Chapter 605
Those who had been singled out almost stumbled over themselves as they stood, their faces pale and voices shaking. “Miss Owen, I wasn’t thinking clearly! I was blinded! Please give me another chance! I promise I’ll change and be loyal to you, loyal to the company!”
The others quickly followed suit, rushing to make their own pledges, afraid that if they stayed silent for too long, they would be the next to be cast out.
The meeting room soon filled with voices—pleas, promises, and frantic assurances.
Rylie listened without a change in expression, her eyes calmly moving from one person to the next. She knew very well that some of their loyalty was genuine, while most of it came from fear. But that didn’t matter. She only needed their obedience at this moment. After all, these people were veterans at Sweetberry, and it would be impractical to get rid of all of them.
All she wanted was for them to do their jobs properly and stay away from corruption and petty schemes.
When the room finally grew quiet, Rylie spoke at a steady pace. “The purpose of today’s meeting is to make selections. Anyone who failed to show up will be dismissed. Their termination letters will be posted on the company website, with the reasons clearly stated.”
Zuri, standing beside her, hesitated before asking, “What reasons should we give?”
Rylie allowed a faint smile to touch her lips. “List it as lack of creativity, unwillingness to adapt, misconduct, and suspicion of shielding corruption.” Townsend, of course, would serve as the prime example for the corruption charge.
With Rylie’s firm stance leaving no room for argument, Zuri no longer dared to resist. His tone shifted to one of respect as he bowed his head. “I’ll prepare the announcement right away and have it posted online.”
The news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every absent senior executive. The Garrett family, in particular, could not ignore it.
They had skipped the meeting on Laurel’s advice, believing it would put Rylie in her place. But when they learned they had all been dismissed, with their termination letters publicly displayed on the company’s website, they were left in shock.
“What? Fired? Who does she think she is?”
“This is outrageous! Does she not understand the consequences of what she’s done?”
“She dares to go this far? Who gave her the courage? And Townsend—why would he help her spread this news?”
At the same time, Laurel’s phone buzzed nonstop with calls from the Garrett family. Pressing her fingers against her temples, she silently cursed Rylie for being such a nuisance. She hadn’t imagined the girl would be this merciless, or that she would act so boldly just because she had the Owen family’s support. Unable to reach Rylie directly, the dismissed executives pressured Laurel into arranging a private room at Savory Haven and sending her the invitation. Rylie accepted without hesitation. “Since you’ve gone to the trouble of inviting me, it would be discourteous to decline. I’ll be there on time.”
That evening, in the most secluded suite atop Savory Haven, tension thickened the air.
At the head of the long table sat Zavier Garrett and Lionel Garrett, flanked by several of the family’s senior figures. Their faces were clouded with anger, the weight of wounded pride pressing down on the room like a storm about to break.
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