Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess novel Chapter 70

"Come on! We were just having lunch. How can you threaten to fire us over that?" the workers protested, their voices filled with disbelief and angst.

"Ms. Josefina, we're all in the same boat here, just trying to make a living. Why make things tough for your employees?" They tried to appeal to the sense of comradeship that they hoped still existed.

Sitting regally in her chair, Josefina exuded an aura of commanding presence, her expression one of haughty disdain. Her eyes, bright as stars, fixed on Jaxon with an icy glare. Her words came out sharp as flames. "Jaxon, you still recognize you're a senior employee, huh? Impressive. But since when have senior employees not stuck to their schedules? Skipping work without any reason?"

Her direct confrontation left many of the workers with sour expressions, their pride wounded. They hadn't anticipated Josefina's boldness to call them out so bluntly, leaving them no dignity to save.

Jaxon, riled up, retorted, "I took everyone out for a meal today, so what if we went over time by an hour?"

"So you like to hang out, Jaxon? Maybe you should just quit, then. You can drink into the wee hours, and no one will bat an eye. But work hours are work hours. Tardiness and leaving early will be dealt with by the book. We have rules for a reason. Without them, the company would be in chaos."

Jaxon's face was like the color of storm clouds, and though his brows were furrowed in anger, he dared not talk back to Josefina. Crossing Josefina meant you might as well pack your bags and leave. He was livid, turned on his heel, and stormed back to his office, leaving the others meekly returning to their desks, heads down, not daring to make a sound.

Josefina's cold gaze swept over the crowd, her presence so dominant that it felt like the air was too thick to breathe.

...

Back in his office, Jaxon was seething, tempted to smash something. He had once dreamed he'd take the reins of the company, but Josefina's sudden rise had shattered that dream. He couldn't swallow the bitter pill of defeat.

Grabbing his phone, he dialed angrily. "Miss, Josefina is just too much. We can't handle her."

"Just wait," a woman's voice replied from the other end of the line.

Jaxon lamented, "She doesn't play by the rules and shows no respect for us workers. A single minute late, and she's on your case, not to mention her iron-fisted hold on power, crafting horrible policies."

After venting his frustrations, Jaxon pressed, "Can't we just get rid of her?"