Chapter 67 Find an Opportunity to Thank Him
Paxton's offensive behavior toward Caroline hadn't been explicitly stated, but with Elysia's perceptive nature, it only took a brief conversation for her to realize Caroline had been wronged. Though she only verbally supported Caroline with a few choice words, internally, she was already formulating a plan.
Even if Paxton had connections to the deputy mayor, anyone who dared to harass Caroline would face consequences—even if the mayor himself intervened.
Arrogant bastard with no sense of boundaries.
To deal with Paxton, a direct confrontation wouldn't work. Men like him would eventually face punishment for their actions.
That night, while massaging Elijah's neck before bed, Elysia brought up a workplace sexual harassment segment she'd seen on the news.
"If a male boss occasionally makes inappropriate comments to his female subordinates, would that count as sexual harassment?" She asked.
The massage device soothed his sore muscles as Elijah, eyes closed, replied, "Absolutely."
"But what if each incident seems accidental? How can you prove it?" Elysia poured more essential oil into her hands, rubbing them together before placing them on Elijah's neck. "These young women have it rough in the workplace. Some supervisors help them advance, while others have ulterior motives, trying to take advantage. Girls who haven't experienced the real world and don't have parents nearby can be vulnerable to manipulation. Imagine how heartbroken their families would be if they knew. Don't you think, Elijah?"
"Of course. Children are their parents' greatest treasures." Elysia's massage grew more forceful, causing Elijah to wince slightly.
"By comparison, Caroline's boss is quite decent," Elysia continued. "You probably remember when Xanthe introduced her relative, Paxton, to Caroline. They both work at the power company—he manages a branch office. Caroline called me the other day, mentioning that Paxton offered her a promotion. Since she's worked under Xander for so long, and Xander hopes she'll eventually take over his position, she politely declined Paxton's offer. But Paxton, thinking she was just being modest, told her to reconsider and call him anytime, said he always keeps his phone on. He's quite the character."
Elijah opened his eyes thoughtfully. "Paxton actually said all this?"
"Yes, that's what he told her, according to Caroline." Elysia maintained a calm expression, her eyes and brows reflecting gentle amusement.
But Elijah's gaze darkened, his expression growing increasingly cold. "I'll need to thank him personally when I get the chance."
Two weeks later, someone filed a formal complaint against Paxton for soliciting and accepting bribes during his tenure as deputy operations manager, when he had leveraged his procurement responsibilities to extort suppliers.
The power company's procurement process was extensive, involving multiple price inquiries and comparisons nearly every week. The final approval step in this process was where Paxton had abused his authority to solicit bribes from vendors. Many companies willingly offered money and gifts to secure contracts, allowing Paxton to amass considerable resources and wealth during that period.
As for why someone suddenly reported him, the whistleblower was reportedly the husband of a woman with whom Paxton had been having an affair. After the husband discovered their relationship, the woman claimed Paxton had coerced her, threatening to sever business ties with her husband's company if she refused.
A man's greatest fear was betrayal.
When Caroline heard about Paxton's investigation, she wasn't as surprised as others—it was almost expected.
After work, Caroline bought fruit and Elysia's favorite salmon. When she arrived home, she found Elysia trimming flowers while listening to an audiobook, occasionally laughing at entertaining parts.
"Mom, I brought salmon. Come eat with me," Caroline said, placing the salmon on the dining table before taking the fruit to the kitchen and returning with two place settings.
Elysia put down her scissors, washed her hands, and joined her at the table.
"I've already had dinner. I couldn't possibly eat more," she said.
Despite her protest, she accepted the utensils.
Caroline smiled. "I haven't eaten yet. Just keep me company—think of it as a snack."
"This 'snack' will make me gain weight."
"No way. How could a few pieces of salmon make you gain weight?" Caroline took a bite. "It's delicious."
After a pause, Caroline ventured, "About Paxton's situation... was Dad behind it?"
She left the rest unsaid, but the implication was clear.
Elysia kept her eyes on the salmon, her voice calm. "Why blame your father? What does he have to do with it? Isn't Paxton being reported because of his own actions? Aren't the allegations true?"
"Thank you, Mom," Caroline said.
"For what?" Elysia speared another piece of salmon, savoring its tender, flavorful flesh.
"Paxton's case serves as a warning to others—do your job properly and don't develop inappropriate intentions," Elysia added pointedly. "With all the wrong he's done, retribution was inevitable. It's not like we specifically targeted him."
Caroline nodded. "Don't worry, Mom. I remember everything you've told me."
"Don't just remember—take it to heart," Elysia said. "Your father holds a special position now. He leads by example, and neither you nor I can create problems for him. You understand my meaning, right?"
"I do."
Driving home, Caroline watched the hurrying pedestrians and the city lights. Leopold had been traveling for over a month now. Last time they spoke, he mentioned facing some trouble in Silverwood. She wondered if he'd resolved it.
After parking, Caroline sent Leopold a WhatsApp message.
Caroline: [What are you up to?]
When he didn't respond after a while, she figured he must be busy.
For the past two weeks, Leopold seemed especially occupied, often slow to reply to messages.
This trip to Silverwood had delayed Leopold for nearly two weeks. An incident where employees collectively quit couldn't happen without orchestration, so the situation was clearly complex, requiring thorough investigation to prevent future problems.
After extensive inquiry and confirmation from a middle manager who hadn't resigned, Leopold discovered the Silverwood branch manager had incited the mass resignation—but Xavier was the mastermind.
A friend of Xavier's owned a resort in Silverwood and had served as an intermediary, using high salary offers to entice most employees to quit.
Leopold knew exactly why Xavier was sabotaging him. When he first moved against Dash, he anticipated retaliation, but he hadn't expected Xavier to disregard the company's reputation and sacrifice the Silverwood branch for personal gain.
By the time Leopold finished inspecting all the hotels and returned to Seaside City, it was already late February.
His first action upon returning was to wait outside Caroline's apartment.
As Caroline stepped out of the elevator and the hallway light flickered on, she spotted a figure standing by the window at the corridor's end, a cigarette between his fingers.