Chapter 55

Chapter55 Pack Up Your Things And Leave

Rosie's face darkened, her hands curling into tight fists at her sides as anger burned through her veins.That bitch!

Why had Marissa pretended to be poor in front of her when she was clearly wealthy?

Rosie was fuming inside.

Marissa, hands tucked casually in her pockets,seemed oblivious to the silent fury directed at her.She smiled faintly at Jaxton, waiting to see how he'd handle things.

"Boss, what brings you here today?" Jaxton asked carefully.

He assumed Marissa wouldn't make a scene.Culinary Oasis was a joint venture owned by three people, and she was one of them.

Surely,she wouldn't want to escalate things further and risk damaging the company's image and profits.

Otherwise, why had she kept her identity quiet for so long? She must have wished to lessen the effect.

Jaxton convinced himself she was just trying to avoid unnecessary drama-just like him.

"Boss?" He tried again when Marissa didn't respond right away. Her silence made him uneasy.He couldn't believe she'd shown up just for ameal.

Marissa's eyes flickered with disappointment.

She had thought Jaxton was different from Bernie.

But clearly, she'd been wrong.

With a faint smile that didn't reach her eyes, she asked calmly, "That's all?"

"Huh?" Jaxton blinked. "Yes, boss. It's all taken care of."

What else was there to handle?

Though Bernie had offended the wrong people, any punishment would be handled privately.

Wasn't that the right approach?

Marissa's smile faded. She stared at Jaxton, her expression unreadable.

Jaxton frowned, unsure what to make of the look she gave him.

A few feet away, the head waiter gave a discreet signal to the waitress. The young woman hesitated,then gathered her courage and walked toward Marissa.

"Boss, I.." she stammered, her voice trembling.Standing in front of Marissa now, she looked nothing like the confident employee from earlier.

Marissa met her eyes calmly. "No need to be nervous," she said gently.

Her tone was steady-unchanged despite her authority. The reassurance helped; the waiter took a quiet breath to steady herself.

"I... I think the person who bumped into me was a friend of Mr. Alvarez," she finally managed to say.

Marissa, crouched down as she picked up the shards of a broken antique plate, looked up briefly and gave a small, amused chuckle. "Do you have proof?"

The waitress faltered, eyes darting downward.After a moment's hesitation, she bit her lip and said, "The head waiter must have seen it. And the cameras probably caughtit too."

Marissa examined two ceramic pieces, fitting them together absently. "Are you and Bernie on bad terms?" she asked in an even tone. "Has he bullied you before?" Marc, standing nearby, didn't care for antiques and couldn't tell if the plate was valuable or not-but at that question, his gaze flickered.

For a few seconds, the waitress remained silent.

Marissa didn't press. She placed the fragments aside and spoke casually, though her words carried weight. "So, do you think we shouldn't keep employees like him here? Should I fire him?"

The waitress shook her head quickly, panic flashing across her face. Everyone knew Bernie was related to one of the bosses.

Complaining about him was a dangerous move.

The big boss wouldn't always be around to protect her. And if, later, Bernie was spared, she'd be the one to suffer.

The courage she had mustered drained away as quickly as it came.

Marissa turned slightly. "What do you think,Jaxton?"

Jaxton stood beside Marissa and the waitress,having heard every word of their exchange.

He shot Marissa a brief glance, sensing what she was getting at-but hesitation clouded his face. "Boss,"

he began carefully, lowering his voice. "Bernie has been placed here at the instruction of another boss's secretary."

It wasn't that Jaxton didn't want to deal with Bernie -it was that he couldn't.

Disciplining someone connected to upper management was risky.

One wrong move, and he could find himself fired.

Marissa straightened, taking the handkerchief Marc offered. She wiped her hands slowly, her tone calm but pointed. "So, Jaxton, you've known about him bullying others for some time?"

Pausing for a moment, Jaxton turned to face Bernie, who was standing there in silence, and abruptly shouted, "You don't need to come to work tomorrow,Bernie!"

Bernie snapped out of his daze, glaring at Jaxton with open hostility. "Who do you think you are,Jaxton? You can't just fire me!" he barked.

Jaxton's jaw tightened. He cast a quick glance at Marissa, who stood with her hands in her pockets,her expression calm but laced with impatience. He frowned, his voice cutting through the tension. "Do I really need to list your misconduct here, in front of everyone? Having someone like you on staff is a disgrace. Pack up your things and leave!"

Then, turning slightly toward Marissa, Jaxton added with forced composure, "Don't worry, boss.I'll handle the situation tonight. We'll begin retraining immediately, and the next time you visit,you'll see a team that meets your expectations."

Bernie listened to Jaxton's assurances and sneered.

"You're really something, Jaxton!" Bernie spat,raising a trembling finger at him, so angry he could barely keep his balance.