Julian’s face lost all pigmentation. He looked like a corpse. “What?”
“Yes,” I said softly, leaning forward, resting my hands on the mahogany table. “Your boutique firm is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of my division. Which means, Julian, as of five minutes ago… I am your boss.”
The sound of Julian’s silver fork slipping from his numb fingers and clattering violently against his china plate echoed like a gunshot.
“And as your new Chief Technology Officer,” I continued, my voice echoing in the dead silence of the room, “I have spent the afternoon reviewing the personnel files of Apex Dynamics. We are streamlining the executive branch.”
Julian began to hyperventilate. “Clara… Clara, you can’t do this. I just bought a house with Chloe. The mortgage…”
“Your position as Regional Director is redundant,” I stated coldly, picking up my water glass. “You are officially terminated, effective immediately. Security will box up your desk in the morning.”
