The one in the lead, a towering figure with a bushy beard, was lugging a sack of cash. He shoved his way through the onlookers, marched up to Cheryl's office door, and kicked it wide open. He roared, "Ms. Cheryl Stone, Mr. Adams has a message for you: don't think you can do whatever you please just because you're rolling in dough. We're not for sale, especially not to a conniving woman like you. The boss of this operation is Ms. Celena Stone, and she's the only one we'll take orders from! You can kiss your dreams of bribing us to mess with Ms. Celena Stone goodbye!"
With that, he tossed the bag of money at Cheryl's feet, where it landed with a thud. The group of factory workers glared at Cheryl and her staff with fury in their eyes, spat on the floor, and swaggered off.
Cheryl and her family looked mortified, their anxiety fueled by the botched deal they had with Hayes.
No sooner had the workers left than the company staff who was watching the spectacle burst into a frenzy of gossip.
"Holy smokes, did you hear that? Mr. Yafe Stone and Ms. Cheryl Stone tried to bribe Mr. Adams from the factory?"
"I never saw it coming—Ms. Cheryl Stone, of all people, stooping to such low blows just to get at Celena!"
"You're the new kid, huh? These high-society family feuds are always murky. And Cheryl? A good person? Please. She struts around like she owns the place, all because she's the chairman's granddaughter. Remember Loranda from HR? Got kicked to the curb just for being called prettier than Cheryl."
Cheryl eyed the cash strewn across the floor, her jaw clenched tight, and she hissed to her father, "What's our move now? With all this noise, Grandpa's bound to catch wind. And what's with Hayes? Is he cutting side deals with Celena or what? How else could he flip on me just like that?"
Yafe slumped onto the couch, his expression dark with anger. A thought struck him, and he exploded, "That Celena, no cash, no clout—she's been cozying up to Hayes. How else could she flip-flop overnight? Cheryl, get someone on it. Dig up whatever dirt you can on her and Hayes. We'll blow the lid off their little tryst at the next board meeting!"
Cheryl's voice was laced with venom. "I should've known. How else could she keep landing on her feet? She's been trading favors for luck! Don't worry, Dad, I'm on it."
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