Free Web NovelChapter 26: Talk to The General Manager!
"Chairman Hale, I’m terribly sorry."
Arthur Vale’s voice trembled as cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
"My son has offended you. This is entirely my fault. I failed to discipline him properly."
The moment he finished speaking, he spun around and slapped Adrian across the face with all his strength.
Smack!
The sharp sound echoed through the corridor.
"Apologize to Chairman Hale right now!"
Chairman Hale?
The title hit everyone like a thunderclap.
Luca’s former classmates stood frozen in disbelief.
The General Manager of the Stone Free Grand Hotel, one of the most prestigious establishments in Ashford, was bowing his head and addressing Luca Hale as Chairman.
No one could process it.
Just moments ago, they had thought Luca was merely successful.
Now they suddenly realized the entire hotel belonged to him.
Several people instinctively turned toward Mason Reid.
A memory resurfaced in their minds.
’Tiger... do you want to be a leader?’
At the time, they had thought Luca was joking.
Now nobody was laughing.
"I’m sorry, Chairman Hale... I was wrong... I was really wrong..."
Adrian’s lips tasted faintly of blood. His body shook uncontrollably as he dropped heavily to his knees on the carpet.
His arrogance had completely vanished.
He finally understood the disaster he had created.
Not only had he openly pursued Luca’s woman, but he had threatened to throw Luca into jail while standing inside Luca’s own hotel.
The more he thought about it, the colder his body became.
All he could do now was pray for mercy.
The source of his confidence had always been his father’s status and wealth.
If Arthur Vale lost everything...
Adrian wouldn’t have anything left.
Luca didn’t even spare him a glance.
Instead, his gaze shifted toward the executives standing behind Arthur.
"Is the Director of Human Resources here?"
A balding middle-aged man immediately stepped forward.
"Yes, Chairman."
"Effective immediately, Arthur Vale is dismissed from his position as General Manager."
Luca’s voice was calm.
Too calm.
"Any employee directly affiliated with his faction is to be terminated as well."
"Understood, Chairman."
Arthur’s legs gave out.
The last trace of color disappeared from his face.
"Chairman! Please!"
He collapsed onto his knees beside Adrian.
"I’ve worked here for years! Even if I haven’t made any great achievements, I’ve devoted my life to this hotel!"
Luca ignored the plea entirely.
"Chief Financial Officer."
A capable-looking woman in a tailored business suit stepped forward immediately.
"Present, Chairman."
"Conduct a full audit."
Luca’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"I want every account Arthur Vale has touched reviewed from beginning to end. Any evidence of embezzlement or financial misconduct goes directly to the police."
The woman’s expression became serious.
"Understood. We’ll begin immediately."
Luca didn’t believe for a second that Adrian casually had fifty thousand Dollars lying around to throw at women.
Like father, like son.
Someone had clearly been feeding that lifestyle.
Arthur’s face turned deathly pale.
His heart nearly stopped.
No one knew better than he did how many questionable transactions were buried in those accounts.
Those records could survive casual inspections.
They would never survive a full audit.
"It’s over..." freēwēbnovel.com
The thought echoed endlessly inside his mind.
Luca wasn’t finished.
"Head of Security."
A broad-shouldered man immediately straightened.
"Chairman."
"Keep a close eye on these two during the audit. If either of them attempts to leave the city..."
Luca paused.
"...don’t bother coming back to work."
The security chief nearly saluted.
"Understood! I guarantee they won’t take a single step outside the city limits!"
"Good."
Luca seemed to remember something.
"Oh, one more thing."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
The smile made Arthur and Adrian feel even colder.
"It seems the former general manager’s son has a rather aggressive temperament."
The security guards exchanged glances.
"The security department should spend some extra time helping him calm down."
Luca looked at them.
"Anyone who performs particularly well on this assignment will receive double bonuses this month."
The guards’ eyes lit up instantly.
They all looked toward Adrian.
Their smiles became extremely meaningful.
Adrian’s face turned white.
He suddenly regretted every decision he had made in his life.
Luca no longer cared what happened next.
He turned and led his classmates downstairs.
The group finally stopped near the grand entrance of the hotel.
The atmosphere was strange.
Everyone looked at Luca differently now.
There was admiration.
Shock.
Disbelief.
And a little awe.
"Luca..."
One of the male classmates stepped forward hesitantly.
"What is it?" Luca asked.
The man scratched his head awkwardly.
"Well... I was wondering..."
He took a deep breath.
"Would it be possible for me to work here? I studied finance in university and I already have all the necessary certifications."
The moment he spoke, several others immediately looked at Luca expectantly.
Many of them were trapped in mediocre jobs.
The Stone Free Grand Hotel offered salaries and benefits most people in Ashford could only dream about.
Luca smiled.
"Don’t talk to me about employment."
The words instantly caused several faces to fall.
Disappointment spread through the group.
Of course.
Why would someone like Luca casually hand out jobs?
Nobody had the right to expect that.
Seeing their reactions, Luca burst out laughing.
"You misunderstood."
Everyone looked up.
"I mean you shouldn’t ask me."
He casually pointed at Mason Reid.
"Ask him."
Silence.
Then:
"...Huh?"
Mason’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Luca grinned.
"He’s the hotel’s new General Manager."
The crowd exploded.
Everyone rushed toward Mason at once.
Mason himself looked completely stunned.
"Luca..."
He pointed at himself.
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
"You’re serious?"
"Do I look like I’m joking?"
Mason stood there in a daze.
Just yesterday he had been working on a factory assembly line.
Today he was apparently the General Manager of the most famous hotel in Ashford.
The change was so dramatic that his brain struggled to keep up.
"What if I mess everything up?" he asked honestly.
Luca laughed. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
"So what if you do?"
He shrugged casually.
"It’s only a hotel worth twenty or thirty million Dollars."
The surrounding crowd nearly choked.
Only.
Twenty or thirty million.
Only Luca Hale could say something like that with a straight face.
But Mason understood the deeper meaning.
Luca trusted him.
Completely.
That trust weighed more heavily than any title.
After saying their goodbyes to the group, Luca dropped Mason off at home so he could prepare for his new position.
Then he drove toward Ashford Medical Center with Sophie.
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class rolled smoothly into the hospital parking lot.
Sophie looked over curiously as Luca switched off the engine and stepped out alongside her.
"You’re coming up too?"
"What?"
Luca looked genuinely surprised.
"You accepted my hundred-thousand-Dollar bride price this morning, and now you’re trying to stop me from meeting my future mother-in-law?"
Sophie’s face instantly turned crimson.
"You..."
Her beautiful eyes widened.
Then she shot him a glare that contained absolutely no real anger.
"You’re impossible."
Turning around quickly, she walked toward the hospital entrance.
Her pace was slightly faster than usual.
From behind, Luca could clearly see the corners of her lips trying very hard not to curl upward.
He smiled.
A few long strides later, he caught up effortlessly.
Without warning, he reached out and took her small hand into his.
Sophie immediately tried to pull away.
Just once.
Very lightly.
Then she gave up.
Her fingers relaxed in his grasp.
She turned her face away as if refusing to acknowledge what was happening.
Only her ears remained visible.
Bright red.
Cute enough to make anyone smile.
Luca tightened his grip slightly.
And together, hand in hand, they walked into the hospital.
