CHAPTER 25

Sauna stood at the window of her luxurious bedroom, gazing out at the expansive estate. She sighed deeply, her thoughts consumed with worry for Ralph. The life her son now led was a far cry from the opulence and respect he once commanded as the CEO of JFlier Group.

Unable to bear it any longer, Sauna decided she needed to speak with Jaden, her husband. She found him in his study, a grand room lined with bookshelves and adorned with portraits of Thompson family patriarchs. Jaden was at his desk, engrossed in the latest reports from JFlier Group, which painted a glowing picture of the company's success under Charlie's leadership.

"Honey, can I talk to you for a moment?" Sauna asked softly, stepping into the room.

Jaden looked up, his stern expression softening slightly at the sight of his wife. "Of course, sauna. What is it?"

She took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. "It's about Ralph. I know things have been difficult, but I think he deserves another chance. Perhaps we could place him over one of the smaller companies we own outside of Doxel City. It would give him an opportunity to prove himself again."

Jaden's face hardened immediately. "Absolutely not. I can't risk another one of our investments. Ralph has already shown he's incapable of handling responsibility."

"But Jaden," Sauna persisted, "he's learned from his mistakes. He's humble and willing to work hard. Everyone deserves a second chance, especially family."

Jaden's temper flared. "No, Sauna! Ralph nearly destroyed the JFlier Group! If the trustees hadn't discovered and taken a quick step, we'd be bankrupt right now. Ralph is reckless and irresponsible."

Sauna winced at his harsh words, but she refused to back down. "Jaden, I know you now accept Charlie because of the recent changes we heard that he had effected in JFlier Group, but he’s not perfect either. We need to be fair to both of them. Ralph was always the responsible one until things went wrong. Can't we at least consider giving him a small role away from the main operations?"

Jaden's eyes blazed with fury. "Fair? You want to talk about fairness? Ralph is lucky he's not in prison for what he did. And now you want to give him another chance to ruin us? No, Sauna. I won't allow it. End of discussion!"

Sauna felt a lump in her throat as Jaden turned back to his papers, dismissing her concerns. She had expected resistance, but not this level of anger. She knew that Charlie had manipulated the situation, feeding Jaden false reports about JFlier Group's success under his management. The reports glorified Charlie's achievements and further vilified Ralph, making Jaden believe that everything was thriving under Charlie's leadership.

"Jaden, please," Sauna tried once more, her voice breaking. "I just want to help Ralph find his footing again. He's family."

Jaden slammed his fist on the desk, making Sauna jump. "Enough, Sauna! Ralph is a disgrace. I don't want to hear any more about him. He brought this upon himself, and he has to live with the consequences. If you keep pushing this, you’ll only be enabling his failures."

Sauna's heart sank. She knew Jaden was stubborn, but this level of animosity was more than she had anticipated. She realized that continuing to argue would only make things worse. With tears in her eyes, she nodded and quietly left the study, feeling defeated.

*********
Ralph settled into his modest office at Clark Mason Industry, feeling the weight of his new role as assistant manager. It was a far cry from his previous position at JFlier Group, but he was determined to make the most of it.

He glanced around the small, unadorned space, which lacked the luxurious touches he had once taken for granted. A single window let in a sliver of morning light, illuminating the stack of documents on his desk. He began to review them when he heard a soft knock on the door that interrupted his focus.

He looked up to see his secretary, Clara, standing in the doorway. She was dressed in a tight, short gown that accentuated her curves and revealed an ample amount of cleavage. Ralph raised an eyebrow but kept his expression neutral.

"Good morning, Mr. Thompson," Clara said with a sultry smile, stepping into the office and closing the door behind her. "I have some documents for you to sign."

Ralph nodded, reaching out to take the papers from her. As she handed them over, Clara deliberately leaned forward, giving him an even clearer view of her cleavage. Ralph stiffened, maintaining his composure despite the blatant display.

"Thank you, Clara," he said, his voice steady and professional. "I'll review these and get back to you."

Instead of leaving, Clara lingered by his desk with her eyes locked onto his. "You know, Mr. Thompson," she purred, "I've always admired you. Even back when you were at JFlier Group, I followed your career closely. You're very impressive."

Ralph met her gaze, sensing where this was headed. "I appreciate the compliment, Clara," he replied with a firm tone. "But I'm here to work, and I expect the same from you."

Undeterred, Clara stepped closer, her hand resting on the edge of his desk. "Oh, I can work very hard," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Especially for someone I find so... attractive."

Ralph's patience snapped. He stood up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "Clara, this is inappropriate," he said sternly. "I'm not interested, and I need you to leave my office now!"

Clara's seductive smile faltered, replaced by a look of surprise. She hesitated for a moment, then straightened up and smoothed her dress. "Very well, Mr. Thompson," she said coolly. "If that's what you want."

"It is," Ralph replied, his eyes hard. "And I expect you to maintain a professional demeanor from now on."

Clara gave a curt nod and turned to leave, her heels clicking on the linoleum floor as she exited the office.