Chapter 15 Fired


    "Oh yeah. I overheard Lorenzo talking with Mr. Xi. He told him the money had been transferred to


    your ount. What''s going on, Maria? You never received that money at all, huh? Oh my god!"


    Summer was stunned, gasping for breath.


    Maria nodded. At the moment, aplicated feeling squirmed in her heart. She had no clue James


    had given her 300 million dors. ''So what did he mean by that? Did he care about me? Even just a


    little?''


    Summer put down her chopsticks and murmured, "Then where did the money go?"


    ''Good question!'' Maria thought. She was also racking her brains trying to find the answer. After a


    while, Maria came to a sobering conclusion. "I bet it was Lorenzo. Judy''s involved in this too! I just


    know it!"


    Judy Lan was James'' stepmother, Maria''s former mother-inw. Judy never liked Maria, and was


    just waiting for a reason to kick her out of the Xi family.


    "Seriously? So Lorenzo lied to James and stole 300 million! That takes some balls." Summer


    struggled to keep calm. Her breath wasing in short, quick bursts. She couldn''t believe what she


    was hearing.


    Maria picked up the chopsticks and ate another bite. "It doesn''t matter. I''ll do some sleuthingter.


    Just forget it for now, Summer. I''m starving!" ''No matter who took the money, I''ll make them pay up!''


    Maria made up her mind. She couldn''t rely on Summer this time because the thieves were James''


    so-called family. James probably wouldn''t believe Maria if she told him. She needed proof.


    Finishing the hotpot and bidding Maria farewell, Summer went home and changed her clothes


    beforeing back to work. Then she reported what she and Maria had agreed on. "Mr. Xi, I''m


    sorry. I couldn''t convince Ms. Song to sell the property. She said she wants to discuss it with you in


    person."


    James looked up at Summer in silence. Under his gaze, she felt a little nervous, but she still forced


    herself to stand up straight and look directly ahead. In fact, she didn''t even discuss this with Maria


    at all. She was enjoying the hotpot too much. Maria told her what to tell James before they returned


    to work.


    It was only a handful of seconds, but it felt like forever. Still staring at Summer, James gave her


    another order. "Get the word out. Let everyone in H City know not to hire Maria Song."


    Hearing that, Summer''s heart skipped a beat. She looked at James, wanting to put in a good word


    for Maria. "Mr. Xi, I''m afraid..." He gave her a deadly look, and she bit back her words.


    ''Sorry, Maria. My hands are tied. Mr. Xi is the guy who signs my paychecks." Summer lowered her


    head, feeling guilty.


    No one dared to disobey James.


    That night, HM Group fired Maria. They gave her a bogus excuse for the firing. She had no idea till


    she showed up the next morning for work.


    The department head came to her in person. He circled around her with a serious face, looking her


    up and down. Atst, he said, "Maria Song, you didn''t fasten thest button of your uniform. Since


    you don''t care about your personal image, you''re fired! Clear out your desk and leave!"


    Amused by the reason for her dismissal, Maria was speechless. It was almost like a prank.


    She''d never heard such a ridiculous thing. She was pissed off and immediately threw the folder on


    the table. "That ispletelyme! What about those who have two or even three buttons


    undone?"


    Frightened, everyone else in the office lowered their head to check if their buttons were all done up.


    The department head was frightened by her reaction. He didn''t expect her to fight back. He


    scratched his forehead with his little finger and said with a frown, "Look, you''re new, and still on


    probation. I decide whether you stay or go. Don''t make this any harder than it has to be. Just pack


    up your stuff."


    Maria was not willing to give in. "I''ve been here ten days, and my record is exemry. I need a


    reason, not an excuse!" She crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked him in the eye.


    The department head was just following orders. It was nothing personal. He struggled with this for a


    moment and got closer to her, looking around to make sure no one was keeping tabs on him.


    "Listen," he whispered. "Did you piss off the wrong person or something?"


    His boss told him she had angered James. But he wasn''t about to let her know that.


    Maria was smart. She got it, and knew exactly what was going on. She wasn''t angry at the


    department head; he was just doing as he was told. "Okay, I get it. I''ll pack up my stuff. It''s not your


    fault."


    ''So it was James who arranged this. Good job!'' Maria nodded.


    Without saying another word, she started to box up her stuff and left with her belongings.


    After canning the firebrand, the department head breathed a sigh of relief. He wiped the sweat from


    his forehead.


    When Maria returned to her hotel room, she fired off resumes to otherpanies, going through


    their application process. They turned her down right away.


    If this were James'' work, then he was being thorough. He didn''t just want her fired, he wanted her


    out of the city. Maria smiled helplessly.


    ''At least I have already met Colby Zheng,'' thought Maria.


    When Alina got the news, she was in a spa with Ste. The y mask on her face almost cracked


    when she smiled. Things couldn''t be going better. Her assistant said that James arranged things so


    Maria couldn''t find a job anywhere in H City. Alina was ecstatic.


    What James did made her feel so much better. She wasn''t mad anymore. And it proved how much


    James cared about her.


    Looking at Alina with admiration, Ste gushed, "Alina, Mr. Xi loves you so much! I heard she got


    fired. Ha! She''s so screwed!"


    "Maria is just too arrogant and over-confident. How could she hope toe out on top? She''s too


    naive!" Alina''s tone was full ofcency. She believed James could help her get the shop she


    wanted. ''That shop is as good as mine!''


    "Exactly! Who does she think she is?" Nodding hard, Ste believed that she was right to side with


    Alina. After Alina married him, James also would more or less take care of the Qin family for Alina''s


    sake.


    Alina was in a good mood all day. After leaving the beauty salon, she bought Ste a handbag with


    a hefty price tag. It cost hundreds of thousands of dors. After James had screwed Maria over, he


    waited for her to voluntarily hand the space over. He thought she''d be out of options and have to


    leave H City quickly.


    However, it didn''t work out like he nned. Instead of begging for mercy or leaving, Maria hired a


    designer for her shop. The interior construction started a few dayster. James heard the news


    when he asked Summer for an update on the property.


    After work, he swung by the area. In the silence of the night, he parked the car and stared through


    the fishbowl window out front. Summer was right. Someone was working inside.


    James leaned against the seat and rubbed his hands together. ''Why is this taking so long? I''ve


    crushed everyone else who challenged me.'' It had been so long since someone dared to do this


    that he''d forgotten how he dealt with them.


    Maria was really stubborn. He had to do something. He didn''t care if she was a woman or not. It


    was time for more drastic measures.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Rolling along the street, the ck Harkim suddenly stopped at an intersection. Lorenzo turned


    around and exined the situation to his boss. "Sorry for the sudden stop, Mr. Xi. Maria Song is


    standing in the middle of the street. I couldn''t just run her over."


    Without raising his head, James said, "Funny, that''s just what I was going to order you to do. Make


    it so." Lorenzo nodded, "Yes, Mr. Xi." An evil smile spread across his face. Maybe he''d be rid of her


    for good.


    Lorenzo was about to gun it, when there came a knock at the rear window. It was Maria. "James Xi,


    open up! Let''s talk."


    Her voice was somewhat muffled by the pane of ss between them, but everyone in the car could


    hear her.


    Ignoring it, Lorenzo was about to speed up and drive away, but the man in the back seat signaled


    for him to stop. He rolled down the window, nced at Maria briefly, and ignored her in favor of the


    document he was working on.


    A sweltering gust of air hit them, making them even more ufortable. "I know you want that


    space, James Xi. I can give it to you."


    "What''s the catch?" the man asked, closing the file folder without looking up.


    Maria didn''t answer his question right away. She smiled and asked, "It''s really hot out here. Do me a


    solid and let''s talk about this inside."


    James'' eyes darkened and he seemed a little unhappy, but he finally uttered, "Get in."


    He thought that Maria would get in the car from the other side, but she didn''t. After Lorenzo


    unlocked the doors, Maria opened the door on James'' side. Then she tried to squeeze in. "Move


    over. I''m slim enough, but there''s not enough room!"


    Her soft body pressed against his. Unexpectedly, James caught her familiar scent He frowned. As if


    she didn''t notice how awkward the situation was, Maria continued pushing him over. James'' face


    darkened even more. "Can''t find a ce to sit? Then get out!"