Chapter 155: Deep Trouble

The next morning, as sunlight spilled through the curtains, Lily woke to the sound of her phone buzzing on the bedside table. It was Victoria again. She hesitated for a moment before answering, bracing herself for more bad news.

"Good morning, Victoria," she said, her voice still thick with sleep.

"Morning, Ms. Aquila. The news has broken," Victoria said without preamble. "It’s everywhere—local media, social channels, even some national outlets are picking it up. They’re calling it a ’toxic spill scandal.’"

Lily sat up, pushing her hair out of her face. "How bad is it?"

Victoria hesitated. "It’s bad. They’re linking it to the resort because of the proximity, even though it’s not our fault. Some are speculating that we hired the transport company involved."

Lily sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Of course they are. What about the travel guide?"

"He’s gone," Victoria replied. "He didn’t put up much of a fight when I fired him, but his reaction was... strange. He seemed too calm, almost like he was expecting it."

"That’s not surprising," Lily said, her tone sharp. "If he’s involved with this group, he’s probably already made plans to cover his tracks. Have we turned over his records to the authorities?"

"Yes, I sent everything last night," Victoria confirmed. "But there’s something else you should know. One of the employees mentioned seeing him talking to someone in the lobby late last night—another man, not a guest or a staff member. They left together."

Lily frowned. "Did anyone get a description of the other man?"

"Not a clear one," Victoria admitted. "But security footage might help. I’ve already requested it."

"Good. Keep me updated," Lily said before hanging up.

She placed her phone down and leaned back, her thoughts racing. The situation was spiraling faster than she had anticipated.

Lily pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to process the weight of the conversation with Victoria. Her phone buzzed again before she could gather her thoughts. Timmy’s name flashed on the screen.

She sighed and answered, keeping her tone steady. "What is it, Timmy?"

"Lily, have you seen the news?" His voice carried urgency, almost panic.

"I just heard about it," she replied, sitting upright. "What’s the latest?"

"It’s all over the place. Reporters are at the resort, asking for statements." He paused, his voice dropping. "And now there’s a new rumor."

Lily’s grip on the phone tightened. "What rumor?"

"Someone’s claiming the resort knew about the dumping. They’re saying management turned a blind eye," he said cautiously.

"That’s absurd," Lily said sharply. "We had nothing to do with this."

"I know," Timmy said quickly. "But people don’t care about facts. They just want someone to blame."

Lily leaned back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling. "What do you think I should do?"

"Honestly? Stay out of it," Timmy said after a moment. "This is the resort’s mess to handle, not yours. You did your job."

Lily’s lips pressed into a thin line. "You’re right. This isn’t my problem to fix."

Timmy hesitated. "What are you going to do now? You won’t get dragged into this, right? I mean... you just did your part. If the resort wasn’t doing theirs, that’s not on you."

There was an edge of nervousness in his voice that made Lily’s chest tighten. "Thanks for the concern, Timmy. But don’t worry—they’re handling it."

"You sure?" he asked, his tone still doubtful. "Because it sounds like a mess."

"It is a mess," Lily admitted. "But it’s not my mess to clean up. They’ll deal with the media, the rumors, all of it."

Timmy sighed. "Okay. Just don’t let them rope you into it."

"They won’t," Lily assured him. She softened her tone, realizing how worried he sounded. "Stay in your room, Timmy. Don’t get involved in this. Let the resort handle their own disaster."

There was a long pause before Timmy spoke again. "Alright. But if you need anything, just let me know."

"I will," she said. "Now, I’ve got some things to take care of."

"Okay, take care, Lily," Timmy said quietly before ending the call.

Lily placed her phone on the bedside table and closed her eyes for a moment. Her heart was racing, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it. She picked up the phone again and dialed Victoria’s number.

The line barely rang before Victoria answered. "Ms. Aquila?"

"Prepare a statement," Lily said firmly. "We need to get ahead of this."

"What kind of statement?" Victoria asked, her tone already professional.

"Emphasize that we’re cooperating fully with the authorities," Lily said. "Make it clear that the safety of our guests and the environment is our top priority."

"Got it," Victoria replied. "Anything else?"

"Get legal involved," Lily added. "We can’t let these accusations go unchecked. If anyone’s spreading lies, we need to shut it down."

"Understood," Victoria said. "I’ll get started right away."

"Thank you, Victoria," Lily said before hanging up.

She sat on the edge of the bed, staring out the window as sunlight filtered through the curtains. The day had barely begun, but the weight of the situation was already pressing down on her.

Lily stayed seated for a moment longer, letting the silence of her room settle around her. She knew there would be no rest until this situation was resolved. She grabbed her phone again, scrolling through news headlines that mirrored the chaos Victoria had described.

"Resort Tied to Toxic Spill Scandal?"

"Anonymous Source Claims Resort Knew About Illegal Dumping!"

"Environmental Disaster at Vacation Paradise."

The words felt heavier with each swipe. Her stomach churned. This wasn’t just bad—it was catastrophic. If they didn’t act fast, the resort’s reputation would be in shambles, and the fallout could extend far beyond their walls.

Her phone buzzed again. It was a message from Victoria:

"Drafting the statement now. Legal team notified. Will send it to you for review in 30 minutes."

Lily replied with a quick "Good" and set the phone down. She had a small window of time to gather her thoughts before the media storm intensified.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read