44. "Troubled Olivia Windsor Meets with Penelope Valentine"

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As Butler James hung up the phone, Olivia Windsor let out a frustrated groan. She knew that Master Sterling would not be pleased with the lack of progress on the case, but the news still stung.

She paced back and forth in her small office, her high heels clicking against the polished wood floor.

"Arg..." she muttered under her breath, her eyes darting back and forth as she tried to make sense of the clues they had gathered so far. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were missing something crucial.

She picked up a pen and began scribbling notes on a notepad, the sound of the pen scratching against the paper echoing through the room.

As she worked, she couldn't help but feel a growing sense of anxiety. This case was important, not just for Master Sterling, but for the safety of everyone in the Sterling Mansion.

Olivia felt the tension building in her temples, the result of hours spent poring over case files with little to show for it.

She rubbed them, trying to ease the pressure, but the more she thought about the case, the more frustrated she became. It seemed to have no purpose, no motive, no clues.

"What did I miss exactly, or do I need to hire an expert in the field? But where can I find such a person?" Olivia muttered aloud, her voice laced with defeat.

Despite the long week spent investigating, they had nothing to show for it. Olivia let out a deep sigh, the sound heavy with despair.

She knew that she would have to work even harder now, but the thought of it made her stomach turn.

As she sat at her desk, lost in thought, the only sound in the room was the rhythmic ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner, marking the passage of time.

The silence was oppressive, but Olivia couldn't bring herself to break it. She had to find a way to solve this case.

"Okay, let's find an expert in this field and hire him to solve the mistress's accident case, even if it means searching all over the country for one!" Olivia said with determination, her eyes blazing with resolve as she gathered the bits and pieces of evidence they had obtained and stowed them away in her handbag.

Olivia dialed a number on her phone, her fingers tapping impatiently on the screen. As soon as the call connected, she wasted no time in giving her instructions.

"Hello, Ronica! I want you to organize a group of ten people and start looking for a person who has the capability to solve our problem!" Olivia's tone was brisk and authoritative.

"Yes, Ma'am. I will do my best!" came the confident reply from the other end of the line.

Satisfied with the response, Olivia hung up and left her office. She made her way to the parking lot, lost in thought about the woman who might be able to help her with the case. But as she approached her car, her phone began to ring.

Olivia sighed, recognizing the number on the screen. It was her close colleague Penelope, CEO of another branch of Lucien Industry, Women's Cosmetics. She answered the call with a mix of irritation and amusement.

"Hello, big sis Olivia. You finally called, and here I thought you wouldn't be calling for my help with that stubborn personality of yours!" a sharp and cheerful voice came just as the call connected.

"Hey...what do you mean, stubborn. Huh, Little Sis Penelope!" Olivia's voice held a hint of frustration, but she couldn't help but smile at her colleague's teasing.

"Hehe! Never mind, so are you coming to my office or should I pick you up!" Penelope's cheerful tone was infectious, and Olivia couldn't help but feel her mood lifting.

"I'll come to your office," she replied, the sound of the car starting in the background. "I need your help with something, Pen."

As Olivia drove to her colleague's office, she couldn't help but think about their past. They had always been close, working for the same boss Lucien Sterling.

Olivia knew that Penelope was the only person she could turn to in times like these, even if she was hesitant to ask for help.

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As Olivia arrived at the Women's Cosmetics branch, she was immediately greeted with a warm embrace from her colleague, Penelope.

The atmosphere was bustling with the sounds of people chatting and the sweet fragrance of cosmetics.

The building design was grand, although smaller in scale than the headquarter. A huge smart billboard was situated at the front of the building, displaying various top brands of cosmetics that attracted the attention of passersby.

After a brief catch-up session, Olivia explained to Penelope that she needed her help finding an expert to solve the Mistress' accident case, her tone serious and urgent. Penelope's smile grew wider as she said, "I was waiting for you to ask me, Lorren, dear. Get me my smartpad!"

A lady standing beside Penelope promptly fetched the smart pad from the nearby office table.

Olivia couldn't help but feel irritated when Penelope handed her the smart pad, already open to the data of a person who could solve the case. "If you already had what I needed, then why were you waiting for me to ask?" she grumbled.

Olivia couldn't help but be impressed with the thoroughness of the information presented, which listed all the weird cases solved by the expert.

Olivia couldn't resist asking, "Wow, not bad. From where did you find this person? Even I had no idea!" The information on the smart pad was exactly what Olivia needed, and she couldn't have been more grateful to Penelope for her help.

Olivia and Penelope left the Women's Cosmetics branch and headed towards the nearby cafe to discuss the details of the case.

Once they were seated at the cafe, Penelope began explaining how she had found the expert who could help them.

It turned out that the person was a retired detective who had solved some of the most bizarre cases in the city. "But why did he retire?" Olivia asked curiously.

Penelope sighed. "It's a sad story. His daughter went missing a few years ago, and he couldn't solve the case. It devastated him so much that he retired soon after."

Olivia felt a pang of sympathy for the retired detective. She knew what it was like to lose someone close to you and not be able to find closure. "Do you think he'll be willing to help us?" she asked.

Penelope nodded. "I've already contacted him, and he's agreed to meet us tomorrow morning at his office. He seemed intrigued by the case."

Olivia felt a wave of relief wash over her. It was one thing to have an expert who could solve the case, but it was another to have one who was willing to help. She thanked Penelope for her help and left the cafe together.

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