Sign the Papers Mr. Langford novel Chapter 434

The line fell dead silent.

Lawrence frowned deeply.

"I am trying to solve the problem."

"You are trying to massage the problem into whatever causes the least damage to Langford Medical."

The words pricked him like a needle in a spot he desperately wanted to protect.

His voice deepened. "Shouldn't we mitigate the damage as quickly as possible? If this public outrage continues to snowball, it does no good for the child, the family, Langford, or Stellaris."

"Mitigating damage is fine," Wren said. "But you cannot buy it with her silence."

Lawrence suppressed his anger. "Do you think I'm going to force her?"

"You might not call it forcing," Wren said, staring out the window. "You'll offer the best therapists, abundant financial compensation, and present them with what looks like a highly dignified way out. And then you'll expect her to never speak of it again."

Lawrence didn't argue back immediately.

Because she had accurately pinpointed exactly what he intended to do.

This was his standard operating procedure.

When a crisis hit, identify the liable party, compensate the victim, control the narrative, and prevent further losses.

In the corporate world, this was called efficiency.

But Wren was telling him now that this was just a different way of telling people to shut up.

"Then what do you want me to do?" his voice was low and raspy.

"Listen to what she wants first."

The phone was quiet for a long time.

Wren continued, "Langford Medical can apologize. You can cover the costs. You can suspend the project and submit to regulatory oversight. But you cannot design the compensation as a prerequisite for a gag order. And you certainly cannot demand she withdraw a complaint she had every right to file, just for the 'greater good' of Stellaris, Langford, or the charity project."

Lawrence stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office, staring at the night skyline.

The city lights spread out below him like a massive, apathetic web.

He suddenly remembered a time, many years ago, shortly after Wren had married into the Langford family. She had voiced her concerns then, too.

Eleanor had asked her to cover for Willow at a banquet, and Wren had said it was inappropriate.

He had told her, *We're all family. Don't make a scene and ruin our decorum.*