Chapter 77
Isabel quickly stepped aside, moving behind Niles to deliver a powerful punch. One hit sent him crashing onto the table, shattering it. Pain flashed across his face; he felt a sensation like his heart was shattering, and every part of his body burned with agony. When he looked at Isabel, fear crossed his face. He hadn't expected this seemingly delicate girl to be such a strong fighter, hitting with such power.
“Niles… are you okay?” Some of his team rushed over to help him.
Isabel stood with her arms crossed, exuding an air of authority—a strength natural to someone powerful. Niles felt the weight of her presence; she was clearly not ordinary. Yet, anger boiled inside him.
Isabel asked, “So, will you leave?” Knowing her strength, Niles realized he needed to prioritize his safety. With a dismissive snort, he got up and left.
After Niles was gone, the other members looked at Isabel with fear. No one dared to challenge her anymore.
“Anyone who doesn’t want to work here is free to go! If you’re staying, then work hard!” Isabel shot them a warning look.
After Niles left, he found David, his constant shadow. They both sat down, frustration etched on their faces.
“That arrogant girl dared to treat us like this!” Niles grumbled, holding his chest, still feeling the pain from Isabel’s punch.
“Don’t worry, I’ll call Guinevere right away!” David dialed Guinevere’s number.
“Hi, Guinevere, didn’t you say to ignore any disrespect towards us? I followed your advice, and look what happened! That little viper, Isabel, chased me out of the company!”
Guinevere replied, “She thinks she can lay a hand on my people! I won’t let her get away with it! Who does she think she is? Just wait; I will make her regret this.”
Guinevere was furious about the broken engagement and consumed by jealousy over Isabel’s chance to marry Blake, a man of great status. She seethed. I was meant to marry Blake! Isabel, if you make my life hard, I will make sure you pay for it.
She couldn’t forget the humiliation she felt at the Galvez family gathering when Blake had called her a plastic surgery victim in front of everyone. That memory would forever haunt her.
When Isabel returned to the office, she found Samuel anxiously checking with different departments about the company’s sales performance. After seeing how David had been dismissed, everyone realized that Samuel and Isabel were not to be trifled with. They clearly commanded respect.
After the meeting, Samuel said, “Isabel, the company is in worse shape than I thought; orders are down, and we’re facing yearly losses. I see many employees lacking initiative—they just pass the blame around when things go wrong.”
“Dad, I know bringing the company back won’t happen overnight. I’ve also removed Niles; he’s likely loyal to William.”
“Oh dear, I hate that this burden is now on you; it’s my fault for taking on this company,” Samuel said, feeling guilty about burdening his daughter.
“Don’t say that. We’re family. I understand you want to make a mark in the Galvez family and protect Mom from trouble. I appreciate that. Everything will be alright!” Isabel added. “I suspect William will be here soon. Here are the documents you need to prepare for his visit.”
Samuel looked over the papers, surprised. “When did you gather this information?”
“I visited the Finance Department earlier and asked some questions. David seems to think he can act without oversight in this company. Gathering evidence against him was very easy.”
Samuel was amazed by his daughter’s skills.
“Samuel, William and Guinevere have arrived!” Helen announced.
“Indeed, you were right,” Samuel admired Isabel’s foresight.
William and Guinevere entered, looking serious, with David trailing behind, a smug look on his face as if he had backup. “Samuel,” William called.
“What brings you here, William?”
“Samuel, we’re family, so I’ll be honest; David has worked hard for the company, and on your second day here, you’ve dismissed him. What do you want to achieve?”
Guinevere shot a look at Isabel and added, “Exactly! Samuel, I’ve heard you want to put Isabel in charge of the Finance Department, which is why you fired David! This is blatant favoritism!”
Samuel thought how lucky he was to have Isabel’s help. “Please don’t make baseless claims. My decision to let David go is based on strong reasons, and since my mother has trusted me to run this company, it’s not your place to interfere.”
William looked confused. Samuel, usually easygoing, was surprisingly firm. Samuel had always been the agreeable one at family gatherings, and this new assertiveness left him feeling off-balance.
“Samuel, you’ve misunderstood my intentions. David has been guided by me, and I know you haven’t been running the company for over a decade. Having someone like David around would make things easier for you.”
“William! Look into David’s actions! How can you stand here and say this?” Samuel’s frustration was clear. He laid out all the evidence Isabel had gathered. William’s expression changed dramatically.
Anger boiled inside him as he glared at David, who looked puzzled and stepped forward to explain. Suddenly, David seemed flustered. These issues were old; he hadn’t expected them to be brought up again.
David felt that holding onto that information until he could call William was particularly underhanded. “William, I haven’t…” David tried to defend himself.
But Isabel cut in. “Do you really want to argue, David? During your time as Finance Manager, let’s not even talk about your past absences; you’ve done many shady things.”
“You pretended to go on business trips while wasting company money! You created fake invoices, claiming three times the original amount, funneling money into your own pockets.”
“Investigations show that your financial wrongdoing totals over three hundred thousand. You have stolen from the company; this is a crime!”
David looked at Guinevere; they had done things together in the past. They had shared the spoils of their wrongdoings since they were in a relationship.
“Isabel, why bring up these…Grandma didn’t put you in charge of the company!” Guinevere challenged, moving closer to Isabel.