Back From Prison!

Chapter 15:

Edgar, pacing back and forth in anger, confronted Raphael: “General Manager Jacob, we had an agreement. You were moving up to the headquarters, and I was to be the General Manager of the branch! Now, when the whole company knows I’m about to be promoted, you break your word. What are you making me look like?”

Raphael, around fifty, looked helpless: “What can I do? This was a direct order from the head office. Edgar, this Jonathan is a young boss sent from above for some experience, he won’t stay long. Just bear with it!”

"Bear with it? Then give me back everything I’ve given you over the years, and I’ll bear with it!" Edgar lost his rationality, daring to say anything.

Unable to get rid of Jonathan, Edgar felt he had no face left in the company!

Raphael, enraged, shouted: “Have you lost your mind, Edgar? For years, if it wasn’t for my protection, could you have risen so quickly? Without me, with your disastrous personal life, you would have been fired long ago! Now I’m leaving, and you turn your back on me?”

Edgar, no longer holding back, declared: "I don’t care, if you can’t help me become the CEO, then don’t expect a promotion yourself! I’ll report your years of accepting bribes to the company headquarters! At worst, I’ll leave this job, but you’ll end up in prison!”

Raphael was speechless.

He had never imagined Edgar would utter such words, ungrateful after all the efforts he had made for him over the years.

But he couldn’t risk it, knowing if Edgar exposed him, he’d certainly be counting the days behind bars.

Raphael's tone softened in an attempt to appease Edgar’s anger: “Edgar, the CEO position is not child’s play. Even Jonathan with his strong backing might not hold it securely. Shall we consider a plan?”

“How so?” Edgar loosened his tie.

Cornered, Raphael, despite his resentment towards Edgar, had to strategize: “KPI! Changing the CEO of a branch is significant. Even after a promotion, I still control Elite Summit branch remotely for a while. The autumn season’s half over, and Elite Summit’s still short of about fifty million USD in KPI. If you can achieve over forty million, considering both sides, I can speak on your behalf to the headquarters to replace Jonathan. Jonathan is just an outsider with no ties, and your team controls the business operations. Surely you can handle this small task?”

Edgar pondered briefly before replying with a sly tone: "Fine, I’ll give Jonathan a ‘warm welcome’. I’ll talk to the purchasing director at the Near fashion department store, have them cancel a ten million USD order with us! Just appointed and facing a canceled order from an old client, I want to see how this Jonathan handles it internally! Besides, I’m ill and need a few days off.”

With his absence, any company mishap wouldn’t be his fault. All responsibilities would fall on Jonathan.

“That works.”

Edgar added: "If I can’t get Jonathan and that filthy Adela out of the company, I won’t carry the Jones name anymore!”

In the CEO’s office,

Jonathan poured a glass of water from the dispenser, placed it on the desk, and sat down to face Adela.

“Actually, I’ve been with the company for a while, just didn’t make my presence known until the end.”

Adela, filled with indignation, said: "So the job invitation was from you, intentionally bringing me to the company so that you could be promoted to CEO today and make me a laughing stock! Congratulations, you’ve succeeded in trampling my dignity once again!”

By now, Adela understood where her job invitation had come from.

Jonathan, with a pained smile and shaking his head, said: "The reason for my delayed appearance was to show you the harshest reality of society. You think selling fish is hard, but the upper echelons of society are even harsher! Adela, I sent the job invitation, but not for the complicated reasons you think. I just wanted to make it up to you.”

"Make it up?"

Adela scoffed mockingly, the very man who had ruined her now claimed he wanted to make amends?

She said sarcastically: "Jonathan, do you think that having money means you can do whatever you want?"

"Being without money is a real headache, as you are now experiencing.' Jonathan retorted, his words piercing Adela like a sharp knife.

"I don't need your compensation. Jonathan, stop bothering me!" Adela said angrily, turning to flee from the company.

Even though Jonathan was wearing the same suit as the night before, Adela knew it was Jonathan who had dealt with Dominic that night.

But all this was not enough to compensate for the tiniest fraction of the hurt Jonathan had caused her!

She was in such a dire state today entirely because of Jonathan!

"Yesterday, I might have excused your angry words, but now you better think carefully. Walking out that door is easy, but you'll spend your life in the market. Besides, without anyone to treat your mother's heart condition, she might survive this year if lucky, or she might die today or tomorrow if not. Also, I have your high-interest loan paper here, don't you want to take it?"

Adela's steps halted as Jonathan's cold voice rang out behind her, rooting her to the spot.

She turned around furiously and asked: "So tell me, how do you plan to make it up to me?"

Jonathan chuckled.

Whatever the method, he had finally made progress.

"How do you want compensation?"

Jonathan shrugged, looking around the office casually: "Whether you admit it or not, my life after prison has been much better than you imagine. For example, I got the CEO position of this company without any effort. If I want, buying the entire company is not a problem. Just state your terms for compensation, and I can do it!"

His tone was so light and confident that it was hard for others to detect any deceit.

"Really? You can do anything to compensate?" Adela began to take the matter seriously, asking with a hint of doubt.

"At least here at Elite Summit, there's nothing I can't do that someone else could!"

After a long hesitation, Adela spoke firmly: "Fine, I have a daughter, who was kidn*pped by traffickers just after she turned a month old. If you can help me find my daughter, I'll forgive you!"