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Chapter_12
Alyssa shot Sean a sharp glance, signaling him to open the door.
“Ms. Alyssa! Ms. Alyssa!” Michael Grant, who had been embroiled in trouble the day before, stormed into the office so quickly that Sean barely had time to stop him.
Alyssa’s brow furrowed as Michael threw himself at her desk. “What is it, Mr. Grant? I’ve already approved your resignation. You’re free to seek employment elsewhere.”
“This isn’t fair, Ms. Alyssa!” Michael’s face was flushed with anger, and his body was drenched in sweat. “I’ve been working at this hotel for nearly twenty years! I’ve given my all, even at the cost of my health! Not even Mr. Taylor would have done this to me! How could you fire me just like that?”
Alyssa’s smile was icy as she replied, “I’ve reviewed the files of all hotel executives. You, too, have health issues—fatty liver and gallbladder polyps. The hotel, on the other hand, is doing quite well.”
Michael’s hands trembled, his fear rising as the sarcasm in her words hit him. “I didn’t know… I didn’t know that Elysian sold us low-quality bedding! We’ve been partners for three years, and the prices were decent. They’re a well-known name in Solana City, so I didn’t think there was a problem—”
Alyssa swiftly flicked a document onto the floor, cutting him off. “This is a breakdown of every transaction with Elysian over the past three years. Were you too blind to see the glaring discrepancies in the financial report from your department?”
Michael bent down, his hands shaking as he picked up the papers. The pages burned in his grip.
“I also received an anonymous tip,” Alyssa continued, casually sipping her coffee. Her eyes gleamed with cold calculation. “Someone tipped me off about your close relationship with Elysian. That’s how you’ve been pocketing massive rebates while purchasing their subpar bedding in bulk.”
His teeth chattered as fear gripped him. He could barely stand.
“Of course, I wouldn’t fire anyone without solid evidence,” Alyssa added smoothly. “But I don’t have any mercy for someone caught red-handed. If you still have objections, Mr. Grant, we can settle this in court.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Alyssa! I made a huge mistake! Please, please, give me another chance! If this gets out, I’ll never find work again in Solana City!” Michael fell to his knees, desperation in his eyes. “Elysian approached me with a way to get rich. It was Mr. Gardner’s idea! The bedding seemed similar enough. I wasn’t thinking clearly and fell into his trap!”
Alyssa’s mind raced, contempt swirling within. “A vice president with two decades of experience in the hotel industry, pretending not to know what’s going on just to save his skin? Ridiculous.”
“That’s enough, Mr. Grant,” Alyssa said coldly. “You know exactly what happened. If you have time to waste with your excuses, maybe you should spend it updating your resume. Sean, please escort Mr. Grant out.”
Michael was ushered out, defeated. But as soon as he stepped outside the office, his anger flared.
“F***ing bitch! Just wait. This isn’t over!” he muttered under his breath, seething with rage.
Though Alyssa was usually generous, seeing someone profit off the hotel’s funds made her blood boil. She had no tolerance for corruption.
“Michael sure has quite the reputation here,” Sean remarked, his tone excited. “It didn’t take long for someone to blow the whistle once you turned your attention to him.”
“No one sold him out,” Alyssa replied coolly.
“Huh? Wait, does that mean you tricked him?” Sean asked, his curiosity piqued.
Alyssa smiled faintly. “I did,” she said, casually booting up a game on her phone to calm her nerves. “If he hadn’t been guilty, he wouldn’t have anything to fear. It’s just bad luck for him that I showed up.”
Sean couldn’t help but applaud her. “Michael and Elysian have been working together for years, and the corruption runs deep. We should take him to court and make him confess to everything he’s taken!”
“We still need to maintain good relations,” Alyssa replied nonchalantly, focusing on her game as she chased her prey with a massive ax. “It’s in our best interest not to burn bridges. The higher-ups at the hotel won’t be pleased if I take things too far. After all, my father promoted Michael. I can’t embarrass him too much.”
“Understood, Ms. Alyssa,” Sean nodded.
Just then, Alyssa’s phone began ringing incessantly, a flood of messages lighting up her screen.
“I don’t have time for this right now,” she said, still engrossed in her game. “Sean, check who it is.”
Sean glanced at her phone and raised an eyebrow. “It’s from a group chat called ‘Taylor Family’s Secret Society.’ It’s your brothers, Ms. Alyssa.”
Alyssa’s lips curled into a slight smile. The group chat had been created by her second brother, Silas. She, along with her four brothers, was part of it. The “secret society” was named so because the matter of her marriage to Jasper had to remain hidden.
Silas’s message appeared first: “I can’t take this anymore! Is Jasper really trying to make things worse? He’s pushing it too far!”
Her third brother, Liam, quickly chimed in: “I’m looking for dirt on Beckett Group. I’ll bring them to their knees within a month.”
Axel, her fourth brother, added: “I’ll have Jasper crippled within the week.”
Jonah simply replied: “Amen.”
Alyssa made her presence known in the chat. “Stop. What are you all trying to do?”
Silas sent a Twitter link. “They’ve announced their marriage. A high-profile online personality claims you’re a mistress who took what wasn’t yours. They’re saying you forced Jasper to marry you and caused a rift in an already existing relationship!”
Axel snorted. “What rift? Let me show them what that’s really like.”
Jonah responded calmly, “Don’t let their words bother you, Axel. Just wait. Their retribution is coming. Don’t stoop to their level.”
Silas added: “Stop talking, Jonah. I’m seeing stars just reading that.”
Axel replied: “I’ll make sure it’s all taken down within half an hour, Lyse. I’ll also have the trending topic about Jasper’s remarriage wiped.”
Alyssa’s response was cold: “It’s fine, Axel. Let them be.”
Silas, confused, asked: “What do you mean? This isn’t a big deal?”
Alyssa smiled with quiet certainty. “It’s not about me. Jasper’s ex-wife is Alice White. I’m the eldest daughter of the Taylor family, Alyssa.”
Silas finally understood. “You’re right. You’ve never publicly appeared with Jasper. No one’s ever seen you before. No one would come looking for you. This won’t affect you at all!”
Alyssa’s lips curled in a sharp smile. “Unfortunately, someone else is going to have a hard time now.”