The moment I saw the news, I immediately got out of bed and started getting ready for work.

But while I was downstairs having breakfast, Jane arrived at the villa to brief me on the situation.

"The fire caused a huge stir online," she explained seriously. "Mr. Blackwood has been dealing with the aftermath since last night. He’ll be flying to B City personally today."

Maria quickly went upstairs to prepare Alexander’s luggage while Jane continued reviewing several documents in her hands.

Not long after, Maria came back down carrying a neatly packed suitcase, which Jane took before leaving in a hurry.

The villa suddenly became quiet again.

I stood there staring at the empty living room for a moment, my brows slowly furrowing.

Instinctively, I took out my phone.

My fingers hovered over Alexander’s contact for several seconds.

But in the end...

I still didn’t call him.

After calming myself down, I drove to the company.

The moment I stepped into the office building, employees greeted me warmly one after another.

"Good morning, Director Alicia."

"Director Alicia, hello."

"Director Alicia, have you had breakfast yet?"

I responded with a faint smile while walking toward the elevator.

Just as I turned the corner, a female employee accidentally bumped into me.

She looked ready to complain at first, but the moment she realized who I was, her expression changed instantly.

"I-I’m sorry, Director Alicia. I didn’t mean to bump into you."

"It’s alright," I replied calmly.

Although I didn’t know her personally, I recognized her voice immediately.

She had been one of the employees gossiping about me in the restroom that day.

For a brief moment, I didn’t know what to feel.

Perhaps... this was simply reality.

People followed whichever direction public opinion favored....

At exactly eleven in the morning, the B City police officially released preliminary findings regarding the warehouse fire.

According to surveillance footage and statements from surviving employees, the deceased worker had allegedly been drinking during working hours. Improper handling afterward had ultimately triggered the fire.

As for the missing employee, he had reportedly been with the deceased near the origin point of the fire before the accident occurred.

I frowned slightly after reading the report.

If that was true... then how had the missing employee escaped without leaving any trace behind?

Something about the situation felt off.

Unfortunately, most netizens online weren’t interested in calmly analyzing the details.

Instead, countless people immediately questioned the police report itself, demanding that authorities publicly release the surveillance footage.

The moment something became linked to a major corporation or the capital market, many people instinctively assumed the company was guilty—regardless of the actual evidence.

And once public emotions became involved, reason no longer mattered.

Soon, new conspiracy theories began spreading online again.

Some questioned whether the deceased employee had actually been forced to work overtime before the accident. Others speculated that the "missing employee" had actually died in the fire as well and that Blackwood Dominion Enterprises was deliberately covering it up.

The atmosphere online grew more chaotic by the minute.

And somehow...

The more I watched everything unfold, the stronger the uneasy feeling in my chest became.

It felt as though someone was deliberately pushing public opinion in a specific direction.

The atmosphere online had become completely irrational.

Then, shortly afterward, another video suddenly exploded across Twitter.

It was an interview with the deceased worker’s wife.

The woman appeared to be in her late thirties. Her eyes were swollen red from crying as she faced the camera with trembling hands.

"My husband was an honest and hardworking man his entire life. How could he possibly drink during work hours?

He spent all his years working to support our family and pay for our children’s education. He never even had the chance to enjoy life properly...

And now he’s gone.

I won’t allow him to be slandered after death.

I don’t want money. I only want the truth.

I will apply for a re-investigation, and I hope everyone can support me.

Thank you."

The interview instantly pushed public opinion into another uproar.

The comment section filled with sympathy for the family while condemning Blackwood Dominion Enterprises even more fiercely than before.

The issue of alcohol consumption during work was especially sensitive.

According to long-standing workers’ compensation regulations, employees injured while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs were generally disqualified from receiving full workplace compensation benefits.

In other words, if the deceased had truly operated machinery while drunk and caused the fire himself, the company’s responsibility would be significantly reduced.

The employee would bear primary responsibility, while the company would only bear secondary liability for insufficient supervision.

Soon afterward, Blackwood Dominion Enterprises released another official statement online, once again expressing respect for the police investigation while confirming full legal cooperation.

But the response only triggered more arguments.

Some users questioned whether such a massive corporation truly cared that much about compensation money.

"Can’t Blackwood Dominion afford a few million dollars? Why make such a huge spectacle instead of compensating the family properly?"

Others argued that if the deceased employee had genuinely caused the fire while intoxicated, then the company itself was also a victim.

Unfortunately, those comments were quickly buried beneath hundreds of furious replies.

The re-investigation process would obviously take time.

And at that point, I realized something clearly—

The only person who could truly clarify what happened that night...

Was the missing employee.

But if he really escaped the fire—

Then where exactly had he gone?

The more I thought about it, the stranger the entire situation felt.

Meanwhile, the debate surrounding the warehouse fire continued escalating online.

Countless people waited impatiently for updates from the police and government authorities.

Blackwood Dominion Enterprises’ stock price continued dropping sharply, causing chaos throughout the market.

Even inside the company, the atmosphere was extremely tense.

Phones rang nonstop throughout the office as media outlets continuously called for statements and interviews.

I was sitting in my office reviewing documents when someone knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in."

A secretary entered carefully before speaking in a respectful tone.

"Director Alicia, CEO Blackwood just called."

My hand paused slightly.

"He asked that you avoid unnecessary public exposure for now," she continued. "And... to be especially careful when entering or leaving the company."

I understood immediately.

At times like this, some media outlets would do absolutely anything for attention—even ambushing people publicly just to create headlines.

I nodded lightly.

But after a brief hesitation, I still asked quietly,

"When will CEO Blackwood return?"

The secretary shook her head apologetically.

"CEO Blackwood didn’t say."

I lowered my gaze slightly before nodding again.

"Understood."

The secretary quietly left the office afterward.

And once the door closed—

The room suddenly felt emptier than before.