My Second Marriage with the Mafia Kingpin novel Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Just Please, Stop Dying.

Days later, every gardener and worker in the plantation gathered inside. They stared at the seedlings in horror.

"What... what’s going on?" Betty’s voice trembled as she bit her lip, her heart lodged in her throat. "Why do they keep dying?"

"I don’t know anymore," the gardener sighed heavily, checking the trays. "Everything should be fine."

The humidity and moisture inside the makeshift plantation — the greenhouse — were maintained at the proper levels to keep the seedlings healthy. They had also been extra careful ever since the problem first appeared.

However, despite all the precautions, the situation was only getting worse.

Even the plants that weren’t particularly sensitive were beginning to show signs of decline. There were a few possible explanations, but no one wanted to jump to conclusions. There were too many factors, and perhaps something had been overlooked.

Meanwhile, Ashley crossed her arms as she studied the dead seedlings. Her eyes narrowed, her tongue pressing against the inside of her cheek.

"Madam," Betty called anxiously, turning to her. "What should we do?"

At once, everyone turned to Ashley, waiting for her decision.

"Madam, if this keeps up, I’m afraid we’ll have to start from the beginning," the head contractor, Castor, said, clearly stressed after staying up all night with his team trying to figure out a solution.

"Starting over isn’t a problem," Ashley replied calmly, only for Betty to interject,

"But Madam, didn’t you say you need samples by a specific date?" Betty’s voice wavered. "If we start over, we might not make it."

Castor nodded. "Betty’s right, Madam. Growing these takes time—we can’t rush them."

"It’s okay," Ashley sighed. But her expression was sharper than usual. Her gaze swept over the seedlings. "Throw them out and start with the new ones. The ones ready for transfer, move them today."

Conflict flashed across everyone’s faces, guilt weighing heavily on them. They had done their best, yet it still wasn’t enough. Ashley had trusted them, and somehow, they felt they had failed her.

"Don’t worry," she said with a smile.

But this time, it was different.

It didn’t carry the same warmth that usually filled the space. It didn’t reach her eyes. And yet, the sincerity behind it was unmistakable.

"Before I started this, I was already told I’d face challenges like this," she continued, nodding reassuringly. "And as for my deadline, that’s not something you need to worry about."

"Madam..." Betty bit her lip harder, the corners of her eyes turning red.

"Don’t cry, Betty," Ashley said softly, turning her gaze back to the seedlings. A faint glint flickered in her eyes as she added, "You’re not doing anything wrong."

*

*

*

With Ashley’s orders, some workers carried out the withered seedlings with heavy hearts. Others resumed their tasks, while Betty stayed behind to supervise, making sure no mistakes were made.

As for Ashley, she stepped out of the plantation with the head contractor and one of his trusted gardeners.

"Tell me." She broke the silence as soon as they were outside, turning to face them. "What do you think is happening to the seedlings?"

Castor raised his brows in surprise. "Madam, I’m not really sure—"

"Not you," Ashley cut in, jerking her chin toward the gardener. "You’re the expert. I’m sure you have an opinion."

Castor frowned and turned to his best gardener. "Nelly?"

The young man lowered his head, glancing between Ashley and Castor. Since the problem began, Nelly had been closely monitoring the seedlings. At first, they all assumed it was part of the natural process. After all, not every seedling survives.

But what didn’t make sense was that nearly half had withered within just a few days. Especially when they had been given better care than ever before.

"Yes, Madam," Castor replied quietly. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

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