Mafia Lord's Mute Sweetheart

Chapter 104: Chapter 104 Problem

Ace tried to calm them down. "Everyone, please! Let’s think about this rationally! We need to identify the cause first before we start pointing fingers!"

"Identify the cause?" someone scoffed. "We’ve been working on this for months! We’ve tested every single component! If there was a problem, we would have found it by now!"

"Unless it’s a problem with the raw materials," a researcher suggested. "Maybe the supplier sent us a bad batch."

"Or maybe it’s the storage conditions," another added. "If the temperature wasn’t controlled properly during shipping—"

Ace interrupted. "We followed every protocol. Every single one. There’s no way it was a storage issue."

"Then what was it?" someone demanded. "Because we can’t just sit here and do nothing!"

Ace ran a hand through his hair, his frustration growing. "I don’t know yet! That’s what we’re trying to figure out!"

Some suspected contaminated raw materials. Others blamed improper storage conditions. A few believed one of the fragrance compounds had reacted unexpectedly over time.

Everyone spoke at once, their voices overlapping in a chaotic mess.

Only Daisy remained silent, carefully listening to every theory.

She stood near her workstation, clutching her notebook to her chest. Her dark eyes moved from the test results to the samples on the laboratory bench, her brow furrowed in thought.

Something about the data didn’t add up. The breakdown pattern was too consistent, too specific to be a simple contamination issue. It looked like a reaction that had been triggered by a specific condition.

Ace looked the most distressed. He ran both hands through his hair before checking the reports again, his fingers trembling slightly. His team had worked tirelessly on this perfume for months. They had poured their hearts into it. If the results were accurate, everything could be ruined.

Before anyone could continue discussing, the laboratory doors burst open.

Mr. Higgins strode inside like a storm cloud, his face dark with fury. His brown suit seemed tighter than usual, his round face red with anger. His small eyes blazed as they swept across the room.

"What is the meaning of this?"

His sharp voice echoed throughout the laboratory, silencing everyone instantly.

No one answered. The silence was deafening.

He slammed the stability report onto the nearest table, the sound echoing like a gunshot.

"I trusted this laboratory with one job!" His furious gaze swept across every employee, landing on each face with accusation. "One job! And this..." He held up the report, shaking it violently. "...is what you give me?"

Silence.

"I want an explanation! Now!"

Still, no one spoke. The researchers shifted uncomfortably, their eyes fixed on the floor.

Mr. Higgins’ patience snapped. His voice rose with every sentence, each word sharper than the last.

"Do you people have any idea how much money the company has invested in this launch?" He stalked toward the group, his presence looming over them. "Hundreds of thousands! Millions! And what do we have to show for it? A formula that breaks down after a month!"

He slapped the report with the back of his hand.

"Marketing campaigns have already started! Billboards, television ads, social media influencers—all of it is already out there! Retailers are waiting for their shipments! Production has already begun! And now you’re telling me the perfume starts smelling terrible after one month?"

His voice cracked with fury.

"What exactly have all of you been doing for the past six months? Sitting around drinking coffee? Taking naps in the storage room? Because clearly, no one was paying attention!"

A researcher tried to speak. "Sir, if we can just—"

Mr. Higgins cut him off. "Don’t! I don’t want excuses. I don’t want explanations. I want solutions! Fix this! Now!"

Another researcher said carefully. "I don’t think you understand the situation, sir. This isn’t something we can fix overnight. We need to—"

"Overnight?" Mr. Higgins laughed, but there was no humor in it. "I’m not asking for overnight! I’m asking for before the launch date! Which is in three weeks! Do you understand what three weeks means?!"

He paced back and forth, his footsteps heavy against the floor.

"The CEO is going to have my head for this! And I’m going to have all of your heads! Every single one of you! Do you know what happens when a perfume launch fails? Do you know how much money we lose? How much reputation we lose?"

He turned and pointed a shaking finger at Ace.

"You! You were in charge of this project! You were supposed to oversee every stage of development! How did this happen? How did you let this happen?"

Ace swallowed hard, his jaw tightening. "Sir, we followed every protocol. The initial tests were all positive. We had no indication of—"

Mr. Higgins roared. "I don’t care about indications! I care about results! And the results are telling me that this product is a failure! A complete failure!"

He grabbed the report and waved it in Ace’s face.

"Long-term stability test! Long-term! That means the perfume should last for years, not weeks! What kind of perfumer can’t make a formula that lasts?"

Ace’s face flushed red with anger and humiliation. "We have some of the best perfumers in the industry on this team, sir. I can assure you that everyone here has—"

Mr. Higgins cut him off again. "Everyone here has clearly failed! And I will make sure everyone here understands the consequences!"

He turned to face the entire room.

"All of you! I want a full investigation! I want a report on my desk by the end of the week! And I want a solution! If this product doesn’t launch on time, the entire department will suffer the consequences!"

He stormed toward the door, his footsteps loud and heavy.

He stopped at the threshold and turned back.

"Get back to work! All of you! I don’t want to see a single person standing around doing nothing!"

Then he was gone.

The door slammed behind him.

The laboratory fell into complete silence. Everyone was too stunned to speak.