A few accused her of inventing an excuse after losing her temper.
She wanted to explain.
To post the details.
To describe the nephew's hand and the vial.
But her attorney advised caution.
The investigation was ongoing.
The substance hadn't been identified.
And public speculation could make an already complicated situation harder to resolve.
Naomi agreed.
She put down her phone.
Then looked toward the red-and-white uniform hanging in her closet.
For a moment, she wondered whether she would ever wear it again.
The first significant development came forty-eight hours later.
Daniel called Naomi while she was preparing breakfast.
His voice was calm but unusually deliberate.
"Miss Brooks, I wanted to let you know that the investigators have confirmed the presence of an unidentified non-food substance in material recovered from the tea-service area."
Naomi stopped moving.
For a moment, she stared at the kitchen counter.
"From the chairman's bowl?"
"From evidence associated with that serving. Additional testing is being conducted to identify it and determine its significance."
She closed her eyes.
The words didn't answer every question.
They didn't establish who introduced the substance.
But they supported her account that something had been wrong with the tea.
She leaned against the counter.
"Thank you for telling me."
Daniel paused.
Then added.
"I also wanted to make sure you're doing all right."
Naomi gave a faint, exhausted laugh.
"Not really."
"I understand."
She looked toward her phone.
"People online are saying I attacked him because I couldn't speak Japanese."
Daniel was quiet.
Then said.
"Please remember that public rumors aren't the investigation."
Naomi nodded.
She knew that.
But the distinction was harder to hold onto when strangers were discussing her character as though they knew everything about her.
Daniel continued.
"The restaurant has confirmed that your employment status has not been terminated."
Naomi looked surprised.
"They haven't fired me?"
"No. Management is waiting for the facts, and they've documented their support for the investigation."
Tears filled her eyes.
For a moment, she couldn't speak.
Then whispered.
"Thank you."
When the call ended, she sat at the kitchen table.
And for the first time since the dinner, she felt a small amount of relief.
At the hospital, the billionaire was having a far less comfortable morning.
His medical evaluation had not revealed an immediate injury from the incident.
He hadn't swallowed the matcha.
But his physician remained concerned about the possibility of deliberate contamination and advised him to follow the medical and investigative recommendations.
The chairman disliked the restrictions.
He wanted to return to work.
He wanted to speak with the company's executives.
And he wanted the entire humiliating incident resolved before investors began asking questions.