Surprise Marriage to a Billionaire-Chapter 347: The Setbacks

At Lancaster Ancestral Mansion

"What are you planning to do about it?" William asked Alexander as the two sat at the bar after dinner, their drinks untouched as they discussed both company matters and the brewing scandal.

"I’ll talk to Eric about it first," Alexander replied with a frown. The gossip circulating within the company had reached him, and it was beginning to grate on his nerves.

"Speak of the devil," William muttered, his expression souring as Eric appeared, panting as if he’d run all the way to meet them.

"It’s my fault," Eric blurted out, still trying to catch his breath. "I forgot to shred that damn contract like you instructed. I checked the drawer it’s still there."

"Then how did a copy of it manage to circulate through the entire company?" Alexander snapped, his frustration boiling over.

Eric scratched his head nervously. "Carla stopped by my office while I was in a meeting a few days ago. You know how she likes to hang around there, drinking coffee and chatting," he explained, his voice tinged with regret.

William’s face twisted in anger. "Seriously! That woman is a constant headache. She came to the company this afternoon, and since then, the details of that contract between brother and sister-in-law have become the hottest topic. Can you even imagine the media frenzy this is going to spark by tomorrow morning? Especially with Carla’s name thrown into the mix!"

"Rain isn’t going to like this, is she?" Alexander asked worriedly, running a hand through his hair. The last thing he wanted was to upset his wife or give her any reason to doubt him. "I’ll need to tell her about this before she hears it from someone else."

His jaw tightened as he turned to Eric, his tone cold and authoritative. "Fix this mess immediately, Eric. This is a serious breach of your responsibility. If you can’t clean this up properly, I won’t hesitate to replace you."

Eric gulped, nodding rapidly. "I’ll handle it, Xander. I promise."

"You better handle this, Eric," Alexander said, his tone firm and commanding. "I want everything related to this issue taken down immediately. I’ve already instructed Dion to make an announcement about it tomorrow. Anyone who continues to spread this rumor will face serious consequences."

He fixed Eric with a piercing gaze and added, "Coordinate closely with Dion. I want everyone to know that I will take legal action against anyone fueling these rumors. Make it clear, there will be no tolerance for this kind of behavior."

Eric nodded vigorously, sweat forming on his brow. "Understood. I’ll make sure it’s dealt with right away."

William poured Eric a glass of wine and hummed, "Those Elders have no idea what’s happening right now, yet they still want to proceed with the Hunting Event. They’re so excited since the Cartiers are handling it this year."

"I don’t see why we can’t continue with the event," Eric replied casually. "It’s been a longstanding tradition."

"But Carla is a pain in the ass! We don’t know how far that woman is willing to go to sabotage my brother’s relationship with his wife," William snapped, clearly irritated.

Alexander took a deep breath, his tone steady but firm. "I’ll handle Carla, William. You don’t need to worry about her."

"Right," Eric chimed in, trying to ease the tension. "And besides, Rain isn’t someone who can be easily messed with. We all know that!"

Alexander’s frown deepened as he turned to Eric. "What makes you say that? Are you close to my wife?"

William burst out laughing, thoroughly entertained by the way Eric’s face turned pale.

He turned to Alexander and teased, "Well, it’s no secret that a lot of men admire my sister-in-law. I’m sure Eric here is one of them. Honestly, even I admire her! That’s why you should treat her well, even if you’ve lost your memories. There are men out there, like Eric, who don’t know their boundaries and might just try to snatch her away from you."

"Stop that!" Eric elbowed William, his face flushed with embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Alexander’s expression hardened. The thought of another man making advances toward his wife didn’t sit well with him at all. His voice came out as a low growl. "That won’t happen."

******

Meanwhile, Rain had just finished preparing for bed when her phone buzzed. Seeing Ivan’s name on the caller ID made her heart leap, as it always did lately.

"Please let this be good news," she muttered before answering.

"Ivan?"

"Rain, Kelly passed out again," Ivan began, his tone calm but serious. "It’s nothing critical, though. She’s stable, and her vitals are normal."

Rain exhaled a breath of relief. "That’s good to hear. Is she awake now?"

"Yes, she woke up about fifteen minutes later and is already back to her usual lively self," Ivan reassured her.

Rain nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. "So... this is probably just one of the setbacks, right? Her body adjusting?"

"Possibly," Ivan replied thoughtfully, "but it’s hard to say. The cancer cells have stopped growing, which is great progress. However, cancer can be unpredictable. It can go dormant and reactivate later. The best course of action remains surgical removal of the tumor, followed by this medication. For now, we need to keep observing."

"I understand," Rain said softly. "We’re still trying to locate the Miracle Doctor. Every lead we’ve followed has been a dead end. It’s like he’s deliberately erased his existence."

Ivan sighed on the other end of the line. "I’ll keep you updated. In the meantime, I’m pushing for expedited approval of this new drug with the necessary authorities. If Kelly shows no adverse effects in the coming weeks, your father-in-law could also benefit from it to halt the tumor growth."

"Thank you, Ivan. Really," Rain said, her voice heavy with gratitude.

After ending the call, Rain sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the floor. The conversation had left her feeling drained and disheartened.

That’s when Alexander walked into the room.

His eyes immediately went to her, taking in her downcast expression. "Rain?"

She looked up at him, her voice low and subdued. "Are you staying here tonight?"