Chapter 30 Going to the Villa
Juniper faced her and stated simply: "You spilled my food."
"Yeah, I did it on purpose, so what? Ungrateful trash like you deserves to be called out. The way you treated Magnus, being ostracized now is only fitting punishment for you."
Patricia seemed to be righteous in her indignation on behalf of Magnus.
But was she genuinely upset for Magnus, or did she just have an axe to grind with Juniper?
Looking down at the wasted meal, Juniper's brow furrowed slightly. "That meal cost $25. How do you plan to reimburse me? Cash or PayPal?"
"Juniper, you're insane!"
"You're not planning on compensating me, then?"
Patricia scoffed. "It's just a spilled meal, get over it. No need to make a fuss about it."
With a swift motion, Juniper grabbed the meal that Patricia held and smashed it onto her face!
"Ah! Juniper, what on earth are you doing?!"
Patricia's meticulously made-up face was smeared with food and dripping with sauce... She quickly tried to wipe her face clean, but the more she tried, the messier it got.
Juniper spoke coolly, "Patricia, I might owe an apology to Magnus, but not to you. I don't even really know you. What gives you the right to knock over my meal?"
"It was an accident! Why do you have to—"
"If it was an accident for you, then this was an accident too. My hand slipped, sorry about that."
With those words, Juniper turned and walked straight out of the cafeteria, leaving Patricia standing there, fuming and disheveled.
Spectators in the cafeteria couldn't help but watch the commotion; the sight of a beauty splattered with food was both eye-catching and comical.
"Juniper!" Patricia clenched her fists, teeth gritted, her embarrassment fueling her rage.
...
After leaving the cafeteria, Juniper wasn't hungry, and Patricia's antics had only killed her appetite further. She decided to take a leisurely walk through the corporate park during her lunch break.
The expanse of Sycamore Group's complex was impressive, with a total of fifteen mid-rise towers housing the various company headquarters.
She ended up beside Building One, gazing up at the tallest skyscraper, feeling a trace of melancholy.
Her relationship with Magnus was as strained as ever.
She had no illusions about Magnus forgiving her, but what could she do to at least ease the tension? At least not to have the atmosphere freeze over the moment they saw each other.
That morning, Boris and Christopher had been let go. Christopher's bitter words towards her were still echoing in her mind.
Indeed, if anyone could get to her, it was Magnus.
Just as Juniper was headed back to the sales department, she felt a chill on her neck!
"Don't move!"
The person stood behind Juniper, pressing a sharp knife against the major artery in her neck!
Juniper stiffened with shock, "Mr. Boris? What are you doing?!"
"You've been whispering in Joseph's ear, haven't you? Getting him to fire me, right? I'm nearly fifty! The group dismisses me, alleging kickbacks and leaks, putting me on the industry's blacklist! How can I find work now? What about my mortgage, my car payments? Who's going to provide for my wife and kids?"
Juniper's nerves were on edge, and she tried to keep her voice steady as she pleaded with him, "Mr. Boris, I really didn't go crying to Joseph. Honestly, he's just a regular coworker to me! I don't have the power to get him to fire you. You've got the wrong idea..."
"You're lying! All these years, who has Joseph ever personally brought into the sales department? Don't feed me that line, Juniper! You're coming with me to the CEO’s office this instant, I need to clear this up! If they still let me go, I... I... I swear, I'll take you with me and jump off the building!"
Juniper realized Mr. Boris was trying to scare the company's executives.
"Mr. Boris, I can go with you to ask for an explanation from the higher-ups, but you have to understand, I'm just a small fry. Even if you threaten me, they won't care. They will call the cops on you the moment they hear you've taken a coworker hostage! And when the police get here, you're definitely getting time behind bars. Think about your wife and kids, Mr. Boris. What will they do if you're locked up?"
"Shut up! I'm out of options here! Press the elevator! To the CEO’s office!"
Juniper hesitated slightly.
Bringing Boris to the CEO could cause a major stir.
Boris, bereft of reason, pressed the blade closer against Juniper's skin. "Move it! Do as I say!"
Reluctantly, Juniper complied and pressed the button for the 26th floor.
Once inside the elevator, Juniper cautiously glanced at the security camera and cautiously informed him, "Mr. Boris, at this hour, the CEO and Joseph might be out for lunch, maybe not in the office. Are you sure you want to go up?"
"They'll be back eventually! How long can a lunch take? Juniper, cut the clever tricks! If you try anything else, I’ll drag you up to the roof straight away!"
Sweat was beading in Juniper’s palms.
...
On the 26th floor, at the CEO’s office.
Joseph burst through the door, "Mr. Blackwood, we've got trouble! The security just notified us through surveillance that Boris from sales has taken Juniper hostage, and they’re heading this way! Should we call the cops?"
Magnus's brow twitched, "Not yet. Boris is clearly disgruntled from being laid off and now he’s looking to intimidate the company into a retraction. If he hears sirens, it might just provoke him. Go and warn the rest of the building, have them evacuate as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary casualties."
"On it!"
Joseph turned and left posthaste.
The elevator dinged, startlingly, and the doors slid open on the floor.
Boris, a menacing figure, emerged from the elevator with Juniper in his clutches, bumping straight into Joseph.
His eyes were bloodshot with fury. "Joseph! I've been looking for you! Get over to Mr. Blackwood and put in a good word for me! Don't let the company fire me! Juniper's your girlfriend, right? I swear I'll release her if I can keep my job!"
Joseph tried to reason with him. "Boris, you've got it all wrong. Juniper isn't my girlfriend. Where did you even get that idea?"
The rumor mill in sales really was out of control.
If Juniper was his girlfriend, Mr. Blackwood himself would be the first to take him out...
But Boris wasn't buying any of it. "Cut the act! Joseph, I need you to talk to Mr. Blackwood now! Or else, I'll make sure both Juniper and I go down!"
Magnus stepped out from his office with an aura of composed authority and stood opposite Boris.
He spoke with unequivocal clarity, "Boris, you've been terminated. No amount of struggling will change that. First off, we didn't dismiss you because of Juniper; she's just an ordinary employee with no influence over the company's decisions. Your dismissal is due to repeated kickbacks and leaking confidential information to our competitors. Boris, your layoff today is a consequence of your actions against the company's interests, and nobody—not even I—is above that. The fact that we haven't taken you to court and just fired you is already more courtesy than you deserve. You should be grateful instead of resorting to criminal threats."
Every word Magnus spoke was laced with a chilling finality that admitted no argument or defiance.
Juniper felt the knife against her throat quiver slightly.
Overpowered by Magnus's presence, Boris’s facade of strength crumbled, and his voice tinged with desperation. "Mr. Blackwood, I realize my mistake! Please, give me a chance to make amends! I won't mess up again!"
"Everyone wishes for a second chance, but in the world of adults, a mistake is a mistake, and every wrong step comes with a price."
Juniper's eyelashes fluttered.
Magnus's words seemed directed at Boris, yet they echoed with a message for her as well.
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