Sacked for Scamming at the Service Center

"Adriano, is there some kind of mix-up?" Chad Graham stammered, his voice laced with guilt and nerves."Mix-up?" I snorted. "You think I'm the type to make trouble out of nothing? This isn't a discussion. It's a directive. Handle your employee right now!"My harsh words took him aback. He recovered quickly, trying to placate me. "Take it easy, man. Pass the phone to her. I'll figure out what happened."I sneered, handing the phone to the manager, Beryl Merritt.She rolled her eyes and grabbed it half-heartedly. "I already told you, Chad. Cut ties with these freeloading relatives. They just use your name to score perks. This one is the worst, thinking he can bail after the maintenance is done."Chad tried to explain, but she steamrolled him. "You're just too nice, always hung up on family ties. If you can't make tough calls, that's fine. I'll be the bad person today."She hung up, tossed the phone back, and jutted her chin out. "Heard that? Chad is not bothering with your drama. T

Beryl's piercing screech at the shop entrance pulled a crowd from the lobby.The customers craned their necks to watch the scene. Their stares, full of judgment, landed on me like I was some lowlife trying to skip out on the check."Dine and dash at Seaview? That's insane.""Dressed all sharp but pulling this crap?""Can't afford Seaview? Stay home. Don't embarrass yourself here."My blood boiled at the public condemnation. Nearby, Chad looked ashen, sweat trickling down his face. "Beryl, maybe we should just drop it."He tugged at her sleeve, hoping to defuse the tension, but her eyes bulged with rage. "Grow a spine! The money is right there. Why push it away? Milk him now or what? Save it for the holidays?"Flinching, Chad swallowed his further persuasions and quietly shrank back. His cowardice only fueled my rage and cemented my disappointment.Keeping a straight face, I pulled out my phone and dialed my assistant. "Grab $500,000 cash from the car and bring it to the front."

The color instantly drained from Beryl's face.Those absurd charges were pure fiction she'd invented to extort me. There was no evidence to support them at all.Her bravado evaporated, and she started shaking like a leaf.Grasping at straws, she latched onto Chad, who was still reeling from the shock. "It... It was Chad. He approved flexible pricing for certain special clients."Chad staggered, jolting back to reality. Robert's piercing gaze and the team's cold scrutiny caused sweat to bead on his forehead. His throat dry, he couldn't utter a word.He'd never approved of any such thing. This was blatant blame-shifting.His pleading eyes locked on mine, his voice quivering. "Adriano, I messed up. For our kinship, can you let it go?"Even now, he tried to guilt-trip me with family bonds. But my heart had turned to ice long ago. The moment he chose Beryl's side and let her trash me, our fragile connection snapped.Not batting an eyelid, I shut him down. "No."My tone was sharp an

Watching Chad sob and beg at my feet stirred no pity in me—only pent-up rage and deep disappointment."You ungrateful traitor, figuring it out now? What were you thinking before? If it weren't for your mom helping my dad back when, I'd never have glanced your way." My fury built as I laid it out. "I've got a rule: no family in business. But for her old favor, I bent it, giving you an opportunity most people only dream about. Seaview's prestige, top-notch systems, full backing... You didn't invest a dime or sweat a detail, just waltzed into a cushy boss role. Run it right, and you'd be set for life. But I backed a wolf in sheep's clothing. For a shallow gold-digger, you turned on me. Didn't your conscience sting?"Every word slapped him with shame. He wilted, unable to argue.He didn't even have the strength left to cry—only choked gasps. Beryl, seeing his pleas flop, grasped that she'd slammed into an unbreakable wall.Terror took over. She scrambled up, dropped the excuses, and sl