AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My doorknob begins to click as it gets turned from the other side. Bastian comes in without a word. He moves to lean against a shelf in the corner with a cocked brow. He gestures for me to continue. I restrain a smirk at his obnoxiousness.
“I was going through some numbers for the hotel and noticed a few things didn’t quite make sense. Can either of you give me an explanation?” I offer for Jessup to confess.
Erica’s eyes widen in surprise. “May I take a look?” she asks.
I turn my computer screen to her. Her brows furrow in confusion. “You don’t reconcile the amounts, do you?” I guess.
“No sir,” she answers. “I’m given the numbers and go from there.”
I nod in understanding. She’s not a poor accountant. She’s an unaware one. “Thank you, Ms. Lam. We’ll speak again soon.” She stands, still looking very confused, with a slight nod then leaves.
“So that just leaves you, Mr. Jessup,” I say with a hard look and a cold tone. “Care to explain?”
Sweat is now visibly pouring down his face. He tugs nervously at his collar and tie.
Bastian moves from his standing position to the now vacated chair next to him. He angles his body to face the man showing his interest in the explanation. He places an ankle over a knee then stares at the man, waiting for a response.
The only sound in the room is the labored breathing of Jessup. “I’m s-sorry, Mr. Mc-McCabe. I have had some money trouble. It won’t happen again.”
“I know it won’t,” I say with a sharp nod, “because you no longer work for Riverside Hotels.”
The man opens his mouth, probably to start begging for his job, but I level him with a hard gaze. “Mr. Jessup, you seem to recognize me when you came in. Am I correct?”
“Y-yes s-sir,” he stammers. It’s honestly pathetic that he doesn’t attempt to hide his fear.
“How is it that you think you know me?”
He ducks his head in embarrassment. “You know what? Don’t answer that,” I didn’t need to hear him say it to know he knew my reputation. “If you think you know who I am, then you know what I am capable of. You were embezzling from the hotel. Fortunately for you, it was under the previous ownership. How do you think this meeting would be going had it been me you were stealing from?”
Another audible gulp as his eyes blaze with fear.
“Consider it a blessing that you are only being fired. Now, get out of my office,” I growl.
The man practically stumbles his way out of the chair and through the door.
“Is it me? Or are grown men becoming more and more spineless?” I ask Bastian.
He smirks. “If they didn’t cower in fear, then you wouldn’t be very good at your job.”
I tip a shoulder up. “Not everyone is afraid of me. You’re not.”
He flashes me a toothy, wicked grin. “I’m not afraid of anyone,” he snarks. “What’s the damage?”
Sebastian and I were best friends and business partners. We shared responsibilities but he tended to shy away from actual business transactions. He claimed he didn’t have the demeanor to deal with businessmen. He wasn’t wrong. He would have sliced those old men from ear to ear. My cool demeanor made me cutthroat and calculating, but it is my ability to control my emotions and temper that make me the better option for dealing with business matters. He handles our takeover of the syndicate.
“So far?” he gives me a nod. “Eight board members and one general manager.”
“That’s a record for you. It’s been thirteen hours. Normally, we’d need an entire staff.”
“I’m not that bad,” I grin. I am, but he’d be much worse.
“Want Stacey or Andreas to handle it?”
“Stacey,” I reply without hesitation. “The hotels stay on the books.” Meaning that they remained part of our legal and legitimate operations.
“My thoughts too.” We were often on the same page. It’s why we worked well together. “Stacey will be glad to know she’s only looking for one person.”
“I want them by the end of the week.”
