Chapter 808: Being Scolded Again

The elevator arrived at the conference room. Two of Susan's secretaries waited outside the door. The meeting had already begun, so they stood chatting.

"This morning's cake was the most delicious I've ever tasted," one secretary exclaimed. "Sweet, but not greasy. It made me so happy."

"Of course," the other replied. "Did you know it was the president's cake? Made by a three-star Michelin chef, I heard."

"Why didn't Ms. Phillips eat any?" the first secretary asked.

"I don't know," the other responded, "but it meant more for us!"

"Don't you think their relationship..." the first secretary began, but the second quickly hushed her.

"Shh! Do you want to be fired? Gossiping about the boss?"

"No, but the president and Miss Phillips always seemed a good match. He sends her delicious cakes! She's not exactly a star performer, yet he made her a manager. He even helps her with her work privately, and told us not to tell her… I think he must still like her," the secretary whispered, breathlessly.

"Me too," the other agreed.

They sometimes forgot the people they were discussing were the company's top executives.

"But Miss Phillips seems uninterested in the president," one secretary mused. "Didn't they get divorced? I heard she was the one who pushed for it, and he was devastated. He was hurt, but he still cares for her. He's a good man. It's touching."

"So what?" the other teased. "Mr. President won't like you. Miss Phillips, though sometimes rash, is undeniably pretty and has a great figure. I'd like her too, if I were a man."

"Are you saying the president is attracted to her looks?"

"All men appreciate beauty," the other replied.

Their excited chatter ceased abruptly as Manuel appeared before them. Fear blanched their faces, their smiles freezing. They were speechless. Manuel passed them, his demeanor chilling. The secretaries exchanged a look. It was over. Time to pack up.

Susan was reviewing work in the conference room when the door opened and Manuel entered with two secretaries, Clara among them. Susan's expression was unpleasant. Was parting so difficult?

She turned her attention to Matt Stephenson. "Mr. Stephenson, the project we discussed last week seems stalled."

"The lead was away on business," Matt replied quickly. "I've scheduled numerous meetings. Progress will be made this week."

"All right," Susan nodded. "We've discussed this project since the beginning of the year, yet there's been little progress. You need to work harder."

"Yes, ma'am," Matt replied.

Susan started to discuss the next project when Manuel interrupted, "If I recall correctly, I assigned this to you when I was general manager. Why is there still no progress after all this time?"

His tone was sharply harsher. Susan found it unsettling.

Matt, looking nervous, explained to Manuel, "The person in charge has been on a business trip. It's been difficult to schedule a meeting. We've had a couple of superficial discussions, but we've been waiting to find a better time to proceed."

"Is that the real reason?" Manuel asked coldly.

Tension filled the room. Susan looked at Manuel, surprised by his severity. She hesitated to speak.

"We can't meet with Rex Buckley, the project lead," Matt stammered. "And no one else has the authority to make decisions. We're at an impasse."

"Are you sure he's been away the entire time? Last Friday, I saw a post on his social media about attending his daughter's graduation in Kensbury City," Manuel stated bluntly.

Matt's face flushed. "He didn't return until Friday. And he had his daughter's graduation, so they couldn't meet."

"They couldn't meet, or you didn't even try to schedule a meeting?" Manuel pressed.

Matt was speechless.

"Mr. Stephenson, answer my question," Manuel insisted.

"I didn't contact them," Matt defended himself. "I didn't want to bother him. He'd just returned, and his daughter's graduation was important."

"So you think our project isn't important?" Manuel raised an eyebrow, his words sounding unreasonable.

Susan intervened. "I'm sure Mr. Stephenson had his reasons. Sometimes, being overly aggressive isn't conducive to collaboration."

"No," Manuel countered. "It simply makes them think this project isn't a priority."

"I don't think so…" Susan began.

"That's why you haven't seen Rex Buckley in months," Manuel concluded.

Susan bit her lip, shocked by his harshness.

"Because they don't sense your urgency, there will always be excuses. I expect to see significant progress this week!"

"Rex Buckley is out of town this week," Matt said. "I checked his schedule. He won't be back until next Wednesday at the earliest."

"So your promise to Miss Phillips of progress this week was perfunctory and deceptive?" Manuel scolded.

Matt was mortified. He'd been perfunctory, dismissive of Susan, and content with doing the bare minimum. He'd easily brushed her off.

"I…" Matt stammered.

Manuel turned to Susan, his face grim. "Miss Phillips, I expect you to maintain stricter standards, not just for yourself, but for your subordinates. It's your responsibility."