Chapter 216

Evelyn Roland ended the call decisively. The phone screen went dark instantly.

Her heels clicked rapidly against the marble floor as she strode toward the parking lot. The news of Old Joy's resignation furrowed her brow. This veteran employee, who had worked at the winery for twenty years, was now leaving over a matter of pride.

The atmosphere in Sebastian Valdemar's office plummeted to freezing.

He stared at the darkened phone screen, his knuckles tightening unconsciously. The words "Let's have dinner tonight" had been left unspoken, abruptly cut off by her.

"Mr. Valdemar, the afternoon meeting—" Theodore Ashcroft ventured cautiously.

"Postpone it," Sebastian said coldly, his gaze darkening.

Chaos reigned in the winery's HR department.

Blake Sherwood and several senior employees surrounded Old Joy, pleading with him earnestly. The HR director wrung his hands in distress. When Evelyn pushed the door open, everyone turned to her as if finding their anchor.

"Ms. Roland!" they chorused.

Old Joy shot up from his chair and slammed his resignation letter onto the table. "I'm not skilled enough! I have no face to stay!"

Evelyn raised a hand, signaling for silence.

She walked up to Old Joy, her gaze steady as still water. "Master Joy, I took over this winery not to compete with anyone. In business, profit is the only true measure of success."

Old Joy froze.

Blake's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh. "Listen to that! Now that's the mindset of a true leader!"

The other employees suddenly understood. Ms. Roland hadn't been bothered by petty conflicts at all—her focus had always been on the winery's growth.

"You..." Old Joy's lips trembled. The resignation letter in his hand suddenly felt scorching.

Evelyn smiled faintly and pushed the letter back toward him. "The winery needs experienced masters like you. Stay, and let's grow this business together?"

Her sincerity was impossible to refuse.

Old Joy's eyes reddened instantly. Blake snatched the letter and tore it to shreds. "Come on! There's a new batch of grapes waiting for processing!"

The group ushered Old Joy out, and the office finally settled into calm.

Just as Evelyn exhaled in relief, a security guard rushed in, panicked. "Ms. Roland, it's bad! There's a commotion at the gate—someone's claiming they got poisoned from our wine! They brought reporters!"

Her expression darkened. She grabbed her coat and bolted outside.

At the winery's entrance, a heavily made-up woman wailed into the cameras. "It was their wine that put me in the hospital! Don't buy it!"

Camera flashes erupted in waves. Evelyn narrowed her eyes, a cold smirk forming in her heart. So, they've finally made their move.