Chapter 4 - FIRE HER
Simon reached table four within seconds.
“Mr. Pierce?”
Dominic pointed at Cassidy.
“This woman deliberately humiliated me in front of my guests.”
Cassidy said nothing.
“She spoke out of turn.”
Simon swallowed.
“She corrected me.”
Victor looked toward Natalia.
Natalia’s expression said everything.
Dominic continued.
“I want her fired.”
Simon’s face changed.
“Sir—”
“Not written up. Not suspended.”
Dominic leaned forward.
“Fired.”
The entire section could hear him now.
“I want her uniform removed and I want her out of this restaurant before my appetizers arrive.”
Cassidy watched Simon.
He was a decent manager by luxury-hospitality standards.
Which meant he protected staff when protection was inexpensive.
Dominic made it expensive.
“And if you refuse,” Dominic said, “I’ll buy this building tomorrow and turn this restaurant into a parking garage.”
Simon looked at Cassidy.
His expression contained an apology before his mouth ever opened.
She understood.
One employee.
One billionaire.
One famous restaurant.
The calculation was obvious.
“Cassidy…”
Before he could finish, Victor placed one hand flat on the table.
“Enough.”
He stood.
The humor was gone.
Dominic immediately changed.
“Victor, please. You have to understand—”
“I understand perfectly.”
Victor adjusted his cuff.
“You tried to use an employee as entertainment because you believed she could not respond.”
Dominic’s face reddened.
“She insulted me.”
“No.”
Victor looked at him coldly.
“She embarrassed you.”
A pause.
“Those are not the same thing.”
Natalia took another sip of wine.
Victor continued.
“She demonstrated more intelligence, restraint and cultural awareness in three sentences than you have shown throughout dinner.”
Dominic said nothing.
Victor turned toward Simon.
“The young woman remains employed.”
Simon blinked.
“If this restaurant terminates her over what happened here, my associates and I will reconsider every event and reservation we hold with this establishment.”
“Understood.”
“Good.”
Then Victor faced Dominic again.
“You believed cruelty looked like power.”
His voice lowered.
“It doesn’t.”
Dominic looked around the room.
Everyone was watching.
For the first time that evening, he seemed to understand the scale of what he had done.
“Victor, let’s sit down.”
“No.”
“The logistics documents are finished.”
“I know.”
“We’re talking about hundreds of millions.”
“I know.”
Dominic leaned forward.
“Then don’t destroy the deal over a waitress.”
May you like
Natalia set down her glass.
And that sentence ended everything.
