Love at the 2009
Love at the Wrong Table
Chapter 2009
âMs. Quillen, should we take back the donation now?â Lexi suggested.
Mackenzie thought for a moment but shook her head.
She was here under the pretext of charity. Without concrete proof, pulling the
donation based on speculation could damage her reputation. Even if
someone did pocket part of her donation, the relief center would still report
the donation publicly, and she would gain the positive publicity she sought.
She could easily turn a blind eye.
But her conscience wouldnât allow her ta. If her donations werenât going to
those in need, and instead were lining the pockets of corrupt officials, how
was she any different from those hypocritical people she despised?
âLexi, send someone to track down the people who were protesting outside. I
need to get to the bottom of this,â Mackenzie instructed quietly.
âUnderstood, Ms. Quillen,â Lexi replied, hurrying off to carry out her orders.
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Chapter 2009 Greed at Play?
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Mackenzie didnât make a grand entrance into the city center or check into a
fancy hotel. Instead, she had someone find a clean and simple guesthouse
near the relief center for her to stay in.
Later that night, Lexi returned to the guesthouse with a small group of people.
Leading them was an elderly man in his sixties, dressed in unusual attire that
seemed to belong to an ethnic minority, complete with a white round cap.
âAh, Ms. Quillen, if Iâd known it was you earlier, I wouldâve stopped you from
coming tonight,â the old man said with regret the moment he saw her.
âWait⦠are you Mr. Jidrus Abovos?â Mackenzie found the man familiar. Even
though some women might lose focus during pregnancy, she still had a
sharp memory. She had seen pictures of 277 different representatives and
quickly recognized him.
Not only that, but Jidrus was a representative of Riverhavenâs local business
association, not someone from Silvergate.
âThatâs right, Ms. Quillen. Iâm honored that you remember me. But if you want
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to help the West End refugees, the supplies should be sent directly to the
disaster zone and delivered into the hands of the victims themselves!â
Jidrus pleaded with a pained expression.
âMr. Abovos, tell me exactly whatâs going on,â Mackenzie replied, her voice firm
with a sense of justice. âIâll do whatever I can to help you.â
This wasnât just about trying to gain a business ally. It was also a matter of
conscience and responsibility.
âAfter the disaster struck, people from all over the country donated countless supplies and funds to West End. But to this day, hardly anything has reached
the heavily affected areas in Riverhavenâbarely a trickle!â
Jidrus lamented and continued, âAs a representative of Riverhaven, many
people are counting on me to help, but when I came here to investigate, they told me that hundreds of tons of supplies had already been shipped over! And they warned me not to spread rumors!â
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âHow could that be? Didnât anyone try to get the media involved to expose
this?â Mackenzie asked, her curiosity piqued.
âWest Endâs economy is underdeveloped, transportation is difficult, and a
small group holds all the power in the cities. Itâs incredibly easy for them to
control the media and the internet. This place isnât like your developed cities,
Ms. Quillen. Those methods wonât work here!â
Jidrus continued to cry out in frustration.
Mackenzie frowned deeply. With her resources, getting media coverage
wouldnât be difficult.
But rushing to publish a story based solely on Jidrusâ words without
thoroughly investigating the situation could stir up even more chaos. She had
to tread carefully.
âDonât worry. Tomorrow morning, Iâll speak to Mr. Quail and get to the bottom of this. If anyone is profiting off this disaster, they wonât get away with it!â
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Mackenzie declared with determination
âThat would be amazing!â Jidrus exclaimed, his spirits lifted.
#
He could tell Mackenzie wasnât the type to make empty promises. âIf you help
resolve this and save the people of Riverhaven, Iâll rally the other business representatives to support you as the next Chamber President!â
While that had been part of Mackenzieâs reason for coming to the West End,
her heart was genuinely focused on helping the victims now. Hearing this left her feeling conflicted. She calmly replied, âLetâs focus on solving the problem
first. Iâll stay in touch.â
âThank you so much! I donât have much influence. Itâs all up to you now, Ms.
Quillen!â
Jidrus and his group expressed their gratitude repeatedly before leaving with
a sense of hope.
Lexi, however, couldnât help but worry for Mackenzie. After all, this wasnât
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Chapter 2009 Qeed at Play?
#
Nuthana, and Mackenzieâs usual influence didnât carry the same weight here.
Now that she had made a promise to Jidrus, she would have to deal with
many thorny issues.
Lexi, youâve done enough for today. Get some rest. Iâll need you with me at
the relief center first thing tomorrow,â Mackenzie said, maintaining her warm
demeanor.
Lexi nodded. âYou should rest too, Ms. Quillen. Your health is important.â
âI willâ Mackenzie replied with a gentle smile. Despite the immense pressure,
she didnât show a hint of it.
The next morning, Mackenzie returned to the relief center with her team.
There were several trucks still working around the area, clearly indicating that
large quantities of supplies were being delivered daily.
*Ah, Ms. Quillen, youâre here again?â
Anthony heard about her visit and, despite taking the time to meet with her,
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his attitude had clearly shifted from the previous evening.
ãã
âMr. Quail, Iâve heard some troubling rumors, and Iâm also concerned whether
the special supplies weâve donated are reaching the victims. So, I decided to
stop by again,â Mackenzie said directly.
Her mention of âspecial suppliesâ was a warning, signaling that these were
not items that could be easily misappropriated or swapped out.
âWhat do you mean by that, Ms. Quillen? Donât you trust our organization? We
are under strict national supervision!*
Anthonyâs tone grew defensive.
âThatâs not what Iâm saying,â Mackenzie replied calmly. She wasnât looking to
burn bridges, especially since Anthony was someone she aimed to bring into
her fold.
âI just want to investigate the supply chain thoroughly, clear your name from
any rumors, and ensure everything is transparent.
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âNo need! Ms. Quillen, Iâd like you to leave now!â
E
Anthony spun around abruptly, but in his frustration, he accidentally shoved
Mackenzie.
âDamn it! Are you the type to burn bridges after using someone?â
Rhett Flynn, who had been quietly shadowing Mackenzie the whole time,
immediately stepped in. With a swift move, he grabbed Anthony by the collar
and lifted him effortlessly.
Anthonyâs staff looked on in horror and rushed to intervene, but one fierce
look from Rhett had them backing away in fear.
His commanding presence was something they simply couldnât challenge.
âRhett, donât escalate things!â Mackenzie called out, stopping him.
She knew that violence wouldnât resolve the situation and would only muddy
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Chapter 2009 Greed at Play?
the waters further.