After the two had finished their meal, Joseph drove all the way back home.
Inside the car, there was a small safety charm, which Irish had requested from a temple and then hung in his car. Even though Joseph didn't believe in such superstitions, he allowed her to do so because Irish was intricate and held great significance to him.
When they were to arrive home, Joseph stopped the car.
On a narrow road.
It was planted with dense trees. When the night wind blew, the temperature was far too cold.
The leaves flew onto the car window.
A few meters away from the car, there was a light streetlamp.
It gave out dark light, but it was warm.
Not knowing why Joseph stalled, Irish looked curiously at him.
Joseph didn't turn off the engine, and the air conditioning had been continuously running.
The air conditioner was quite sizable, and its surface felt cool and slightly thin to the touch.
He unbuckled his seat belt, looked at her, and finally said, "Irish, ask if you have anything to say."
It made Irish startled.
She was taken aback, whispering to herself, "Am I that transparent?"
She cleared her throat, "What are you talking about?"
Joseph hooked up his lips and reached out to pinch her little face, "Tonight is so good, and you said what I love to listen to. It is not your style. You must have something to do."
"Well," Irish grunted, reaching out to hit him.
But he caught her by the wrist, and he said, "I know you too well."
"Where?" Irish deliberately retorted.
Joseph's eyes looked down at her neck.
Irish stalked him.
His eyes swept through the beautiful scenery on her chest and went down.
His lips slightly rose, deliberately asking, "What you said?"
His eyes were abnormal, contrary to the public "respectable" image. Irish suddenly understood, blushed, and she could not help but say, "I'm not small because you are too big."
After saying this, only then did she realize that these words were so shameful, and her face flushed.
She was more embarrassed, reaching out to untie the security belt, "Hmm."
Her hand was gently pressed by Joseph. He sat back in his seat, leaning against her, smiling.
Irish also did not really want to leave. Since she had been seen through at a glance, it would be better to ask. She cleared her throat and looked at him, "Actually, I heard you're talking to Leo."
Then she hastily explained, "I just got home that time, I didn't think you'd be back early. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."
"I see your shadow slipping away like a mouse." Joseph didn't blame her.
Irish protruded her tongue. He saw it all.
"I saw Leo's new product press conference reported today, and then because I did not know what happened, my heart is very uneasy." Irish licked her lips, and her voice was a little hoarse, "At the restaurant, what Rosy had asked you is the same question I want to ask. Your brief answer saying that she worries too much makes me feel anxious too."
She'd like to believe Joseph's answer at the restaurant, which meant she had been over-worried.
Joseph thought, looking ahead, and whispered, "In fact, the new product really goes wrong."
"Like you told Rosy, there was a design problem?" she asked.
Joseph turned to look at her seriously, "I do not want you to participate in the shareholders' general meeting because the problem of the Runestone Group is too much. But as a shareholder, you do have the right to know the actual situation."
Irish held her breath.
"In reality, the new autumn and winter design of the Runestone was stolen, resulting in a significant surplus of new products that cannot be released to the market," Joseph stated clearly.
As soon as she heard it, Irish's throat was tight and missed a beat.
"Then... Those new products of Leo..." she uttered reluctantly.
Joseph nodded slowly.
"How could that be possible?" Irish suddenly understood, and her face changed.
Joseph's tone was cool, "What Leo released are the same as new products of the Runestone. Each model is a fine stone design."
"He is too much!" Irish simply could not believe it. Although it had been vaguely suspected before, it involved business crimes, and she could not expect Leo to do so.
"It originally belonged to the Runestone Group, but Leo managed to release the new products first. Now, what we have on hand can only be considered a waste," Joseph said, gripping the steering wheel with one hand, his eyes filled with darkness. "The loss for the Runestone is substantial."
It was conceivable.
"Is it exactly the same?" she asked again in confirmation.
Joseph nodded, "Exactly the same."
Irish felt her heart was broken.
She comprehended the implication behind Joseph's words of "becoming waste." Even though she hadn't seen the design herself, she knew that Joseph had invested tremendous effort into the new autumn and winter collection. However, Leo had managed to take the initial leap, indicating that if the Runestone were to proceed with the launch, they would face severe consequences. Moreover, the designs of the two new products were identical, so whoever released them first would gain the advantage, leaving no room for Runestone to offer their own versions.
New products became waste, so the loss was not only money but also the company's reputation.
Really, as Joseph said, the loss was too large.
"The design drawings are always confidential. How did Leo get it?" Irish was alert.
Joseph furrowed his brow. "In this world, money can buy anything. Leo wants to challenge me, so he would resort to any means necessary. I should have realized this."
"Do you suspect there's a mole?" she asked.
"Furthermore, he must have been in contact with Leo for quite some time," Joseph added. "Having the design drawings alone doesn't mean he has all the components of the new product. The embroidery element for this year requires collaboration and time. Even if he obtained the design, it would be impossible for him to create all the new products in such a short period. The only explanation is that someone tipped off Leo that he had acquired an early sample of Runestone's design, allowing him to prepare in advance. His main stone is similar to Runestones in terms of carat weight and quality. I overlooked it; I should have been more vigilant when he presented the main stone. He was well-prepared at that time."
"Who can think of such things?" Irish listened, heart, trembling. She clutched her fingers, "Can't we find the mole?"
Joseph looked serious, "We must find the mole, but he who took the design drawing must be a big guy. The focus is not on finding the mole but on the existing difficulties."
Irish felt uneasy.
Tricks and exploitation were often in the business field, and she had seen a lot. But now her husband was faced with such a difficult situation, and his opponent was Leo. It was so hard for her to accept it for the time being.
Although she hated Leo's behavior before, she was hopeful for him from her inner heart. She thought that he was good in nature, but now how could he do that?
Or she just made a wrong judgment?
After a great while, she asked, "What can we do now?" It could be thought that those shareholders were quite doubtful of Joseph.
The design drawing was stolen from Joseph's hand. At that time, he proposed not to disclose it. Once something bad happened, Joseph would become the biggest suspect.
Silent, Joseph was immersed in deep thinking.
Irish had no idea about it. She was unfamiliar with this field, so she couldn't make any good suggestions, asking lightly, "If we can find the mole, can we mitigate the bad effects?"
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