Chapter 2

"He can't run a company to save his life, but making life hard for a pretty intern like me? Now that he's got a real talent for. Is he one of those creepy guys from the novels who does this because he's secretly obsessed with me?" Brittany said in her video.

In under ten minutes, the comments and shares had climbed into the thousands.

Every comment was aimed at me: Old creep. Pervert. A company like that deserves to go under.

"Don't waste your breath arguing with someone who won't argue fair. She's been running that account for four years and has over a million followers. She knows exactly how to steer a narrative."

Just then, my office door was shoved open.

Brittany sauntered in like she owned the place, with several employees peeking through the doorway behind her.

I asked her, a faint smile on my lips, "Brittany, I imagine it's pretty hard for you to land a boyfriend, isn't it?"

She blinked, thrown off. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You don't even know the basic courtesy of knocking before you walk into your boss's office. No man's going to want that."

Her face flushed red instantly. "People our age treat the company like family and the boss like a friend. Only some stuffy old traditionalist would care about that."

Nico's expression darkened. "Don't say 'people our age.' You only speak for yourself."

Brittany opened her mouth to argue, but I cut her off. "What do you want?"

She glanced back at Carl and the others hovering outside, then announced loudly, "I'm here on behalf of the veteran staff to demand the benefits this company owes them. We want team-building!"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Why?"

She tilted her head, shot a glance at Nico, and said with a blush and a smile, "To build camaraderie among the staff, obviously. Mr. Jordis, don't tell me I have to explain to you what company culture even is, or how to build team spirit. It's not that complicated."

Nico's frown deepened.

Brittany mistook it for something else entirely.

She immediately pointed at him. "Mr. Jordis, look, even Nico's unhappy about this. It's because you won't approve team-building that he can't build closer bonds with anyone."

My smile widened. "By 'anyone,' you mean just yourself, don't you?"

Just then, Carl, who'd been lurking by the door the whole time, stepped inside.

"There's us too. Nico's been here a month and we still don't even have his phone number."

Carl had stayed on with the branch three years ago through a hardship hiring program. Over the years he'd been steady and unremarkable, aside from a habit of angling for small favors.

I hadn't expected his talent for backstabbing to rival Brittany's.

That actually made me look at him a little differently.

Before I could speak, Nico lost his patience. "The company has its own internal messaging platform for employees to communicate. Why would anyone need a personal number?"

I raised a hand to signal him to hold off, then waved for my assistant to bring in the employees still crowding the doorway.

"Since everyone's here, I'll explain this once. Headquarters does send down a monthly team-building allowance, 200 dollars per person, and finance has already been depositing that as a bonus straight into your accounts.

"Brittany's new, so I understand her not knowing. But the rest of you veterans do know that. And Carl, you especially shouldn't be the one questioning me. The extra 500 dollars you get every month comes straight out of my own pocket.

"You're the last person who should doubt me."

To my surprise, Brittany's jaw dropped. "200 dollars? That's basically pocket change! Who even cares about 200 dollars these days?!"