Stella was caught off guard, quickly turning her head.It wasn't anyone else speaking; it was her driver, Larry Bard.Her expression shifted slightly as she asked in a low voice, "Larry, what are you saying?"Larry's face paled, his slender frame slightly hunched, giving off an air of not quite fitting in with everyone else.His lips moved, and he spoke hoarsely, "Ms. Hall, I broke it. While I was cleaning in there today, I accidentally dropped it. I know the stuff in there is valuable, and I... I got scared, so I didn't dare to say anything." Bowing toward Stella and the others, he whispered, "I'm sorry."Stella frowned, her tone stern. "The company has cleaners, so why would you be cleaning?"Larry hung his head, afraid to meet her eyes. "I applied for the job with the company. I could earn thirty an hour. I wanted to make some extra money to get my son a cochlear implant..."Stella's expression darkened.The reason Larry gave left her unable to even get angry.This turn o
"I find it strange. The place where the S-type essential oil was stored was supposed to be locked. If there was a lock, Larry shouldn't have been able to access it. The fact that he could easily take it out suggests that it wasn't locked at the time. Larry probably doesn’t know these things, and there was no manager around to remind him. He accidentally broke the essential oil during his work, without any intention to cause harm. If we talk about responsibility, both parties should share it."But because Sonia made the S-type essential oil, this incident didn't actually cause us much damage. It's more like a stroke of luck. I think if we just fire him outright, the punishment would be too severe. With this precedent set, if another employee makes a mistake in the future, they might hide it intentionally out of fear of being fired, which could lead to bigger problems. Punishment should be a means of correction, not an end in itself. What do you think?"Before Darcie could respond, Jay
Wren felt a wave of panic. "I really don't need...""Just take it!" Aubrey insisted coldly. "It's a gesture from Ms. Arnold. Don't let her down."Wren's eyelashes trembled as she reluctantly accepted the money, bowing deeply. "Please thank Ms. Arnold for me."Aubrey's eyes flashed with a hint of disdain, which quickly disappeared. "Ms. Hall speaking up for you means she values you. You should appreciate her kindness and not take it lightly."They didn't want her to sour her relationship with Stella…Wren kept her head low, speaking softly. "When I was in need, it was Ms. Arnold who offered me a job. A helping hand in times of need is more valuable than in times of abundance. I'll always remember that."Aubrey looked at her unexpectedly for a moment, then said, "That's good to know. Keep the money safe and hidden."Wren took off her coat and tucked the money into her clothes.Aubrey seemed satisfied as she patted Wren's shoulder and left.Wren felt her tense nerves relax slight
Bringing it up, Stella suddenly perked up. "This money is from my betting winnings. Jaylene put in nearly a hundred thousand, so of course, I'm happy to make some profit off her. I'm not keeping it all to myself; I'll transfer half to you.""Mrs. Kane is quite generous," Keegan chuckled, sending a screenshot of the transfer and then refunding the money. "Hold onto it for me for now. I'll ask for it when I need it.""Then I'll just spend it all for you."Keegan smirked. "Then you're now 'pawned' to me."Stella paused. "Keegan, cut the cheesy lines."Keegan was struck speechless.Aldor Hart was driving and couldn't help but chuckle at Stella's remark.Keegan shot him a glare.Stella said, "See, even Aldor finds those lines cheesy."Aldor quickly clarified, "No, I think it's nice. Mr. Kane speaks from the heart."Stella said, "I know. He says it to my face, and I can see from his expression that he means it. But when I don't see his face, I can't help but feel harassed and want
Larry knelt there, his shoulders drooping, making his already gaunt body look even thinner. He heard the door open and lifted his head, his eyes brightening slightly. He shuffled over to Stella and said in a hoarse voice, "Ms. Hall, please punish me."Stella clenched her hands, her expression somewhat grim. She didn't immediately help Larry up but said sternly, "Larry, stand up."Larry didn't move, his shoulders trembling slightly, his voice hoarse, "Ms. Hall, I’ve caused you so much trouble, and yet you still protect me. I feel so ashamed. Please punish me; I'll accept anything."Stella closed her eyes briefly and raised her voice, "I said, stand up! Are you kneeling outside my office to make a spectacle of us?"Larry's face turned paler. "I didn't mean to...""Then stand up!"Stella had always spoken to Larry gently, considering his age, even defending him downstairs just moments ago. He had never seen her so angry.Larry rubbed his fingers together, suddenly feeling uncertain
"Secondly, you caused trouble during your side job. Instead of telling me right away, you let others find out and point fingers at you. If Sonia hadn't managed to concoct that bottle of essential oil today, do you realize how much responsibility you would have to bear?"Lastly, you shouldn't have knelt at my office door to beg for leniency. I really dislike people kneeling, whether it's to apologize, show remorse, or for any other reason. It's undignified and inappropriate! A person can kneel to the heavens, to their parents, or to benefactors, but we have an employer-employee relationship, and you're much older than I am. I can't accept your kneeling. To me, it feels like you're trying to force my hand."Larry couldn't speak. His face turned paler with each point Stella made, each one well-founded, leaving him no room for rebuttal. After a long pause, he finally muttered weakly, "I'm sorry."Stella pressed her lips together and after a moment said, "Choose one. I'll try to negotiat
Darcie's office."What am I going to do with you? With so many eyes watching, you docked Wren's bonus just because she accepted a set of clothes from Stella?"Darcie, who had been holding in her anger outside, couldn’t contain it once they reached the office.Jaylene was indifferent. "Mom, she's in the finance department. She accepted something from Stella right in front of me. Doesn't that make us look bad? If I don't do anything, won't others follow suit? I was just giving them a little reminder for your sake.""A reminder?" Darcie snapped. "Over a set of clothes? Is that all the tolerance you have? When you saw Wren take something from Stella, why didn’t you find out why? She’s struggling to pay for a family member's medical treatment. If you had helped her out, not only would she have remembered your kindness forever, but others would have seen your generosity."Instead, you docked her bonus, adding insult to injury. Now, when she eats in the cafeteria, she has to endure snide
Her voice trembled with sorrow as she spoke. "Mom, is Dad still mad at me?"When she was hospitalized after being injured by Keegan’s aunt, Wenham Saun visited her every day. But he no longer treated her with the same warmth and intimacy he had when she was a child. There was a newfound distance and coldness.She had been deceived by Dahlia because she couldn’t let go of Keegan. Wenham had already warned her once when he noticed her feelings, but she had knowingly ignored his warning. He was utterly disappointed in her.Jaylene didn’t think it was wrong to love Keegan. She believed the fault lay with Stella. If she had been lost for over twenty years, why did she have to come back and disrupt everything? Why did she have to come back and steal her father and brother?Their family of four had been so happy. Stella’s return had caused her parents to fall out of love, her brother to shift his affection toward his biological sister, and her father to no longer dote on her as he once di