For a week, the TV news channels kept flashing the news regarding The Starfish Refineries. Dawn collected as much data as possible from online sources. She came to know that although her Grandmother was the Chairman of the refinery, it was her aunt Anne's husband, David who handled the affairs. In order to get to the bottom of the affairs, she dug closer. This was the time to understand what was going on and also strike it when the iron was hot. But, however she tried, she got the same news. She wasn't getting anything fresh. It seemed that the company was influencing media houses to curb the information about them or was suppressing them using their influence. Her best option was the Labor Department.

After attending meetings with the two newly acquired companies everyday, Dawn would go to the Labor Department and try to find out things. She knew that with the help of her husband, she would be able to find things, but that was the last option. She was interested in finding out about the employees who had been asked to leave the company. But the Labor Department people didn't cooperate. While on her visits to the office she would see a disgruntled man, who would speak in a low voice but aggressively to the concerned staff. It was apparent that he was fighting with them.

Desperate, she asked her IT people at Neo Software to find out about the employees who had left the company, and to her surprise, they found out about them within a day. She chuckled when the new young recruit, Randy, placed the paper in front of her after the regular morning meeting. There were fifty employees who were laid off.

"How did you find this list?" she asked.

Randy pursed his lips and then said, "We just hacked into the Labor Department's website."

Dawn poked her tongue in her cheek. She didn't know whether to laugh or be angry. She asked him to get all those who helped him hack the website and form a team of three. Once Randy gathered all those in the team, Dawn instructed, "Scan through this list of employees and find out if there's something weird. Although everything seems so quiet on the façade, there's something fishy about all this."

"Sure Ms. Dawn," said Randy. He started to leave but she stopped him.

"Stay here in my office. I don't want you people to leak any information, else I am going to do some job-cuts."

The three sat there, rolled their sleeves and started scanning the list. As for Dawn, she joined them. All of them were mere workers. Only five officers were laid off and in the end was the name of a data entry operator. She frowned. Why would a mere data entry operator asked to resign? She looked up at her team and said, "Find out about this data entry operator, and if possible tell him to meet us. I would like to hire him."

"But Ms. Dawn, that position is already filled in our Company," said Randy.

"We can create a new one," she replied and was about to leave for her routine visit, when Daryn called.

Randy shrugged and looked at his team. They exited her office.

She picked up the phone. "Husband, how are you?"

"Always missing you!" he replied in a husky voice.

"How about a date tonight?" she said in a honeyed voice.

"Baby, don't speak to me in such a seductive tone. Don't you know how Alphas react to their mates by now?" He paused.

Dawn shook her head and chuckled.

"I am coming over to your place to pick you up," he said.

"What? Why?" She wanted to go to the Labor Department.

"Remember, we have a wedding in three weeks from now and I haven't even bought you a ring," said Daryn as he gathered his coat.

"Daryn, I have some work at the Labor Department. Can we go later?"

Daryn frowned. "What is my sweet wife doing in that place? Are you about to complain that you are a disgruntled employee of The Silver House? If that is the case, let me come and satisfy your needs."

He was impossible. "Husband, I am not dissatisfied with you at all. You don't have to come and show your expertise in satisfying me in my office!" If it had been for Daryn, he would have had sex with her on her office desk.

"That was music to my ears, but I can't ignore this visit to the jewelers. I already have an appointment darling. After this I am going to be dead busy for the next few days," he urged her.

She had to concede. He was a busy man. Caleb had left for work overseas and this time Pia had gone with him. The two were extremely angry with Gayle, and had completely stopped talking to Daryn and Dawn.

"Okay," she said, "come over. But I would like to stop at the Labor Department. I promise I won't take long."

"Hmm. That means you have to pay tax to me. After all, I am a busy man. If people are going to see me there, the media will get in a frenzy. So how about we negotiate?" he said as he exited the building.

"Tax? What tax?" she sighed.

"I'll let you know once I reach there," he replied in a sultry voice.

What a louche!

Half an hour later, Dawn was sitting on Daryn's lap giving him the promised two hundred kisses. In the end, she was so irritated that she bit his cheek forming a large hickey there. And all he did was to smile at her and offer his other cheek. "I don't mind wearing my wife's brand," he replied looking into her eyes.

She nudged his shoulder. "Daryn…"

He laughed and the driver announced, "We have reached Sir."

When Dawn alighted the car, her eyes became wide and she froze.

"What's it darling?" asked Daryn.

With quivering lips, she said, "That jewelry store belongs to father. He had a chain of five such shops and was into expanding it, when he was— he was—" her breath hitched.

Daryn wrapped his arm around her shoulder and said, "In that case I think fate wanted you to buy the ring from here."

She nodded lightly and they walked in the shop. However, another shock was waiting for her.