Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Alyssa shot Sean a look, and the latter responded by opening the door.

“Ms. Alyssa! Ms. Alyssa!” Michael Grant, who had gotten into trouble yesterday, barged in

through the door so quickly that Sean failed to hold him back.

Alyssa frowned at the man who threw himself at her desk. “What are you doing here, Mr.

Grant? I’ve approved your resignation. You’re free to seek employment elsewhere.”

“This isn’t fair, Ms. Alyssa! I’ve been working at this hotel for nearly two decades! I’ve

given my all to this job and even gotten sick from it. Not even Mr. Taylor would do this to

me. How could you fire me just like that?” Michael was sweating buckets as he yelled at

her, red–faced.

“I’ve read through the particulars of every hotel executive. You’re indeed ill with fatty liver

and gallbladder polyps. Looks to me like the hotel is really profitable.” Her smile was cold.

Michael trembled when he picked up on the sarcasm in her words. “I had no idea that …

that Elysian sold our hotel low–quality bedding! We partnered with them for three years,

and the price was decent. They’re also an established name in Solana City, so that’s why I

…”

Alyssa tossed a document at his feet with a flick of her wrist before he could finish. “This is

à breakdown of every transaction the hotel had with Elysian in the past three years. Are

you blind to be so ignorant of this flawed financial report from the finance department that

you supervise?”

Michael picked the document off the floor with great trepidation and went through

everything in it. The few pages in his hands felt as though they were burning coals!

“I also received an anonymous tip.” Alyssa took a leisurely sip of coffee as her alluring

eyes glinted like cold steel. “A little bird told me that you and Elysian share a close

relationship. That’s how you got all these massive rebates and why you bought their

shoddy beddings in bulk.”

His teeth were chattering as he grew unstable on his feet.

“Of course, I wouldn’t fire anyone without evidence. But I’m not about to show mercy

when I do. have the evidence on hand. If you still have any objections, Mr. Grant, we can

get this resolved through legal channels.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Alyssa! I had a lapse in judgment! Please… Please give me a chance! If

word of this gets out, I won’t be able to make a living in Solana City!” Michael was scared

out of his wits and got on his knees. “It was Elysian who approached me and told me of a

way to get rich. This was Mr. Gardner’s idea! I thought the beddings were similar enough. I

wasn’t thinking straight and fell into his trap!”

“What a joke,” Alyssa thought. He was a vice president who had been part of the hotel

industry for two decades, yet he was playing dumb just to protect himself. “That’s enough,

Mr. Grant. I’m sure you know best what happened. If you have all this time to come here

with your nonsense, you’d be wise to leave and think about submitting your resume

elsewhere. Please see our guest out, Mr. Lynch.”

Michael was ushered out, defeated. But that quickly changed the moment he was out of

her office. “F***ing bitch! Just wait. I’m not going to let this fly!” he spat out.

Although Alyssa was a generous person, she was enraged that someone was lining their

pockets with the hotel’s money. It made her blood boil with indignation.

“Michael seems to have quite the reputation here at the hotel. To think there would be

whistleblowers the moment you turned your sights on him.” Sean was excited.

“No one sold him out.”

“Huh? Does that mean… you tricked him?”

“I did,” Alyssa responded gently and booted up a game to vent her anger. “There would’ve

been nothing to fear if he hadn’t done anything wrong. It was unfortunate for him that I

showed up.‘

Sean couldn’t help applauding the woman. “Michael and Elysian have been cooperating

for three years, and the corruption ran deep. We should bring him to court and make him

regurgitate everything he took!”

“We still need to maintain a cordial relationship. It’s in our best interest not to burn

bridges. The higher–ups at the hotel won’t be happy if I go too far. It won’t be surprising if

someone tries to backstab me. My father was the one who promoted Michael as well. I

can’t embarrass him too much,” she said nonchalantly while chasing after her prey in–

game with a massive ax. “Have someone keep an eye on Michael for now. Report to me

immediately if he contacts Liana Gardner’s brother again.”

“Yes, Ms. Alyssa!”

That was when Alyssa’s phone began to ring continuously. A mountain of messages was

blowing up a certain group chat.

“I don’t have time for this right now. Sean, check who it is.” She was fully concentrating on

the

game.

Sean pulled up the messages on her phone. “Oh, you have messages from a group chat

named ‘ Taylor Family’s Secret Society.‘ It’s your brothers, Ms. Alyssa.”

The group chat was created by Silas, her second brother. She, along with her four

brothers, was part of it. The reason it was dubbed a “secret society” was because the

matter of her marriage to Jasper must not get out.

Silas texted, “I can’t fucking stand this anymore! Is Jasper trying to add salt to the wound?

He’s going way too far!”

Her third brother, Liam, chimed in, “I’ve been trying to find dirt on Beckett Group. I’ll see

to their bankruptcy within a month.”

Her fourth brother, Axel, cut in, “I’ll have Jasper crippled within the week.”

Jonah sent, “Amen.

Alyssa finally made her presence known. “Stop! What are you all trying to do?”

Silas sent her a Twitter link and said, “They’ve announced their marriage. A high–profile

online

personality is claiming you to be a mistress who took what wasn’t yours. They’re saying

you forced Jasper to marry you and caused a rift in an already existing relationship!”

Axel piped up, “Hah. What rift? Why don’t I show them what that’s really like?”

Jonah replied, “Don’t upset yourself just because of this lowly evil, Axel. Don’t give them

your time of day. Their retribution is coming. Cease your anger and renounce your rage.

Don’t stoop to wickedness.”

Silas said, “Stop talking, Jonah. I’m seeing stars just reading that.”

Axel texted, “I’ll make sure it all gets taken down within half an hour, Lyse. I’ll also have

the trending topic of Jasper’s remarriage wiped.”

Alyssa replied, “It’s fine, Axel. Let them be.”

Silas expressed his confusion.

Alyssa explained, “It has nothing to do with me. Jasper’s ex–wife is Alice White, while I’m

the eldest daughter of the Taylor family, Alyssa.”

Silas chimed in, “You’re right! You’ve never made any public appearances with Jasper.

Outsiders have never seen you before. It’s unlikely that anyone would come looking for

you None of this would affect you at all!”

Alyssa sent another string of words, “Unfortunately for a certain woman, she’s going to

have a hard time.” She smiled in cold arrogance.

“you want to be with her so badly, Jasper Beckett? I’m happy to support the two of you in

achieving your happily ever after. But since she’s so eager to test me, you can’t blame me

for returning the favor,” she thought.

Beckett Group was caught off guard by the news. The Public Relations Department’s and

Jasper’s phones were blowing up with calls from the media. The news was being

sensationalized throughout the country. First of all, Jasper Beckett was getting married,

and this was going to be his second marriage! It was over before reporters could even ask

how it started. What kind of marriage was that?

“Solana Daily was the first to publish news on the marriage. Rumors have it that it was Ms.

Gardner who approached their editor in person before the news broke.” Xavier stared

unblinking at his phone. “The post has been retweeted over a million times. The current

trending search is # WhoIsJasperBeckettsWife. Madam Alice is being bad–mouthed

online…”

“Fire them!” Jasper’s expression turned cold.

Beckett Group had power over Solana News. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that

they were. the Beckett family’s mouthpiece.

“Who are we firing?”

“Everyone who was involved in this!”

“Yes, sir! But what should we do about the online discussion? We can’t rein that in

anymore Xavier couldn’t help but worry. “I can’t imagine how Madam Alice would feel

about this. She must be upset…”

Jasper’s gaze suddenly darkened, and he immediately dialed Jonah’s number. It had

become a norm for him to call the other man up. Anyone not in the know would’ve

assumed Jasper had a crush on Jonah!

Coincidentally, he received a call from Liana right then. The sight of her name flashing on

the screen made him frown