Chapter 4
Two guards entered the restaurant and looked toward Vanessa.
“Ma’am, you requested assistance?”
Vanessa weakly pointed at Daniel, but couldn’t speak.
Daniel answered for her.
“The situation has changed.”
Rachel Lin opened the leather folder.
“Ms. Cole, corporate received fourteen documented complaints over the past nine weeks. Tonight was a scheduled undercover service review authorized by ownership.”
Vanessa stared at Daniel.
“You set me up.”
“No,” Daniel said. “I ordered dinner with my daughter. Everything after that was your choice.”
Vanessa swallowed.
Paul laid several printed reports on the table.
Customer complaints.
Employee statements.
Refund irregularities.
Modified reservation records.
Daniel had expected bad judgment.
He hadn’t expected fraud.
Rachel continued.
“Our financial review also found that complimentary meals were repeatedly recorded for nonexistent customer complaints. Camera records show many of those meals were served to your personal guests.”
Vanessa’s eyes widened.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“We have eighty-three transactions,” Rachel replied.
Maria stared at Vanessa.
Daniel’s voice hardened.
“You humiliated customers. You threatened employees. You manipulated bonuses. And apparently, you used company funds to entertain friends.”
Vanessa shook her head.
“You can’t prove I authorized anything.”
Rachel slid forward one final page.
“Your employee login authorized every transaction.”
Vanessa searched the room for support.
Nobody moved.
Then her expression shifted.
She forced a smile.
“Daniel, surely we can discuss this privately.”
“You didn’t offer me privacy when you humiliated me in front of my daughter.”
Sophie looked up at him.
At that moment, Daniel stopped seeing Vanessa merely as a management problem.
She had taught his daughter that money determined who deserved dignity.
He intended to answer that lesson clearly.
Daniel turned to Paul.
“Terminate her employment immediately.”
Vanessa’s smile vanished.
“You can’t fire me like this.”
May you like
Daniel never raised his voice.
“I just did.”
