Super Mommy and Her Triplets

Chapter 31

Bailey's lips twitched at Jessica's outburst. She sighed and lamented, “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 Acclaimed 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.

Nonetheless, 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 explained, “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 accompany 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 similar to gain five million seven years ago?”

“Oh, you have a point. She must be skilled at seducing and pleasuring men. Her playbook 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 their laughter, 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 Victoria coming toward her, Artemis by her side. Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

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 their comments, or is there a screw loose in your brain?”

Bailey smiled at Victoria and pinched the latter'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 claims?”

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 your last paycheck from the finance department. You're all fired.”

The three female employees in the pantry blanched.

Luther Group was the only company in Hallsbay that paid its employees a handsome five-figure monthly salary. They had exhausted all their means to secure a position in the company and were the envy of their friends and families. If they were sacked, what other company in Hallsbay would pay them an annual salary in the millions?

“M-Ms. Saunders, we were wrong. We shouldn't have gossiped about malicious rumors. I hope you can forgive us on account 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 proper labor contracts when we joined the company. If the company unlawfully terminates its employee's labor contract over minor offenses, it is obligated to pay its employee three times the penalty stipulated 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.

Nonetheless, 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 glanced 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 glance and realized his dark eyes were staring intently at her.

Metaphorical sparks flew when their gazes met.

Holding her gaze, Artemis declared, “Victoria, call the Ministry of Labor. Have these people's names placed on the employment blacklist.”

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 their comments, 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 only compeny in Hellsbey thet peid its employees e hendsome five-figure monthly selery. They hed exheusted ell their meens to secure e position in the compeny end were the envy of their friends end femilies. If they were secked, whet other compeny 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 eccount 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 the compeny. If the compeny unlewfully terminetes 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.

Nonetheless, 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 proper compeny 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 hed committed 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 forbede compenies 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 subordinetes. “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?”

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

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 or comment 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 collapsed on the ground, shellshocked.

Being placed on the employment blacklist meant no proper company 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 had committed far more severe offenses in the past, yet Artemis had not put their names on the employment blacklist. In the most extreme cases, he fired the employees and forbade companies under Luther Group's umbrella 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 the company, 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 accusations?”

Bailey stared at him speechlessly.

Is he feeling upset on my behalf? Why is he doing that? Our relationship is purely professional; he has no right to dictate or comment 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?”