Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Jennifer shook her head and insisted, “I’m not leaving. I’ll stay with you. Pheebs messaged me and said you were drunk. I didn’t want you to be alone.”
Declan’s expression darkened, and his voice dropped to something colder. “She gave you the villa’s access code?”
Jennifer nodded. “Yeah”
Seeing the change in Declan’s expression, Jennifer quickly tried to ease the tension. “If you don’t want me here, I won’t come next time. Please don’t be upset.”
Declan shut his eyes for a moment and forced his voice to be steady. “Jennie, I need some space alone.”
Jennifer protested, “I’ll just sit quietly with you. I won’t bother you.”
“I’ll have Peter take you home.”
“Deck, please…”
“Just do as I say, okay?”
Jennifer bit her lip, reluctant but unwilling to push further. “Alright, but if you’re not feeling well, promise me you’ll let me know.”
“Mm.”
Once Jennifer left, Declan locked the door, walked into the living room, and immediately spotted the divorce papers still sitting on the table. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he strode over to grab the documents and tear them in half before tossing them into the trash.
‘Divorce? Over my dead body,’ he snorted and wondered.
The next morning, Phoebe had barely settled into her office when Adrian Turner barged in, looking livid.
He snapped, “Ms. Greene, why did you fire half my team? Don’t you think that’s going too far?”
Phoebe barely looked up, her tone indifferent. “Calm down, Mr. Turner. I’ll speak with HR. When we hire replacements, we’ll prioritize your departments.”
Adrian’s face turned red with frustration. That wasn’t what he meant at all. Every single one of his relatives–the people he had placed in the company–was gone. His phone hadn’t stopped ringing all morning, with everyone demanding an explanation.
He hadn’t always been in this position. He used to be a construction worker, hauling bricks on job sites. By sheer luck, he met Phoebe. Back then, he was dirt poor, but he had helped her once, and as thanks, Pheobe gave him 10% shares of Miracle Youth.
At first, it didn’t mean much to Adrian. But as the company thrived under Phoebe’s leadership, his dividends ballooned into the tens of millions every year. That was when he finally realized just how valuable those shares were.
In the beginning, he was grateful. But the big money changed him, making him more greedy.
The constant praise from relatives and the respect he commanded back home got to his head. He started enjoying the power of handing out jobs to his family, basking in their flattery.
And now, Phoebe had wiped them all out in one move, humiliating him in front of his own people. Resentment burned in
his gut.
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Chapter 12
He protested. “Ms. Greene, even if you’re planning to hire new people, that should take time. And who’s to say they’ll be able to handle the workload right away? You fire all these employees at once, and my departments will collapse overnight
Phoebe set down the document in her hands and looked directly at him, her clear eyes sharp and unreadable.
For some reason, Adrian suddenly felt uneasy. It was like she could see straight through him.
Pheobe flashed a smile and replied. “So, what do you suggest, Mr. Turner?”
Eagerly, Adrian pushed his advantage. “Ms. Greene, you’ve just returned, and you’re still unfamiliar with how the company runs. I’d advise you to take some time to understand each department before making such big decisions
Phoebe remained silent for a moment and nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense.”
Adrian felt a wave of relief and a little triumph. He mused, ‘She’s easier to manipulate than I thought. Guess I can keep funneling my own people into the company
But before he could savor the victory, Phoebe’s next words froze him in place. “Since you mention it. Mr. Turner, why don’t you walk me through it? Tell me exactly what your departments have been working on these past few years and the daily responsibilities of the employees I fired.”
