn't help but feel jealous. She took out the ointment and held it in her hand. Harmony Healing ointment. She had always felt that the name provoked a feeling of love.
"You're overthinking," said Alex, standing up from his chair. "Lindsey doesn't know anything more than you do. The only difference was that she didn't ask any questions and just followed my instructions.
"She came up with the name Harmony Healing ointment. When she told me, she had already applied for the patent, so it seemed easier to just go along with it."
Maryann felt a little better after Alex's explanation, but she still gazed up at him with a wry smile.
"You entrust her with all your important matters and leave me to deal with all the problems," she said. "You must think I'm a fool."
Maryann wasn't like Lindsey, and she couldn't just blindly follow Alex's instructions.
As for making Alex the chairman of the Robinson Group, she didn't mind being second in command since she still owned half the company. Besides, Alex didn't seem to care about throwing his weight around, so she was still in control.
Alex looked at her and nodded. "I'm sorry that you feel I wronged you, and I understand why you're upset."
As soon as Maryann heard that, her heart melted and any grievances she felt completely disappeared. "No, you haven't wronged me," she said. "You did what you had to, and I don't blame you. Your response was justified. You're facing a very powerful man who is out to get you, and if you don't attack him first, he'll attack you."
She sighed. "It's just that it still doesn't sit well with me," she said. Then she stood up and walked toward the backyard.
Alex watched her leave. She looked sad and desolate, but he decided not to follow her.
He knew that she needed space to clear her mind.
He sat back down and quietly drank his tea. After thinking it over for a few moments, he decided to get back to work.
As he got up, Fabian came in.
"Alex," he called out. "I came to see if you needed anything."
He admired Alex. He had lost so much, but then Alex had turned his life around, so he was very grateful to him.
"So, what do we do next?" Fabian asked. "Of course, the best thing to do would be to teach those Naysmiths a lesson. I can't wait to see their faces when Harmony Health takes over the market."
Fabian was full of energy, and he was optimistic about the future of the company.
"Focus on your job, and don't worry about anything else," said Alex. "We don't need to do anything to the Naysmiths. If we deal with the root of the problem, it won't resurface."
Fabian was taken aback at first, but after thinking about it, he said, "I understand, Alex. I understand."
***
The next morning, Riley didn't go to the Baltimore Riding Stables. Instead, he went to the office to preside over a meeting. It was a difficult time for the Naysmith Group, but Riley had to pull himself together and show everyone that he was still in control of the situation.
He couldn't just sit there feeling sorry for himself. If he acted guilty, then everyone would believe he was guilty.
As he approached the office building, he was met by dozens of reporters, who had obviously been there for a long time, waiting for him. They quickly surrounded him and started to hound him with questions.
"Mr. Naysmith, is it true that the police have arrested Norman Fuller? Is it fair to let him take the blame for something you've done?"
"Did you know about the side effects of Dynamic Health?"
"Do you still insist that you came up with the formula for Dynamic Health and that you didn't take it from another manufacturer?"
"How did Julie from the Robinson Group die? Did you instruct Brent Donaldson to murder her? Do you want to clarify your position?"
"Will you apologize to the public and take responsibility for your actions?"
"Are you going to resign from your position?"
The reporters were quick-witted, and they didn't stop themselves from mocking Riley.
Riley was flustered. "No comment," he said, pushing past the reporters. "I can't say anything while the investigation is ongoing."
Then, as he got through the door, he threatened, "If you start reporting false news, I'll sue you."
More than a dozen security guards tried to block the reporters.
Riley went into the meeting room and glanced at the security monitor. Then, furious, he threw the remote control across the floor.
The members of staff in the room were too afraid to say anything.
"Who tipped off those reporters?" he yelled. "How did they know I was coming into the office today?"
Then, he muttered to himself, "I know how to get rid of them."
He opened a cabinet and took out a large black object. He quickly twisted and turned it in different directions until it formed a sniper gun.
Then he opened the window and rested the gun on the windowsill, aiming it at the reporters outside.
"Riley, don't do it," came a voice behind him.
A man dressed in black quickly stepped forward and put his hand on Riley's shoulder. "At a time like this, we must remain calm," he said. "We don't want any more trouble. Everyone is watching and waiting for you to react. If you're patient now, you'll come out as a hero."
Riley hesitated for a moment, and then he fired three shots into the sky to vent his anger. "I'll make you all pay for it!" he muttered under his breath. He seemed to have lost his composure, but the man's words had been reasonable, so Riley retreated from the window.
The man was called Curtis Dunn. He was a close confidant of Riley, who regarded him highly.
Curtis had been against the idea of getting Dynamic Health patented so soon. He had thought that it needed to be carefully planned out, but Riley hadn't taken his advice. Now it seemed that Curtis had been right.
Riley threw the gun to him and then sat in his chair. "You can call in the executives now," he said, picking up his coffee.
Curtis returned the gun to its proper place before opening the door for the executives to enter the room.
Before long, more than a dozen senior executives of the Naysmith Group came in and took their seats.
One of the executives stood up to report the situation.
"We've received a notification informing us that Quality Pharmaceuticals will be investigated this afternoon," she said. "The scale of the investigation will be very large and will include several departments, such as the police and the FDA.
"Alongside the investigation team, inspectors will conduct a comprehensive inspection of other drugs Quality Pharmaceuticals have produced. In addition to that, many people who had purchased Dynamic Health have returned it and are asking for refunds and compensation.
"People are also returning other drugs produced by Quality Pharmaceuticals, even when there are no issues with them, and they're also demanding refunds for those.
"In less than twenty-four hours, the FDA has received sixty-three complaints from customers, claiming they suffered adverse reactions from using our drugs."