Grace’s breath caught in her throat as she stared at the stack of cash Vanessa was offering her. Her fingers trembled, and she took a small step back, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the cash. She had never held, seen, or even dreamed of having such an amount of money.The rest of the employees watched with shock, and some with jealousy, as Vanessa handed out money that would take them weeks to work for, and Grace was receiving it just like that.“Mrs. Cloud… I can’t,” Grace whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. “This is too much. I… I don’t deserve this. No one has ever given me such an amount of money…”Vanessa's expression softened, and she stepped closer, pressing the money into Grace’s hands. “You do deserve this, Grace. More than anyone in this company. You've endured, worked hard, and you have barely gotten any recognition for it. Even when people like Jane tried to bring you down, you still stood strong."Tears welled up in Grace’s eyes again, and she gripped the money ti
Minutes passed, but it felt like hours to Jane. Her colleagues finally got bored of laughing amongst themselves before moving on. Yet, their words remained with Jane even after they had left.As Jane continued to scrub the floor, she could no longer hold back her tears, and they began to fall, mixing with the soapy water on the tiles. She had always thought she was untouchable, that she could do whatever she wanted and get away with it. But now, she was nothing more than a tale of what happens when you cross Lord Cloud.Jane’s hands trembled in anger as she gripped the mop, her knuckles turning white. The mocking laughter from Erica and her former colleagues was still echoing in her head.She couldn’t stand it any longer. Every step she took, every whisper she overheard, made her heart ache, and her blood boil even more. She felt suffocated, as if she were drowning in the humiliation.She tossed the mop angrily into the bucket and stormed down the hallway, her heart racing with ange
Mr. Raynolds stood in his office, his hands trembling slightly as he stared at the closed door through which Jane had stormed out. He had seen the fire in her eyes, the deep hurt, and he knew she was right. He hadn’t done enough. He had failed her, and deep down, he hated himself for it.He couldn't just let her be humiliated like this, not after everything. He had to do something—anything—even if it was just to ease the daily torment she was facing in this company.With a heavy sigh, Raynolds reached for the intercom on his desk, his finger hovering over the button.“Enough is enough,” he muttered under his breath, pushing the button firmly.His voice cracked slightly as he spoke, trying to regain the authority he once held. "Attention, all employees. This is Mr. Raynolds. There will be an immediate company-wide meeting in the conference room. I expect every single one of you there within the next five minutes."The announcement echoed through the halls of Cloud Corporation, startli
Nathan held Mr. Raynolds’ gaze for a moment. It felt as if they were in a staring contest.His face remained unreadable, although it seemed like he was amused by what Mr. Raynolds was saying.He could feel the weight of every employee’s eyes on him, waiting for him to respond, to challenge Raynolds.But instead, Nathan just shook his head subtly and leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.“I have nothing to say,” Nathan replied in a calm tone.Today was not the day he was going to fight. The day he would come for Mr. Raynolds was not far away, and by the time he was done with him, Raynolds would even wish to be in Jane's position.Raynolds narrowed his eyes at Nathan, but he did not push further. To him, Nathan was afraid to say something.Meanwhile, that was far from the truth.Raynolds turned back to the employees, thinking he had asserted dominance."I hope you all understand everything I have said?" Raynolds asked, to make sure everyone got his warning.A f
Nathan had heard enough. His hands clenched into fists. Who were this kid's parents? Did they not teach him some manners? How could he bully his fellow student? Nathan strode forward, ready to teach the brat some manners.But before he could intervene, Ethan, still pinned under Brian’s foot, looked up with fierce determination in his eyes."I’m not staying down," Ethan growled, pushing against Brian’s weight. "I’ll never be like you."Brian’s face twisted with anger at the defiance. "You little..." He raised his hand as if to strike Ethan, but before he could deliver the blow, Nathan’s commanding voice stopped him."That’s enough."Brian froze, his hand suspended in mid-air. Slowly, he turned his head to see Nathan standing just a few feet away, with a cold stare. For a brief moment, the playground fell into silence.Nathan’s gaze was locked on Brian, and he glared at the little kid.Brian, clearly thrown off by Nathan’s sudden appearance, hesitated, but his foot was still pressed
Nathan’s eyes locked onto Brian, who was still looking as stubborn as ever."I don't care who your father is, you need to apologize, Brian," Nathan said firmly. "You're just a child; you shouldn't say mean things to other people. Didn't your parents teach you that?""If you don’t learn to respect others, life will teach you the hard way."But Brian refused to listen to what Nathan was saying; to him, he was just some janitor. His face reddened, and he crossed his arms defiantly, glaring up at Nathan. "Apologize? To him? No way! He deserves everything I said!" Brian spat, turning his gaze to Ethan. "He’s nothing! Just like his mom. My dad always says not to mingle with people like him."Ethan’s face flushed with anger, his hands trembling at his sides as he clenched his fists. He wanted nothing more than to hit Brian, to make him take back those words. But Nathan’s steady hand on his shoulder kept him rooted in place.Nathan let out a slow, measured breath. "Ethan," he said softly, h
Mr. Harrison’s smile faltered for just a split second before he quickly recovered. "Oh, we take discipline very seriously.""Dalton Academy has a zero-tolerance policy for bullying or any form of mistreatment.""Our students are held to the highest standards, and we encourage an environment of mutual respect. Anyone caught in any misconduct is immediately punished, ma’am."Vanessa raised an eyebrow, sensing a slight nervousness in his voice. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, Vanessa could still sense it. They arrived at Mr. Harrison’s office, where he opened the door for Vanessa to step inside. The office was very nice-looking, with leather chairs, a large desk, and walls adorned with certificates and framed photos of smiling students. Mr. Harrison gestured for Vanessa to take a seat as he settled into his own chair behind the desk.Meanwhile, outside on the playground, the drama between Nathan, Ethan, and Brian was still ongoing.The director was not even aware of it, as he
"How dare you put your hands on him! I’ll make sure your useless mother knows exactly what kind of trouble you’ve caused today.""Erica," Nathan interjected, his voice calm but firm. "Ethan didn’t push Brian. Your son is lying to you."But Erica was beyond reason. She raised her hand, her face twisted with rage as she reached out to strike Ethan. "You little brat!!!"Before her hand could make contact, Nathan’s hand shot out, gripping her wrist in midair. His grip on her hand was firm, stopping her just inches away from Ethan’s face. The sudden movement shocked her and even her own son, and for a moment, there was stunned silence.Erica gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief as she stared at Nathan, who still held her wrist. "How dare you lay your hands on me!" she barked, yanking her arm back from his grasp.Nathan released her wrist, his voice low and deadly calm. "You have no right to lay a hand on this boy, especially when he is not at fault."Erica’s face twisted with anger. She