She's Too Busy Winning to Watch Him Cry novel Chapter 547

The next day.

While Lyra was trying to focus on work, a massive crisis erupted in Caleb's department.

Caleb had been managing several major client accounts. They were supposed to sign the finalized contracts and wire the full payments within the week. These were long-term partners; the deals were supposedly locked in. Yet, out of nowhere, the clients unilaterally canceled their orders.

"How did the deals fall through so suddenly?" Lyra's stomach plummeted.

Caleb's assistant sounded utterly panicked. "The canceled contracts are just the tip of the iceberg. Caleb predicted a massive spike in raw material costs. Fearing a shortage and skyrocketing prices, he dumped a massive amount of capital into stockpiling custom-grade materials, all tailored to those specific clients. Now that the orders are voided, we have zero alternative buyers for this inventory. We're in deep trouble."

A suffocating tightness gripped Lyra's chest. She rubbed her temples. "What was Caleb thinking?"

"He was just trying to play it safe. Given our years of history with these partners, he wanted to secure the inventory and bypass the price inflation. No one saw this betrayal coming."

The news hung over Lyra like an anvil. She skipped going out for lunch, grabbing a quick bite at the corporate cafeteria instead. Twice she marched up to the CEO's office, but it remained empty. Caleb was clearly out fighting fires, running himself ragged all day without ever showing his face at the headquarters.

By the time dinner rolled around at the Fairchild estate...

The family was already seated when Caleb finally dragged himself through the front door. His complexion was ashen, his suit rumpled, and a thick layer of exhaustion failed to mask the sheer panic radiating from him.

Seeing him in such a state, Lyra couldn't suppress her frustration. "How many times did I warn you about stockpiling custom inventory? There are countless supply channels out there; we've never had to worry about sourcing. I hate blind hoarding. Even if market prices soar, we could always pivot to a new vendor. There was absolutely no reason to tie up millions of dollars in dead capital."

The vein at Caleb's temple throbbed. Getting chewed out in front of the family snapped his last frayed nerve. "Can we drop the boardroom talk during dinner? I've been busting my ass all day trying to fix this, and the second I walk in, you're on my case. Can I just get a moment of peace?"

Kayla quickly grabbed Caleb's arm, giving it a gentle tug to signal him to dial back his temper.

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