Chapter 122

Anna broke into a cold sweat at those words.

She clenched her fists, trying her best to stay calm.

"Yeah, Miss Smith is right. The head chef is my relative, and I must've turned a blind eye to his actions, which led to this mess. It’s definitely my fault!"

Anna looked up again. "I realize my mistake now and want to make amends. Thankfully, Miss Smith ordered compensation for everyone on behalf of the company, which has brought some peace of mind."

Alexandra looked at Anna, finding her more and more ridiculous.

What did the company's compensation have to do with her?

Why was she the one feeling at ease?

"Ms. Anna, the company compensating the employees is only right. After all, this issue ultimately falls on the company."

Alexandra set her coffee down. "If the company hadn't chosen you as the vice president, leading to this oversight, the cafeteria wouldn't have been serving bad food for so long, causing health issues for everyone. We wouldn't have had to pay for compensation and medical leave!"

Anna was even more startled, instinctively wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Yes, it's all my fault."

"This money should come from you, don't you think?"

This was a big deal, organizing health check-ups for all employees. If any serious issues were found, the company would have to cover the medical expenses.

Plus, they had to compensate everyone with wages and bonuses, which was no small amount.

Anna stammered in fear, "Uh, no. I... Miss Smith..."

"You don't need to be scared. Although it should come from you, to resolve this efficiently, I won't make you pay."

Alexandra knew Anna couldn't afford it.

After all, her annual salary from the company wouldn't cover it.

But with so many people misappropriating funds, if even a small-time head chef dared to do it, what about someone like Anna, a vice president?

But there was no rush; Alexandra had time.

"But the money has to come from somewhere. If you can't pay, it should come from the funds your relative embezzled. What do you think?"

Alexandra's words left Anna with no choice but to give up pleading for her relative.

Either she paid up, and maybe the head chef would be released.

Or, if she didn't want to pay, she couldn't say another word in his defense.

Alexandra's approach was indeed sharp, and Anna had to admit it.

She had underestimated Alexandra, thinking she was just a young girl. But now she realized how wrong she was.

"Miss Smith, you're right. I was foolish today." Anna swallowed hard. "The head chef is a distant relative, but his mother is close to my mother. When she heard about this, she begged my mother to ask me to bail him out."

"I had no choice but to come to you, hoping you'd be generous and help."

"Enough with the flattery." Alexandra cut her off. "You need to understand, the ones who suffered aren't me, but the company's employees. So why should I forgive the head chef on their behalf?"

"Are you really going to let him go to jail over this?" Anna was desperate, trying to use moral pressure.

"He deserves jail. What does that have to do with me?" Alexandra wasn't buying it. "If you really want him out, why don't you ask the employees who need to go to the hospital for check-ups if they're willing to forgive him?"

"If they agree, I have nothing more to say. But the embezzled funds still need to be returned. Whether he goes to jail isn't up to me."

Anna hadn't expected Alexandra to be so resolute.

She wanted to say more, but Alexandra was already losing patience and sat back in her office chair.

"Ms. Anna, time is precious. I'm sure you have plenty to do, so let's not waste each other's time."

Anna opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Alexandra continued, "No matter how this is handled, once the head chef is out, I'll request headquarters to deal with it. Ms. Anna, you can go back and wait."

Anna was shocked. If headquarters got involved, she would inevitably be implicated.

But if she continued, Alexandra wouldn't show any mercy.

Instead of arguing, she should find a way to distance herself from this mess.

With that in mind, Anna forced a stiff smile. "Alright, we'll do as Miss Smith says."

Finally, Anna left, and Alexandra resumed her work, sipping her coffee.

By dusk, Frederick's messages, which never ceased, came in as usual.

Seeing the time, Alexandra put down her work and planned to have dinner with Frederick.

As she left, she saw everyone working overtime.

She called Gregory over. "How's the arrangement for tomorrow's health check-ups?"

"We've scheduled with the hospital. Everyone needs to be there by 9 AM."

Gregory had been busy with this all day and worked quickly.

"Tell everyone not to work late tonight. Let them go home early."

They had already been harmed by the bad food.

Seeing everyone working so hard, Alexandra felt uneasy.

"Everyone else has gone home. The ones staying are handling urgent tasks that must be completed tonight, and the production line needs supervision."

Gregory was clearly in a tough spot.

Alexandra understood. "Give those working tonight five times their usual pay, including the production line staff."

"Got it. I'll inform everyone and thank you on their behalf, Miss Smith!"

"Good."

Alexandra went downstairs, and sure enough, Frederick's car was waiting at the entrance.

As she got in, Alexandra said, "Next time, don't park your car at the front entrance. It's too conspicuous."

"Where should I park then?" Frederick felt a bit hurt. "Am I that embarrassing?"

"I've told you, it's not about that. I just don't want to attract attention. Park further away next time, or bring a less flashy car."

Though Frederick felt wronged, he understood Alexandra. "Alright, I'll bring a cheaper car tomorrow."

With that, Nathan drove them to the restaurant they had reserved.

The restaurant was booked just for them, allowing them to dine in peace.