Chapter 178

“What’s going on here?” Jace’s voice, icy and commanding, cut through the air. The shameless man who’d been teasing me at OceanixCorp was gone. People often said women could change their demeanor instantly, but men were no different. The head of security, still shaken from the earlier incident, rushed over and stammered an explanation.

Jace’s gaze fixed on Hayden. “So, all this is because of Mr. Hart’s personal grudge?” I sensed Jace would use this to attack Hayden, and I had a bad feeling. Hayden didn’t flinch. Jace’s lips curled into a smug, mocking smile. “That right, Mr. Hart?” “Yeah,” Hayden replied.

Jace bent, picking up a piece of debris. “So, how do you think we should handle this?”

“What do you want?” Hayden saw through Jace’s intentions.

I remained silent. Speaking would only worsen the situation. If not for me, Jace might have defended Hayden. After all, this was on RiverwaveCorp property; those thugs were damaging the company’s amusement park. The principle of not messing with someone’s property certainly applied. This was a direct attack on Jace’s pride.

Jace tossed aside the debris and brushed his hands, as if wiping away something repulsive. “You have personal issues to address; focus on those. Wayne will take over until you’ve resolved everything.”

I was stunned. Jace was essentially firing Hayden. The lighting setup was nearly complete; Hayden’s presence or absence wouldn't significantly affect the project. Jace knew this. This wasn’t about the work; it was about discarding him after he’d served his purpose.

Suddenly, a chilling thought struck me. What if those earlier thugs were sent by Jace, giving him an excuse to fire Hayden?

“I don’t work for you, Mr. Johnston,” Hayden stated, standing firm. “You don’t get to decide if I stay or go.”

Jace smirked, utterly smug. “Oh yeah? Wanna bet?” He pulled out his phone, and I knew exactly what he was doing—calling Hayden’s boss to get him dismissed.

Chapter 128

Just then, Wayne arrived, likely drawn by the commotion. I saw my opportunity. “Wayne, Mr. Johnston is considering letting Mr. Hart go and having you finish the lighting. Do you think you’re ready for that?” I challenged him directly.

It wasn’t my most ethical move, but I counted on Wayne’s support. Wayne’s expression flickered before he turned to Jace. “There’s still the system test after the lighting. It would be wiser if Mr. Hart remained until the final inspection.”

Jace’s smirk vanished. He glared at Wayne, furious that his own brother wouldn’t support him. But Jace remained resolute. Coldly and efficiently, he said, “If you’re insistent on keeping him, we won’t even reach the final test. The entire amusement park will be wrecked by then.”