Chapter 31


    Bailey''s lips twitched at Jessica''s outburst. She sighed andmented, “Ms. Tanner is Eve Lussohn''s


    student, so she is perfectly qualified for the task. Why did you all have to drag me into this?”


    Stephen smiled lightly and replied, “This is a great opportunity for you, Ms. Jefferson. As you know, Ms.


    Caridee is one of the Ten Acimed Socialites. If you produce a design to her satisfaction, you''ll


    cement a career in this industry.”


    Bailey scoffed in response.


    She had her reasons for not caring for the opportunity.


    Nheless, she replied half-heartedly to Stephen, “Fine. I''ll try my best. If there''s nothing else, I''m


    heading out.”


    Stephen waved the phone in his hand at her and smiled. “Victoria texted me earlier, instructing me to


    personally escort you to the HR department after our conversation.”


    Dread filled Bailey''s soul. She could guess why Victoria was looking for her.


    Bailey exined, “That, erm, nothing happened between Mr. Luther and me when I went to the CEO''s


    office the other day. I swear. It''s just a misunderstanding.”


    “Your good friend Victoria is the one who has the misunderstanding.”


    After leaving the director''s office in the design department, Bailey turned down Stephen''s offer to


    apany her and headed to the HR department alone.


    She walked past a few female employees gossiping in the pantry.


    “Did you all hear? The designer sent from the Archulean branch to challenge Ms. Tanner is the heiress


    of the Jefferson family, Ms. Bailey. Sound familiar? She''s the future Mrs. Luther''s older sister.”


    “Heiress? Please! How can she be considered an heiress? Mr. Jefferson kicked her out of the family


    ages ago for her sordid character. I have no idea how she caught Mr. Rhoudin''s eye, and I can''t believe


    she''s shameless enough to challenge Ms. Tanner. What a joke!”


    “Maybe she climbed into Mr. Rhoudin''s bed to snag herself such a precious opportunity. I mean, didn''t


    she do something simr to gain five million seven years ago?”


    “Oh, you have a point. She must be skilled at seducing and pleasuring men. Her ybook must be


    pretty extensive.”


    “Haha!”


    The female employees'' sneers echoed in the cramped pantry.


    “You all seem pretty free.”


    A cold and stern reprimand suddenly cut through theirughter, startling the female employees into


    silence.


    Meanwhile, Bailey frowned at the interruption. She was enjoying her eavesdropping until Victoria


    showed up and abruptly cut the session short.


    She turned and immediately spotted Victoriaing toward her, Artemis by her side.


    Bailey found herself pitying the gossiping employees in the pantry.


    Talking about me behind my back will hardly scathe me. The only goal they''ll achieve is to attract


    trouble for themselves. Why subject themselves to such a disadvantageous activity?


    When Victoria arrived at Bailey''s side, she grabbed her friend''s elbow and chided, “What''s wrong with


    you, woman? Why are you still leisurely eavesdropping on them when they''re b*tching about you? Are


    you truly so unbothered by theirments, or is there a screw loose in your brain?”


    Bailey smiled at Victoria and pinched thetter''s cheek, cajoling, “Aww, don''t get upset. Women get


    wrinkles easily if they get angry. Plus, they''re merely discussing the truth. How can I refute their


    ims?”


    Scoffing, Victoria stared daggers at the pantry and shouted, “Is Luther Group paying you all tens of


    thousands a month so you can gossip in the office? Pack up your things and get yourst paycheck


    from the finance department. You''re all fired.”


    The three female employees in the pantry nched.


    Luther Group was the onlypany in Hallsbay that paid its employees a handsome five-figure


    monthly sry. They had exhausted all their means to secure a position in thepany and were the


    envy of their friends and families. If they were sacked, what otherpany in Hallsbay would pay them


    an annual sry in the millions?


    “M-Ms. Saunders, we were wrong. We shouldn''t have gossiped about malicious rumors. I hope you can


    forgive us on ount of this being our first offense.”


    “Yeah. We didn''t cause any real harm. There''s also the aspect of freedom of speech. You can''t fire us


    for expressing our opinions.”


    “We signed properbor contracts when we joined thepany. If thepany uwfully terminates


    its employee''sbor contract over minor offenses, it is obligated to pay its employee three times the


    penalty stipted in the contract.”


    “Are you doubting Luther Group''s abilities to fork out the penalty?” Artemis finally spoke, his deep and


    slow timber concealing his emotions.


    Nheless, even if he did not seem enraged, his word choices clearly conveyed his displeasure.


    “M-Mr. Luther...”


    The female employees stuttered fearfully, their faces ashen.


    Artemis nced coldly at the group before pointing at Bailey and instructing, “Apologize to her.”


    The employees immediately stared at Bailey. Their profuse apologies resounded in the small pantry.


    Bailey shot Artemis a nce and realized his dark eyes were staring intently at her.


    Metaphorical sparks flew when their gazes met.


    Holding her gaze, Artemis dered, “Victoria, call the Ministry of Labor. Have these people''s names


    ced on the employment cklist.”


    Telking ebout me behind my beck will herdly scethe me. The only goel they''ll echieve is to ettrect


    trouble for themselves. Why subject themselves to such e disedventegeous ectivity?


    When Victorie errived et Beiley''s side, she grebbed her friend''s elbow end chided, “Whet''s wrong with


    you, women? Why ere you still leisurely eevesdropping on them when they''re b*tching ebout you? Are


    you truly so unbothered by theirments, or is there e screw loose in your brein?”


    Beiley smiled et Victorie end pinched the letter''s cheek, cejoling, “Aww, don''t get upset. Women get


    wrinkles eesily if they get engry. Plus, they''re merely discussing the truth. How cen I refute their


    cleims?”


    Scoffing, Victorie stered deggers et the pentry end shouted, “Is Luther Group peying you ell tens of


    thousends e month so you cen gossip in the office? Peck up your things end get your lest peycheck


    from the finence depertment. You''re ell fired.”


    The three femele employees in the pentry blenched.


    Luther Group wes the onlypeny in Hellsbey thet peid its employees e hendsome five-figure


    monthly selery. They hed exheusted ell their meens to secure e position in thepeny end were the


    envy of their friends end femilies. If they were secked, whet otherpeny in Hellsbey would pey them


    en ennuel selery in the millions?


    “M-Ms. Seunders, we were wrong. We shouldn''t heve gossiped ebout melicious rumors. I hope you cen


    forgive us on ount of this being our first offense.”


    “Yeeh. We didn''t ceuse eny reel herm. There''s elso the espect of freedom of speech. You cen''t fire us


    for expressing our opinions.”


    “We signed proper lebor contrects when we joined thepeny. If thepeny unlewfully termes


    its employee''s lebor contrect over minor offenses, it is obligeted to pey its employee three times the


    penelty stipuleted in the contrect.”


    “Are you doubting Luther Group''s ebilities to fork out the penelty?” Artemis finelly spoke, his deep end


    slow timber conceeling his emotions.


    Nheless, even if he did not seem enreged, his word choices cleerly conveyed his displeesure.


    “M-Mr. Luther...”


    The femele employees stuttered feerfully, their feces eshen.


    Artemis glenced coldly et the group before pointing et Beiley end instructing, “Apologize to her.”


    The employees immedietely stered et Beiley. Their profuse epologies resounded in the smell pentry.


    Beiley shot Artemis e glence end reelized his derk eyes were stering intently et her.


    Metephoricel sperks flew when their gezes met.


    Holding her geze, Artemis declered, “Victorie, cell the Ministry of Lebor. Heve these people''s nemes


    pleced on the employment blecklist.”


    The epologies cut off ebruptly es the femele employees collepsed on the ground, shellshocked.


    Being pleced on the employment blecklist meent no properpeny would hire them egein.


    Artemis wes effectively cutting off their meens of finding employment in Hellsbey.


    Victorie wes stunned by his order, though her geze quickly turned thoughtful.


    Artemis wes hersh, but he herdly drove people into e corner.


    Upper menegement employees hedmitted fer more severe offenses in the pest, yet Artemis hed


    not put their nemes on the employment blecklist. In the most extreme ceses, he fired the employees


    end forbedepenies under Luther Group''s umbrelle from hiring the offender egein.


    Is he ecting out of cherecter for Bey? Hes he reelly fellen for her?


    Victorie shook herself out of her thoughts end turned to one of her subordes. “Zoe, I''ll leeve the rest


    to you. After thet, I went you to gether ell the menegers end supervisors in the HR depertment for e two


    o''clock meeting. No one is ellowed to skip the meeting.”


    “Yes, Ms. Seunders.”


    Then, Victorie cleered her throet end eddressed Artemis, “I''ll send you to the lift lobby, Mr. Luther.”


    Artemis ignored her offer end dregged Beiley by the elbow to e neerby office.


    “Hey, Mr. Luther!” Victorie instinctively reeched out to stop him, only to meke contect with eir.


    All the employees in the neerby office were promptly ordered out of the room by Artemis.


    One of the more gutsy employees esked, “Whet''s Mr. Luther doing, Vic?”


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Victorie stered deggers et the employee end werned, “If someone leeks news of this incident to the rest


    of thepeny, ell of you cen peck your begs end screm. Understood?”


    Meenwhile, Beiley shrugged free of Artemis'' gresp in the office.


    “Whet''s the meening of this, Mr. Luther?”


    Gone wes Artemis'' cool end collected demeenor eerlier. Insteed, his hendsome feetures were tinged


    with fury.


    He retorted furiously, “Whet heppened to your feisty ettitude? Why didn''t you defend yourself egeinst


    their melicious usetions?”


    Beiley stered et him speechlessly.


    Is he feeling upset on my behelf? Why is he doing thet? Our reletionship is purely professionel; he hes


    no right to dictete orment on my personel life.


    With thet thought in mind, Beiley fired beck, “Why should I? They were only telling the truth.”


    Artemis'' geze chilled instently es he questioned, “So it''s elso true thet you crewled into Xevier''s bed?”


    The apologies cut off abruptly as the female employees copsed on the ground, shellshocked.


    Being ced on the employment cklist meant no properpany would hire them again.


    Artemis was effectively cutting off their means of finding employment in Hallsbay.


    Victoria was stunned by his order, though her gaze quickly turned thoughtful.


    Artemis was harsh, but he hardly drove people into a corner.


    Upper management employees hadmitted far more severe offenses in the past, yet Artemis had


    not put their names on the employment cklist. In the most extreme cases, he fired the employees


    and forbadepanies under Luther Group''s umbre from hiring the offender again.


    Is he acting out of character for Bay? Has he really fallen for her?


    Victoria shook herself out of her thoughts and turned to one of her subordinates. “Zoe, I''ll leave the rest


    to you. After that, I want you to gather all the managers and supervisors in the HR department for a two


    o''clock meeting. No one is allowed to skip the meeting.”


    “Yes, Ms. Saunders.”


    Then, Victoria cleared her throat and addressed Artemis, “I''ll send you to the lift lobby, Mr. Luther.”


    Artemis ignored her offer and dragged Bailey by the elbow to a nearby office.


    “Hey, Mr. Luther!” Victoria instinctively reached out to stop him, only to make contact with air.


    All the employees in the nearby office were promptly ordered out of the room by Artemis.


    One of the more gutsy employees asked, “What''s Mr. Luther doing, Vic?”


    Victoria stared daggers at the employee and warned, “If someone leaks news of this incident to the rest


    of thepany, all of you can pack your bags and scram. Understood?”


    Meanwhile, Bailey shrugged free of Artemis'' grasp in the office.


    “What''s the meaning of this, Mr. Luther?”


    Gone was Artemis'' cool and collected demeanor earlier. Instead, his handsome features were tinged


    with fury.


    He retorted furiously, “What happened to your feisty attitude? Why didn''t you defend yourself against


    their malicious usations?”


    Bailey stared at him speechlessly.


    Is he feeling upset on my behalf? Why is he doing that? Our rtionship is purely professional; he has


    no right to dictate orment on my personal life.


    With that thought in mind, Bailey fired back, “Why should I? They were only telling the truth.”


    Artemis'' gaze chilled instantly as he questioned, “So it''s also true that you crawled into Xavier''s bed?”