Chapter 17
Zack was the big boss on this construction site. He’d been with the Elikin Group for over twenty years and had connections all over the place.
What right did this young woman have to fire him? She was just an inspector.
Zack was at least a manager in the company. How dare she!
Zack’s eyes widened, and he snapped, “Who do you think you are? Do you think you have more power than President Caden? If you are capable, let Mr. Elikin tell me himself. I only take orders from him. If he says so, I’ll leave right away.“”
He shot her a sideways glance, full of disdain, and his words were sharp. “I bet you’re just a fresh college grad, trying to show off. Such an idiot! You might as well go back to college.”
Harper chuckled, unfazed. “You’re right, let’s hear it from Mr. Elikin.”
She looked over at Caden, “Mr. Elikin, as a department manager, he’s slacking off. How do you want to handle it?”
Caden, enjoying the show, shrugged and smiled, “Ms. Orsini, it’s your call!”
Zack’s eyes widened in shock; he had no idea who he was dealing with.
Caden seemed to want to stir the pot even more and teasingly introduced, “By the way, I’m Caden, and this is Ms. Orsini, the investor in our project.”
Hearing this, Zack’s face went pale, and he stammered, “Mr. Elikin, I…”
Harper calmly asked, “Mr. Smith, got anything else to say?”
Realizing he was in deep trouble, Zack pleaded, “Mr. Elikin, I’ve been with the company for over twenty years. You can’t fire me. I have a whole family to take care of.”
Caden, with an indifferent attitude, just looked at Harper, “This isn’t my problem. Talk to Ms. Orsini.”
Zack had no choice but to beg Harper, “Ms. Orsini, I misspoke today. Please don’t hold it against me. I promise that I will never let it happen again. Please forgive me this once.”
Harper crossed her arms, her expression even, “Mr. Smith, it’s not just about your words. It’s about taking money and not doing your job. The company pays you tens of thousands of dollars a month. What have you done? A project that should have been done in three months has been delayed for six months and is still not finished.”
“Ms. Orsini, it’s not entirely my fault. The weather was bad, and the supplier didn’t deliver materials on time,” Zack tried to defend himself.
With years of experience as a construction manager, he had a repertoire of excuses that could effortlessly smooth over any issues. Then, he looked at Harper with determination, “Ms. Orsini, trust me, I’ll strive to complete the project within a month under your request.”
He thought he’d made his point clear, and she should be satisfied now.
But Harper wasn’t having it. She questioned, “Why didn’t the supplier deliver materials on time?”
Zack didn’t expect that and was momentarily stunned.
Harper didn’t give him more time and instead pulled out a prepared document from her bag and handed it to Zack. “Mr. Smith, can you explain this?”
Seeing the documents, Zack’s face turned pale, and sweat started to form on his forehead.
He knew he was done for today.
The documents in front of him were all the evidence of his embezzlement and bribery.
The previous supplier, who had been delivering materials just fine, got the boot from Zack for some bogus reason. The new supplier had bribed him big time, causing all the delays.
But how did Harper dig up this dirt? And when did she even have the time to investigate?
Caden’s playful smirk vanished.
He hadn’t expected Harper to come in so prepared and handle things so decisively. “Mr. Smith, no more excuses.”
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With this evidence, Zack was looking at some serious jail time.
After dealing with Zack, Harper said, “The project manager position is now open. Mr. Elikin, do you have someone in mind?”
Before Caden could answer, Harper said, “I have a candidate. Someone diligent and absolutely reliable.”
Caden was completely taken aback. He was the president of the Elikin Group, and this was his turf. Now she was calling the shots?
Since they were going to be partners in this investment, she needed someone she could trust.
So, she quickly got rid of the untrustworthy Zack and replaced him with her own person.
Not only did she solve the problem decisively, but she also sent a clear message to the other employees: do your job right, or you might be the next Zack.
Caden was thoroughly impressed by Harper’s actions.
She was truly remarkable! It wasn’t just about Zack taking bribes; she wanted to replace him with someone she trusted.
But why was someone whip–smart so indecisive about her feelings?
Thinking of this, Caden sighed.
Just then, Harper’s phone rang.
She glanced at the caller ID. It was Alex.
She hadn’t replied to his message earlier, so he couldn’t wait and called.
Her face fell.
Caden noticed and smiled, “Your ex–husband is calling?”
For some reason, he was now looking forward to Harper ending that troublesome marriage soon.
A woman as smart and capable as Harper, if she could be with him, they would be a perfect couple of business elites, unstoppable.
Harper didn’t respond to Caden and moved to a secluded spot to answer the call.
“Hello, Mr. Lavien,” she said formally.
Alex’s tone was blunt, ‘You didn’t reply to my message.”
Harper’s voice was impersonal, “Mr. Lavien, it’s work hours. Is it appropriate to discuss personal matters? Besides, what do you want me to say?”
On the other end, Alex’s voice was low, “Emily was almost attacked by thugs last night. Does this have anything to do with you?”
Harper felt a chill run through her.
Was he accusing her, or did he already suspect she was involved?
They had been together for five years. Didn’t he know what kind of person she was? Did he never understand her?
“What kind of answer do you want to hear?” Harper sneered.
“I want the truth.”
“It wasn’t me, that’s the truth. But do you believe it? If you did, you wouldn’t have called.” Harper fired back.
He cared about Emily and paid extra attention to her concerns. Once, Harper had worked late into the night and encountered a creepy stalker. She was lucky
to escape.
When she got home, still shaken, and told Alex about it, he was somewhat impatient and said it was a small matter, why bother him?
The same occasion that happened to Emily turned out to be something significant. Harper realized that it wasn’t about the severity of the situation, but the importance of the person.
Alex didn’t respond.
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“If there’s nothing else, I have to go. I’m busy.” Without waiting for him to speak, Harper hung up the phone.
