Chapter 1694

"I see! You're trying to get rid of me so you can find someone new, is that it? Are you deliberately looking for a reason to leave me?!" Maria exploded. "Fabian Moore, you heartless man! You haven't even succeeded yet, and you're already thinking of abandoning your wife! How much have I endured with you? How low did I sink to appease your brother-in-law? Now, you…"

He quickly covered her mouth, glancing around warily. People were nearby; it wouldn't do for them to overhear.

"If you want to be happy, just be quiet and follow my lead." With Maria silenced, the atmosphere immediately calmed.

She frowned, silent for a moment before speaking again. "Then you need to reduce production costs and reconsider everything. Don't fall into someone else's trap. Does Ree know about this? She could oversee quality control, just in case…"

"Don't worry. Our daughter is smarter than you are! She gave me this idea!" Fabian smacked his lips. His daughter, though always a troublemaker, proved useful in crises. She'd even helped eliminate Cameron and devised a lucrative scheme.

"Wasn't the entire research institute shut down? Now that vaccine R&D is complete, she shouldn't have anything else to do. What experiment is she conducting? Doesn't she want to rest?" Fabian's patience was wearing thin.

"Tell her that, not me! You know your daughter's temper! How can I talk to her?!" Maria knew she couldn't reason with Rhea, sighing in frustration. Then, her anger flared again at her husband. "This is all your fault! You didn't give her enough attention when she was younger. Now, she avoids us and keeps secrets!"

He snapped back, "How can you blame me? Isn't it your fault too? You neglected our daughter, making it seem like you favored Tasia. This isn't entirely my fault!"

After striking him several times, Maria realized her own failings. Guilt over neglecting Rhea washed over her, and she sighed faintly.

"Did Ree mention where she's doing her experiments? I never asked, but how can I not ask now?!"

"In an abandoned factory somewhere. Some equipment was left behind, and she said she didn't mind using it. So she continued her experiments there."