"Bang bang bang-"

At three in the morning, when Brian had just fallen asleep, knocking on the bedroom door was suddenly heard, accompanied with Simon's anxious voice, "Young Master, Young Master!"

Brian was a light sleeper; he woke up quickly, and went to open the door.

"Gavin just called. Building #4-17 of Fontine Gardens which had just finished construction in the fourth quarter... suddenly collapsed." Simon was usually a composed man, but right then, the hand which was holding onto his walking stick was slightly trembling. "Many of the workers who were staying at the construction site were injured. Two of them have unfortunately... died."

Real estate was one of three Lambert Group' main business pillars. Ever since they started developing properties, business had been prospering. Now with such a major accident, Simon could not imagine... what it would do to Lambert Group.

For an instant, there was a turbulence inside of Brian.

But a split second later, he had calmed down, and commanded firmly, "Get Gavin to go to the construction site at once. Ask Winston to prepare the car for me."

Back in the room, he just realized that Joanne had also woken up, looking at him cluelessly and worriedly. It was obvious that she had overheard Simon.

She lifted the blanket and got off the bed, "I'll go with you to the construction site!"

Brian looked outside the window. Under the complete darkness of the night sky, the branches were shaking non-stop due to the cold wind. The world... was suddenly going through a raging storm.

He held both of Joanne's hands, "It's too cold outside. If this was Rowdy's doing as well, he would definitely inform the media. It would definitely be chaotic there. Be good, don't go, just stay at home and wait for me to come back."

Brian was pressed for time; Joanne could only heed his words. She nodded, "I'll get your clothes for you."

Brian was soon done dressing. Joanne wrapped a scarf around his neck. A stream of light from the car flashed through the window. Winston was probably done preparing it.

She adjusted Brian's clothes and said, "Go."

Brian laid a kiss in between her brows, and turned to leave.

Just as he had expected, the scene of the accident was in utter chaos.

There were panicking construction workers, along with the police, media, contractors, and even residents of the previously constructed buildings who had come after hearing about the news standing outside the cordoned area. Everyone was discussing among themselves, making the quiet night appear especially rowdy.

As soon as Brian's car stopped, the media rushed over like the wind, stopping him right in front of his car.

"Mr. Lambert, two construction workers have died, and many were injured. Could you explain what happened?"

"Mr. Lambert, this accident would likely be a huge blow to Lambert Group' real estate business. How does Lambert Group intend to deal with it?"

"Mr. Lambert..."

Brian did not answer any of the questions, but only looked at the collapsed building from a distance.

The journalist was right, Rowdy had really dealt a fatal blow to Lambert Group.

"Mr. Lambert," Two police stations emerged from the swarm of journalists, approaching Brian, and displayed their police identifcation. "According to the contractors' testimony, we would need your assistance in the investigation."

It seemed like the journalists had sensed a major news, turning their recorders to the two officers.

"Officer, officer, could you reveal what the contractor said?"

"Officer, is Lambert Group Real Estate the most responsible party in this accident?"

The police could not reveal contents of the testimony, and repeatedly dismissed the journalists. The journalists could only turn their attention back to Brian.

"Mr. Lambert, could you say something?"

Brian's dark black eyes looked still and calm in the company of the night sky, "Lambert Group will assist the police to investigate the cause of the accident carefully. We would eventually hold a press conference to explain the matter to the media and the injured workers."

"Mr. Lambert, are you responsible for this accident? Did you expect such a thing happening before you developed this residential area?" The journalist asked unrelentlessly. It was as good as implying that Brian was a murderer.

Everyone fell into silence in a moment. Tens of pairs of eyes stared at Brian closely, yet he remained unperturbed. Even his eyes had not revealed a shred of anxiety.

He said calmly, "Who would do something as stupid as ruining their own reputation?"

The media were momentarily at a loss for words. They could sense a stern warning from his calm tone of expression. Gavin and the security guards seized the moment to dismiss the media, and let Brian get in the car.

This time, Gavin and Brian took the same car. Winston was driving.

Once the car started driving, Gavin said, "I've clarified about the accident. What should we do next?"

Brian had worked out some ideas among the chaos just then, "Pay for the casualties' medical bills and compensation, appease their family members. Get Wesley to investigate the cause of the accident-put the focus on Rowdy. Also, send some people to check every building of Fontine Gardens, and come up with a safety report as soon as possible."

"You're suspecting Rowdy too?" Gavin shook his head. "But the media and passersby are probably assuming that it's the fault of the contractors and Lambert Group-it's also what Rowdy aimed for."

It was precisely because of the seriousness of the accident that they did not think it was purely a problem of the contractors.

The contractors had been working with Lambert Group for a long time, and they had never gone wrong. Even if they had some fault of negligence in the current situation, it would not be to the extent of such a serious accident. The architects and supervisors were not that useless.

A whole level of building collapsing could only be deliberate.

Once at the police station, Brian was taken away to assist with the investigation. Gavin asked Winston to take him to the company.

Back at home, Joanne was feeling uneasy. She could only restlessly watch the night sky turn to dawn. The fourth time she called Brian, there was still nobody picking up.

She went online and searched for the news. All sorts of news reports and discussions were overwhelming. Lambert Group had been branded as an unscrupulous developer.

First it was tax evasion involving a huge sum of money, and the following was a collapse of a building in the residential area they had been developing. Lambert Group had been hurt badly; its future was unclear.

What could she do? What could she do for Brian?

Joanne forced herself to calm down. She called Gavin, and only knew then that Brian was at the police station undergoing investigation.

She rinsed her mouth, absentmindedly ate a few mouthfuls of breakfast, and packed a serving for Brian, then got Simon to send her to the police station.

A huge group of media journalists was already stationed at the entrance. Joanne was about to ask Simon to go through the back entrance instead, but some observant journalists had already recognized her car. They swarmed over, and she had no choice but to get off the car.

"Mrs. Lambert, Mr. Lambert has been in there for so long, was he already arrested by the police?"

"Mrs. Lambert..."

"Sorry." Joanne lowered her head slightly, gripping tightly on the thermal lunchbox, she pushed away the microphones which were crowding around her. "Let me pass."

She was not a rival of those seasoned journalists, she could not get through at all. The journalists tried to make her speak up by provoking her with questions. She could only ask Simon for help.

It was only until a few bodyguards rushed in to pull away the journalists by force that Joanne had managed to enter the station.

She casually asked a colleague; they told her that Brian was still being questioned. When she went over, Brian was just coming out of the interrogation room.

She looked like she was almost charging towards Brian, "How is it?"

In such a situation, the first people to be interrogated should be the contractors. Brian being the one to be interrogated first could only mean one thing-someone had provided testimony or a piece of evidence which was against him.

Brian knitted his brows slightly, his fingers brushed over her darkened eyelids, "Why are you here, so early in the morning?"

Joanne took Brian to her office, and opened the lunchbox, "I got the chef to make porridge. You eat some and tell me what happened."

"Joanne." Brian said. "I must get going to the company."

"No!" Joanne was so insistent that it almost felt stubborn. "You must finish your breakfast before leaving my office." She ran over and locked the office door.

Brian helplessly took over the bowl she handed to him, and ate his porridge.

Joanne asked uncertainly, "Are you sure? Is it Rowdy again?"

"Other than him, who would dare to touch a property developed by Lambert Group?" Brian paused and looked at Joanne. "There will probably be journalists coming to you in the next few days. No matter what they ask you, you just have to say you don't know. Are you clear?"

Joanne knew Brian did not want her to get involved.

As long as she said she did not know anything, even if the outcome of that incident would be incredibly terrible, she would be spared.

Brian had already prepared for the worst, and it made Joanne increasingly uneasy, "This time is more serious that when Lambert Group was reported previously, right?"

"Yes," Brian did not deny. "There were casualties. Rowdy will definitely manipulate the online discussion, and now-" he smiled. "Lambert Group has probably turned into the unscrupulous developer in the eyes of the netizens."

"..." Joanne did not dare to tell Brian about the news she saw in the morning.

Brian finished his last mouthful of porridge, and rubbed Joanne's long hair, "I'll be heading to the company."

Joanne was going to speak but she paused, and quietly opened the door for Brian. Before she could push open the door, she was suddenly hugged from behind, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist.

"Just concentrate on work, don't think too much," Brian's comforting voice was by her ear. "We will not always be pushed around by Rowdy helplessly."

"...I want to help you," Joanne said.

Brian smiled, he turned Joanne around by her shoulders to face him, "It's just a small matter. There's no need for Mrs. Lambert to deal with it personally."

Joanne did not know whether to smile or laugh, she lightly pushed Brian, "Alright, off you go."

Brian raised his eyebrows. "Are you not sending me off?"

Joanne held onto Brian's hand and sent him to the entrance of the station. He did not want her to go out, citing that there were too many people of the media, and made her go back to her office.

She nodded, and watched Brian walk out. Indeed, a huge group of journalists swiftly swarmed over. Luckily, the bodyguards had reacted very quickly, and set a boundary around Brian. The journalists could not get near him.

The journalists asked the same few sharp and candid questions. Brian did not answer, only turning back to look at Joanne, then got on his car and left.

Joanne was about to return to her office when she saw Shawn rushing over. She asked him what was the matter, and he only said, "There's work to do."

They were a team. Joanne couldn't have been unaware if Shawn had work.

It did not take more thinking for Joanne to understand, "It's the deceased of the Fontine Gardens collapse incident, right?"

Shawn acknowledged. "You and Brian are husband and wife. According to the regulations, you... can't take this case."

Joanne nodded in understanding, "I know the rules, you go ahead."