Mandy Snow looked at him calmly; her words forced Xue Qiang into deep thought.

Seeing his reaction, Mandy Snow knew her words had hit home. She pressed on, "It’s at times like this that we need to stand together. I’m your own sister—do you really not trust me at all?"

She spoke with tears in her voice, and Xue Qiang pondered how much he could believe her.

"I don’t care who told you what, but I can make it clear: Eva Snow’s death had absolutely nothing to do with me. If you don’t believe me, just go ahead and call the police—have me arrested if you want!"

Seeing her righteous, unflinching demeanor, Xue Qiang couldn’t make up his mind. He snapped, "You’d better hope you have nothing to do with this. Otherwise, I won’t let you off!"

With that, he turned and stormed out.

The moment he left, Mandy Snow let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Shen SiyI had been watching Mandy Snow’s expression carefully. Suspicious, she asked, "Mom, tell me the truth—do you have anything to do with cousin Yueyue’s death?"

She was Mandy Snow’s daughter and knew her character, but lately, Shen SiyI found her more and more incomprehensible. There were so many things she just couldn't understand.

Take Mo Fan, for example: her mother clearly didn't care for that man, yet claimed he was her father and insisted she have dinner with him. It made her deeply uncomfortable.

And now, with what Xue Qiang had said today, she couldn’t help but suspect that Eva Snow’s death was somehow connected to Mandy Snow.

Mandy Snow shot a cold glare at her. "What nonsense are you spouting? Are you ganging up with others to bully me now? Am I still your mother or not?"

"It’s because you’re my mother," Shen SiyI choked out, eyes brimming with tears. "That’s why I now live like neither a proper person nor a ghost!" Her words pierced deep, leaving Mandy Snow unsettled.

"Say that again."

"I said it’s because you’re my mother that I live like neither a person nor a ghost—"

"Smack!" Before she could finish, a sharp slap rang out. Shen SiyI's face flushed with red, and tears rolled down her cheeks as she clutched her cheek.

Mandy Snow glared at her, teeth clenched. "Am I the reason your life is so miserable? Everything you have, didn’t I give it to you? And now you want to lecture me?"

She sounded absolutely hysterical—like a true shrew. At some point, she had become this kind of person.

Shen SiyI bit her lip and fled to her room, sobbing.

Trembling with rage, Mandy Snow swept everything off the table onto the floor and began to scream, smashing things in a furious attempt to vent her anger.

---

Early the next morning.

Lauren Shaw was jolted awake by the sound of her phone ringing. The call was from Mia May.

Groggy, she answered. Mia May sounded flustered and anxious: "Sienna Shaw, something bad’s happened. You need to check the news right away!"

Lauren Shaw rubbed her tired eyes. "What’s wrong? Calm down and start from the beginning."

"There’s a report saying our new clothing line contains carcinogenic chemicals. It’s already on the news."

Lauren Shaw’s heart skipped a beat. This was obviously a setup: all clothing underwent rigorous checks before being released. If any carcinogens had been present, the company wouldn’t have put it on the shelves.

How could there possibly be something so dangerous in the fabric?

Hanging up, she clicked the link Mia May sent. The article claimed carcinogens had been found in her brand's clothing.

As soon as the news broke, consumers started clamoring for refunds.

This kind of unverified rumor instantly caused an uproar online. Someone was clearly trying to smear her reputation.

But consumers didn’t see it that way—public opinion on the internet exploded.

Many people showed up at the studio demanding refunds. Lauren Shaw gave the word: anyone wanting a refund would get compensation, no questions asked.

Yancy Shaw had already gotten up and left for work that morning. Lauren Shaw, now too anxious to sleep, quickly put on some light makeup and headed to the office.

The company had already issued a response, publishing the official inspection reports to try and quell the controversy.

Still, not everyone was convinced.

Bryce Shaw called an emergency meeting.

The leadership insisted the issue needed to be publicly clarified as soon as possible.

Lauren Shaw decided to visit the factory herself. If there really were carcinogens, the fabric still at the factory would show it. She arranged for a team of eleven reporters to accompany her and broadcast the whole visit live.

Bryce Shaw fully supported her plan. "After the meeting ends, have Chris Cooper go with you. It’ll be safer with two of you."

Lauren Shaw agreed. "Alright."

After the meeting, Lauren Shaw called Sophia Chandler.

When she explained the situation, Sophia Chandler readily agreed to help. They set a time and place, then headed to the factory on the outskirts together.

At the factory gate, Sophia Chandler was already waiting. Lauren Shaw stepped out of the car, and Sophia Chandler waved.

"You’re here so early?" Lauren Shaw greeted her with a smile.

"I just got here too," Sophia Chandler replied with a bright grin.

If Lauren Shaw needed her help, of course she'd come running. Besides, with all the buzz, she was determined to help clear Lauren Shaw’s name.

The factory director came out to greet them. Thanks to Chris Cooper's advance notice, he was more than welcoming.

Lauren Shaw explained her reason for visiting and asked the director to take them to the fabric storage warehouse.

After collecting several fabric samples, they arranged for the samples to be sent straight to the quality inspection bureau.

Lauren Shaw and her team prepared to leave.

The factory director walked them to the parking lot. He seemed to have something on his mind, hesitating as they got ready to go. Lauren Shaw picked up on it.

"If you have something to say, don’t worry—just say it," she prompted.

The director hesitated before speaking. "A few days ago, a suspicious man showed up near the warehouse and lingered at the door. Our security caught him."

Lauren Shaw frowned slightly. "Who was it?"

"Just some stranger. He didn’t actually do anything, just stood at the warehouse entrance. We called the police to handle it."

"Do you have a photo of him?" The factory director's description made Lauren Shaw uneasy.

He pulled up photos from his phone. "This is from the security camera—we don’t know who he is."

The man in the photo was tall, but his face was unfamiliar. Lauren Shaw had never seen him before.

On the way back, Chris Cooper drove and made small talk.

Lauren Shaw brought up, "Assistant Cui, has anything suspicious happened at the company lately?"

"Do you mean anything in particular, Designer Li?"

"Just anything out of the ordinary—something that feels off."

"Actually, there is one thing. The Mo Group from East China wants to collaborate with us, but President Shen is refusing. This Mo always tries everything to meet with President Shen, but his attitude is firm—he won't agree to any cooperation."

As the saying goes, 'business is war'—you never know whether the one standing in front of you is a friend or a foe.