Chapter 397 You Are Fired
A Crazy Night Novel
âIâm sorry, Mr. Hadley. Itâs all my fault. I was blinded by jealousy and had evil thoughts. Please forgive me just this once-â
Before Suzanne could finish her sentence, the conference room door was pushed open.
âWe are the police. Youâre suspected of intentionally damaging the interests of Hadley Corporation. Please come with us to assist in the investigation.â
No matter how Suzanne pleaded, Nathaniel stood rooted to the spot expressionlessly like a perfectly sculpted ice statue, unmoved by her outburst.
Sadly, among the executives present, no one dared to intercede for her.
âThe meeting is adjourned.â
With that. Nathaniel rose to his feet, held Christinaâs hand, and made his way out of the room.
The entire office plunged into silence as soon as the door was shut.
âHow did you manage to get that video?â Christina asked curiously.
Did he know beforehand that I have made a mistake? Thatâs why he did all this to help me? If thatâs the case, Nathaniel is more ruthless than Suzanne.
âIt was given to me by the peeps from the advertising company because theyâre worried about offending Hadley Corporation.â
Nathaniel looked down and was met by the womanâs dubious gaze. âThe company works with them on a dozen projects throughout the year. Stepping on my toes will mean burning their own bridges.â
His explanation seemed reasonable and logical. Clearly, nobody would want to spoil the ship for a haâporth of tar.
Christina nodded. In retrospect, she was still a touch fearful upon recalling what happened earlier.
âDonât overthink things. Itâs not your fault. Anyone who notices an error on the document shouldnât ignore it.â Nathaniel massaged her forehead gently.
âI should bear half the responsibility for this matter, so please donât hold her accountable.â Christina grabbed his hand instinctively as she spoke, her eyes gleaming.
âI canât let this slide. At most, Iâll forgive her and reduce her punishment, but she should be removed from her position,â said Nathaniel.
Christina nodded in acknowledgment. âI donât think I can handle your job well. Why donât you get Sebastian to come back and help you out?â
Even though he is sitting in a wheelchair, it shouldnât hinder his work.
âYouâre doing very well. Donât stress yourself out, okay?â Nathaniel proceeded to pick her up. He was so busy lately and felt that she had lost some weight. Sheâs getting lighter.
The two walked over to the bar, and Nathaniel poured a glass of fruit wine for Christina. âThis has very low alcohol content, so it wonât affect your work.â
The pine and sipped it easy, pou like elementary whool decking the trachus a hack durmg -Ise A faini fruity aroma wafted through the air as she felt weet taste of escrose on her tongue, making her Atirii feel tipy âVermy dse drawled like a lazy kitten. Her slightly dued face was charming and alluring at the came time Nathaniel became more cheerful when he saw her smile Then the door opened.
Madison walked in like a green-eyed monster. âSorry, I didnât know you guys were...â
She then shifted her gaze and continued. The companyâs senior executive called me today and told me that the final decision has been made. Therefore, I came here specifically to hear the news. However Madisonâs eyes were fixed on the manâs icy cold countenance. âThey said that Mr. Hadleyâs words can affect the decision.â
In other words, if Nathaniel allowed her to stay, she could remain in the company.
Christinaâs heart clenched when she heard that No matter how she looked at it, she did not want Madison to stay by Nathanielâs side, but the final decision was for Nathaniel to make.
âMrs. Hadley, may I speak with Mr. Hadley in private?â
Everyone in the company knew that Madison had feelings for Nathaniel. Needless to say, she probably wanted to seize the opportunity and put on a show playing the victim.
When Christina left the bar counter and was about to head out, someone grasped her wrist tightly all of a sudden âYou donât have to excuse yourself. Thereâs nothing you canât hear.â Nathaniel held her in a vice-like grip. As he spoke, a look of determination flashed in his eyes. He had no intention of being alone with Madison.
His words made Madison feel as though she had been stabbed in the heart.
âMr. Hadley, Iâve been working alongside you for more than a decade, and I really want to continue working for you. Please, I beg you. Please let me stay.â
A decade flew by in the blink of an eye. Images of the past began to emerge in her mind. Madison still remembered how nervous she was when she first became his assistant, and how she grew to be more composed and unflinching over the years.
Nathaniel whipped out his tablet and clicked on the results page to check the verdict.
Without any hesitation, he declared, âMadison, youâve worked hard and contributed to the company all these years, even though you havenât performed any meritorious deeds. Thus, the company has decided not to hold you legally responsible for leaking trade secrets. Nonetheless, youâve been fired.â
His succinct expression instantly crushed all of Madisonâs hopes and dreams. âIs there no more room for discussion!â
âThe company will grant you the most reasonable dismissal compensation based on your case,â he responded coldly.
Madison felt that her heart was about to break apart with crimson blood dripping profusely. After all, she had spent so much time at the company. It was ten years of her prime! In the end, she was given a ruthless dismissal letter.
âI appeared in his life first. What gives...â Sorrow and anger filled Madisonâs eyes. She wanted to get rid of Christina so badly. âI came first! How could you steal him away from me?â
Christina thought that Madison looked so pathetic and pitiful at the same time.
Who said that the first-come-first-served rule is applicable in love? Who said a relationship would surely bear fruit if one sticks around long enough?
âYouâve invested so much time in a man, and yet you canât see through him. I bet itâs the same even if you stay by Nathanielâs side for another decade. You wonât get anything. If I were you, Iâd let it go before that happens.â After saying so, Christina strode out of the room.
Nathaniel thought she was upset, so he tried to chase after her, leaving Madison behind.
The latter froze to the spot and fell into a daze.
When Madison returned to the Taggart residence, she numbed herself with alcohol, refusing to accept the reality.
Whatâs so good about Christina? Nathaniel hasnât seen the true me, and thatâs why he chose Christina. If we could be together...
even if itâs just for a night... things will surely change!
Her eyes shone with determination at that thought.
After resting for several days, Sebastian resumed work as usual.
Christina placed a thick stack of documents on the desk and said. âThanks to you, Iâve got an endless list of work piling up every day. I pray that youâll never need me to stand in for you again.â
With that, she scurried away.
Subsequently, Sebastian cross-checked the documents one by one, only to realize that Christinaâs workload was very little. In addition, what she did were merely tasks that would be assigned to the entry- level secretary, whereas tasks that were more challenging had been completed by Nathaniel.
That means Mr. Hadley has been covering the workloads of two people these days!
âStay back and work overtime to process all these documents today,â instructed Nathaniel before walking straight out of the office.
Sebastian checked the time and realized that it was only noon. âYou took a day off today, Mr. Hadley. Is there something special going âIâm going on a date.â
With that, he headed toward the elevator gleefully.
When he got to the parking lot, Christina was already there, waiting for him beside his car Nathaniel walked up to her, opened the door, and ushered her into the car like a gentleman.
He then took the driverâs seat and drove off. âShall we go for a movie first? Then pick up the kids thereafter.â