After Judith kissed Darnell, he immediately leaned in close to her ear and whispered his plan.
Judith, initially fierce, gradually broke into a smile, a glimmer of approval in her eyes. Just as she was about to compliment Darnell, her gaze shifted.
She spotted Areli beside the BMW and quickly pushed Darnell away, calling out with a smile, “Areli, good morning!”
With a swift motion, she opened the car door and dashed over to Areli. Darnell turned back to see Areli’s frosty expression.
He waved to greet her, hoping to tease a bit, but remembering the kiss he had just solicited, Darnell quickly tucked his tail and slipped away, disappearing from their view.
“That jerk is probably thinking about Casey and the other two again,” Judith huffed, eyeing the direction Darnell had vanished. “Otherwise, why would he run off so fast?”
“Judith, you really like him, don’t you?” Areli held her friend’s hand. “You don’t look like you’re acting at all.”
“Areli, don’t say that!”
Judith was startled by Areli’s words and quickly defended herself, “I’m just pretending to be his girlfriend to deal with my family and relatives.”
“Once they’re settled, I’ll kick Darnell to the curb. That jerk is greedy and lecherous. Anyone who likes him must be blind.”
“Then why did you kiss him earlier?”
Areli muttered, “You’re more uptight than I am. You wouldn’t just kiss anyone easily. You must have feelings for him.”
The memory of Judith’s kiss and her bright smile lingered in Areli’s mind.
“Oh, did you see that? I’m so embarrassed!”
Catching a hint of jealousy in her friend’s tone, Judith stepped closer and linked arms with Areli, feigning shyness, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
“Areli, weren’t you surprised? I was surprised too! How did I fall for that jerk?”
“But love is love, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Areli rolled her eyes, “Just be honest!”
Judith let out a long sigh and shrugged.
“Ugh, you really are my best friend for a reason. Fine, I’ll come clean.”
“That jerk just told me he has a way to catch the criminals. Since my threats didn’t work, I had to compromise and kiss him.”
“To be honest, I was quite reluctant. I fall for him? Ugh! Emily set me up with all those eligible bachelors. I even have some heirs from wealthy families among my suitors! They are way richer and better looking than Darnell.”
Areli sighed in relief, then poked Judith’s forehead, scolding her, “Are you out of your mind? To catch a criminal, you’re selling yourself short. You’re a police elite and my best friend!”
“Can you not belittle yourself?”
Areli criticized without holding back, “You satisfy him once, and he’ll come back for more. Be careful. He might end up clinging to you.”
Judith pouted, “Don’t worry. I won’t let him get away with it. Next time he tries anything, I’ll shoot his manhood.”
“That’s a bit too harsh.”
Seeing her friend’s fierce expression, Areli quickly advised against acting impulsively. “Darnell is annoying, but he doesn’t deserve severe punishment.”
Judith smiled knowingly, “Are you feeling sorry for him? You care about him, don’t you?”
“He’s the manager of the sales department. The company’s performance this half of the year depends on him. How can I not care?”
Areli offered a flimsy excuse, then changed the subject. “Are you really going to keep pretending to be his girlfriend?”
Judith sighed, “For now, I guess. He may be irritating, but he’s still a bit useful.”
“Areli, you have to look after him. He’s my temporary boyfriend after all. If your relationship isn’t good, it’ll be tough for me in the middle.”
Areli looked at her incredulously.
“By the way, I have something else to tell you.”
Judith linked arms with Areli, her smile brightening. “I’ve found out who was causing trouble outside the other morning.”
“It was indeed people hired by Pioneer Properties. You took away the two billion business from the Harmony Hospital, which touched their interests, so Paige wants to make things difficult for you.”
“I caught three of the ringleaders and warned Paige to back off. The ruckus outside your company won’t be happening for now.”
“But you still need to be cautious. We both know what kind of person Paige is. She won’t just let this go.”
Judith added firmly, “She’ll try to pull something sneaky on you again.”
Areli scoffed, “She always resorts to underhanded tactics. Graduating from the same school as her is a disgrace to me.”
“I know you disdain her methods, but you should also recognize that business is like a battlefield. A small misstep can lead to disaster.”
Judith cautioned her friend, “You need to keep your guard up.”
“If you feel unqualified or don’t want to waste energy on her, I think you can let Darnell handle it.”
“That jerk has a devious mind. Using him against Paige is definitely a good idea.”
Areli’s eyes brightened at the suggestion.
Just then, three more cars pulled up nearby, stopping beside the BMW. The doors opened, and Roberto and a few of his confidants stepped out, looking serious. Upon seeing Areli, they quickly approached her.
Roberto’s expression was grave. “Miss Fanshaw, it’s great to see you here.”
Areli spoke coldly, “What’s going on?”
Roberto wasted no time and, ignoring Judith beside them, spoke seriously,
“I just received news that our partners, HealthMingle, NovaCure, and TrustMed, have decided to terminate their cooperation with us at the end of this month, completely withdrawing Stochetrol and other Spectrum Pharmaceuticals products.”
Areli’s expression changed. “Why? Is it because of the disturbance?”
The three pharmacies represented a sales volume of four billion, so Areli couldn’t take this news lightly.
Roberto shook his head. “The disturbance had some impact. After all, hundreds of people gathered yelling about issues with Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, but that alone wouldn’t cause them to end our cooperation.”
“The real reason is that someone provided the pharmacies with our product cost reports.”
“They believe we’re making excessive profits, and they harbor hostility towards us.”
Areli’s face turned cold again. “Someone leaked Spectrum Pharmaceuticals’ secrets?”
Roberto nodded, “Exactly. This made them feel foolish, and they’re now preparing to partner with Pioneer Properties.”
What should have cost one dollar on the market was suddenly being offered for fifty cents. They thought they were clever, only to find out the actual cost was just ten cents.
It was no wonder they felt disheartened.
“Oh, and there’s a rumor that Paige provided the pharmacies with our product cost reports.”
Areli straightened up. “How did Paige get hold of our confidential documents?”
“I don’t know.”
Roberto took out a cigar. “But someone saw Darnell drinking with Paige last night.”
He snapped his fingers, and a confidant pulled out a stack of photos, handing them to Areli.
In the images, it was clear to see Darnell meeting with Paige.