Hearing this, Stella perked up and looked at Doreen, signaling for her to go on.
Doreen continued, “I had it inspected. It turns out the chandelier was intentionally tampered with. But with everything that happened at the event and the large crowd, we still haven’t been able to identify the culprit.”
Stella sank into deep thought. She understood that the person responsible would have covered their tracks meticulously.
However, she recognized that Doreen, unlike Fernando, lacked the same level of investigative skills.
After reflecting for a moment, Stella said, “Don’t stress over this right now. Prioritize managing the orders from the launch event and ensure they’re all fulfilled promptly and correctly. I’ll assign someone else to look into the investigation.”
Doreen agreed immediately. “Alright, Stella.”
She then noticed that Stella appeared unwell and asked with a worried look, “Stella, are you feeling ill, or are you just worn out?”
Stella forced a faint smile and replied, “I didn’t sleep well, that’s all. Don’t worry about me. You’ve got things to do-go ahead.” She waved off the concern with a light tone.
Doreen still looked uneasy but nodded. “Alright, but take care of yourself, Stella,” she said before Leaving.
Once alone, Stella sat at her desk, staring blankly at the scattered papers. Minutes later, she picked up her phone and dialed Bennett.
When the call connected, she said, “Bennett, I need a favor. Can you arrange for someone reliable? I need something looked into.”
Bennett didn’t miss a beat. “Of course. What’s the matter? What do you need to be investigated?”
Then, as if remembering, he added, “By the way, how’s Matthew doing with his memory loss? Any progress?”
Stella paused, her grip tightening on the phone. She didn’t want to delve into that. “No changes yet,” she replied briskly. “I’ve been so swamped with the launch event that I haven’t had time to check on Grandpa and Grandma. How are they holding up?”
In truth, Stella had considered asking Bennett to recommend a specialist for Matthew’s treatment. But the more people involved, the more complicated it became. For now, she trusted Cordell’s expertise and felt it was better to keep things discreet.
Picking up on her reluctance to discuss Matthew, Bennett didn’t press further. “They’re doing fine,” he said. “And don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything else.”
After knowing what Stella wanted to be investigated, Bennett ended the call and leaned back in his chair. Across from him, Sanford looked up and asked casually, “Was that Stella?”
Bennett, who had no reason to withhold information from Sanford, nodded. “Yes, she wants me to arrange someone to help investigate something.”
As Bennett considered who to assign to the task, he felt the weight of responsibility. It was the first time Stella had turned to him for help, and he wanted to ensure everything was handled perfectly.
Sanford’s eyes lit up with an idea. “Send Dexter,” he suggested.
“He’s been with you for years. He’s cautious, efficient, and knows how to get the job done.”
Bennett nodded in agreement with Sanford’s suggestion and wasted no time contacting Dexter Moreno. He instructed him to assist Stella with the investigation.
Meanwhile, Stella leaned back in her chair, her thoughts swirling like a never-ending film reel.
The chaotic events of recent days played over and over in her mind the unexpected incidents at the launch event, Matthew’s amnesia and his looming surgery, and the investigation into the warehouse fire.