Chapter 538: Chapter 538: They Are Also My Children
In the president’s office of the Riley Group.
Justin Battleson was seated in his executive chair, his expression growing progressively grim as he listened to Michael Richard’s words.
"Mr. Battleson, right now public sentiment is extremely heated, and the worst part is that the children’s faces have been captured in the photos. I’m afraid those who are interested will soon locate the preschool they attend." Richard paused a moment, glanced at Justin’s expression, and noticed the low-pressure atmosphere permeating the office. He broke out in a cold sweat and continued, "I’ve managed to suppress most of the media attention, but over time..."
He hesitated to breathe before adding the remaining sentence after a few seconds.
"Internet users...those who were supposed to see have seen, and now people are saying all kinds of things."
Silence fell upon the office just as Richard finished speaking.
Justin leaned his head back, his eyes closed, and his voice became decidedly cold.
"Find out who leaked the information."
Upon hearing Justin’s command, Richard felt a sense of relief. He quickly nodded his head, picked up his files, and exited the room.
The air felt slightly damp as Justin slowly stood up and positioned himself in front of the large floor-to-ceiling window.
The light rain had been falling since last night.
Suddenly, he remembered Charlotte Thompson’s cold face and her uncompromising words from yesterday.
Even though he still had her resignation letter, she had not shown up at the office since yesterday.
Justin lowered his gaze, revealing no discernible emotions in his profound eyes.
She always did what she said she’d do.
After pondering for a while, he decided to give Charlotte a call.
News after news on the internet repeatedly threw her into the limelight. Justin was worried about whether she would be affected.
Finally, after nearly reaching the point of automatic disconnection, she answered the phone.
After a few seconds of silence, he asked softly, "What do you plan to do?"
On the other end, Charlotte had just called in a leave of absence from the preschool. Given the recent events, she wasn’t certain if anyone would try to harass them.
She glanced over at the children sitting on the sofa, watching TV, and sighed gently. She felt a bit of a headache, "I haven’t planned what to do yet. I will probably lay low; I’ll take the children away from the public eye until the media furore dies down. Then I’ll figure something out."
After she finished speaking, she paused briefly, her tone indicating a sense of helplessness.
"I don’t want the children’s identities and backgrounds to be exposed, nor do I want them to become dinner table gossip at such a young age. I just want them to grow up as normal children." Charlotte closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, sounding a little weary, "I know what’s been said online, but it doesn’t matter. If they can focus the attention on me and not harm the children, that would be a blessing."
After hearing her words, Justin fell silent.
He sighed, speaking with rare calmness, "I’ve already sent people to investigate. There must be a source to this issue."
Upon hearing this, Charlotte nodded slightly, thought for a few seconds, and finally managed to say, "Thank you."
Justin was taken aback, followed by a bitter smile, "They are my children too, so there’s no need for thanks."
Charlotte pursed her lips and stopped speaking.
Justin was slightly lost in thought after hanging up the phone. Just then, Michael Richard, in a hurry, entered the office and reported, "Mr. Battleson, it wasn’t hard to investigate. Our people went to the news agency. The reporter who broke the news said that a preschool teacher surnamed Hu gave her all the information."
Upon hearing his report, Justin turned his head slightly, his expression reflecting some surprise, "A preschool teacher?"
As if understanding something, the colour of his eyes went cold. "Prepare the car, we’re going to the preschool."