The clock on the wall pointed at ten, and the brakes finally sounded outside the door.

Joanne rushed to the door, and saw Brian coming back. She opened the shoe cabinet, passed him his slippers and said, "I made noodles for you, let me heat them."

It was just fine and it was not hot; just enough to warm the body.

Despite of having a busy day, and his eyebrows full of tiredness, Brian still ate them in an elegant way.

After finishing the last mouthful, Joanne handed him a tissue. He pressed his lips and said, "Go to a place with me tomorrow morning."

The next day was Saturday.

Joanne woke up very early, and went out with Brian without having breakfast. When they arrived at the destination, she discovered that it was the old place-the golf course that Brian often went to.

Intuition told her that Brian had not gone there to play. Based on his current situation, he wouldn't have much of a leisurely mood.

They went down to the sightseeing motor car and met a middle-aged man. Joanne had an impression of him. His surname was Mo, the top executive of a bank responsible for loan businesses.

When seeing Brian, he was obviously surprised. Then he smiled loudly as if he knew Brian very well. "Mr. Brian, why are you so early!?"

Before Brian said anything, Mr. Mo sighed and added, "Yesterday, my assistant told me after work that you called. I am sorry, I was too busy. Recently, the bank's loan business is very tight. The monthly quota has been reached, and a lot of things needed to be followed up. I'm so busy that I can't have three meals on time."

After complaining about a pass, Mr. Mo finally stopped, and he looked at Brian as if he had recalled something. "Right, Mr. Brian, why did you call me yesterday?"

Brian called yesterday for Lambert Group' loan, which Mr. Mo actually knew of. He also knew that Mr. Mo had already rejected him.

The best way to maintain respect for both parties was to smile. Brian raised his lips and said, "It's okay."

"Oh, then excuse me." Mr. Mo pointed to the distance and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Joanne knew nothing about business matters, but she understood that Brian must felt terrible because the loan had been rejected without even applying.

She still remembered the last time she saw Mr. Mo during the birthday party at the Chamber of Commerce, of President Frenk. At that time, he complimented Brian in a variety of ways, as if he could just ask him directly if he needed some money and he could lend it to Brian.

Lambert Group were facing a crisis today, and Lu Booyan was in real need, but he just avoided it.

In that world, business was the cruelest place.

"Everyone knows that Lambert Group is in jeopardy because of financial problems, and it is normal for banks not to approve loans," Brian said, relaxed and calm, and brought Joanne into the restaurant. "Let's eat something first."

There were quite a lot of people in the restaurant. People's expressions were similar when they saw Brian.

A little bit strange, a little bit to avoid, but had to maintain the apparent politeness.

After all, Lambert Group had its position back then, and Brian was unfathomable. No one could be sure what method he would use to bring the company back to life. At the moment, they avoided him as if he were a beast; they might be in trouble if someday he recovered his power.

Brian acted like he did not notice the subtle attitudes of those people and maintained a consistent elegance and alienation. Joanne was no longer able to talk to the people and went to the bathroom after she ordered something to temporarily avoid those ill-disposed gazes.

When she had just walked to the door of the bathroom, she heard a voice inside, "What is the situation of Lambert Group now? Didn't they have a financial crisis? Why did Brian still have the mood to play golf with his wife?"

"Stupid? Can't you see it?" Another person analyzed proudly, "they were not here to play, they were obviously here to ask for a loan to Lambert Group, didn't you see that Mr. Mo acted like he had seen a ghost when he saw Brian? Now Lambert Group's future is uncertain, who would dare lend to him?

"The most unfortunate is the Young Miss of the Scott Family. She only lived the good life as Mrs. Lambert for a year, and has encountered such a bad thing."

Joanne thought about it and went straight into the bathroom.

Several women saw her from the mirror; all stopped talking and left quickly.

After washing her hands and returning to the restaurant, Joanne just saw two men smiling strangely to each other after greeting Brian and turned around.

That smile, contained some redicule, and some bad intentions. As if they had foreseen that Brian was about to stage a tragedy.

Joanne lost her appetite, and pulled Brian with disappointment. "I don't want to eat, let's go home."

The car was driven down the hill.

Brian pulled down the shade to cover Joanne's face. She was still unhappy after he had promised to take her home, yet he couldn't help but smile. "They might say that I bullied you if they didn't know the truth."

Brian sighed. "I shouldn't have brought you here."

He rubbed her face, and Joanne's expression was no longer so stiff, but the soft voice was covered with unprecedented hatred. "I remember all of them!"

Brian raised his eyebrows. He asked "And then?"

"Then you must win this time!" Joanne looked firmly. "I will see them bend down and beg you later!"

Brian laughed and hugged the little monster passionately, "Mrs. Lambert, the business has always been very realistic and cruel, you had always been well protected by your brother in the past."

Joanne suddenly raised her head and her eyes were bright. "Can you ask my brother for help?"

"Your brother and Patrick, they have done what they can do," Brian said, "but it was only enough for Lambert Group to survive for a month."

Joanne looked down. Only one month; either someone was willing to lend to Lambert Group, or... to send Rowdy to prison.

After returning home, Brian did not get off the car. He touched Joanne's head. "I have to go somewhere and will come back at night."

Joanne did not ask more about it and gave him a big kiss. "Go for it, husband!"

Brian smiled and asked Winston to start the car after he watched Joanne enter the house.

After Joanne entered the house, she did not expect to see Chris in the living room.

Simon said, "Young Madam, Mr. Scott has been here for half an hour."

Joanne nodded and took the initiative to explain to Chris, "Brian said that he needed to go to a place and left without getting off the car."

"I know," Chris said, "He is going to visit the company's directors today and persuade them not to sell the company's stock."

Joanne sat down next to Chris and looked at him. "Brother..." Suddenly she stopped talking and sat quietly with a confused face.

Chris knew what she was thinking, so he held her hand. He said, "If you can't help, don't worry about it. Many people are still sure that Brian can survive this pass."

Joanne's hands were uncomfortably twisted together. But I saw those people today... Forget it, let's not mention them, Lambert Group must go through it!

As long as Lambert Group survived, it would be the most powerful couterattack.

"What if the results are not so optimistic, what are you going to do?" Chris asked.

"The worst result is to go bankrupt," Joanne said, spreading her hands, "What else can I do? Accompany him to start over."

Chris smiled and said, "You do believe in Brian."

Joanne snorted. "So many people don't believe in him and expected him to drop the ball. I am his wife; even if the whole world questions him, I will choose to believe him."

Chris gently caressed Joanne's soft long hair like how he did when they were young. "You've really grown up. If mother could see it, she would be very happy."

Joanne just smiled and said, "Brother, stay and have lunch with me. I will cook for you!"

Chris looked at the time and shook his head. "No, I made an appointment to play chess."

"Who is it?" Joanne was puzzled. "I know all of your friends. They like riding horses or playing ball. No one likes to play chess."

Chris did not disclose anything and just left. The driver got out to open the door for him and asked, "Shall we go to Mr. Norris's house?"

Joanne instantly understood it-Mr. Norris really liked to play chess.

"Gotta go," Chris said to her before got in the car.

Joanne smiled and waved at him. "Brother, this is a good move."

Freya was not there, so he accompanied Mr. Norris to go for a walk or to play chess. Freya must fall in love with him, when she returns and notices that he is already bound to her family.

Joanne's mood finally turned positive; she ate something and took out the photocopy of Tory's photo from her bag.

She could send Rowdy to prison if she found Tory and convinced him to renege on the confession of that year.

But it was so hard to find a person she had never met in such a big world.

It might be easier to hand it over to Brian. But at the moment, the company's business was enough for him. What's more, she promised to deal with his father's case.

Shawn had just called while she worried.

"My uncle promised to help us find Tory!" Shawn said with a long sigh of relief on the phone, "Now, we don't have to do anything, just wait for my uncle's news."

"Say thank you to your uncle for me." Joanne could not thank him enough, but she only said one sentence word by word. "And thank you too."

Shawn smiled and said with a serious tone, "You're welcome," he paused, "Right, what arrangements do you have today?"

"If you are free this afternoon, I would like to visit the police who handled the case at that time," Joanne said, "maybe we can find something suspicious from them."

"Is Brian with you?"

"How would he have the time?"

"Then I will go with you," Shawn said, "It's not safe for you to go alone. But we have to agree on this that we must unanimously declare that we are working overtime when talking to the public."

Joanne thought for a moment and understood. "...Are you being forced to date with Riana again?" He could leave home with excuses for work.

"Cough," Shawn's voice became unnatural and said, "See you in the afternoon!"

After hanging up the phone, Joanne inadvertently looked out the window and it was snowing again.

But she didn't feel as excited as when she saw it for the first time.

She remembered that during the summer, she carried a pot of coffee and ran into Brian's study. He promised to take her to the French winery in winter to taste the new wine.

With the sudden crisis of Lambert Group, they might not be able to go this year.