Chapter 5
The first employee to resign was one Alexander expected to stay forever.
Evelyn placed a letter on his desk.
He read the first line and looked up.
“No.”
She almost smiled.
“That isn’t how resignation works.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m sixty.”
“You were sixty next year anyway.”
“Thank you.”
He put the letter down.
“This is because of Veronica.”
“Partly.”
“Then stay.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“That would make the same mistake from the other direction.”
Alexander frowned.
She continued.
“You cannot turn me into proof that you’re a better person than she is.”
He said nothing.
“I love Sofia. I will still be in her life if you allow it.”
“You don’t need permission.”
Evelyn gave him a pointed look.
Alexander corrected himself.
“You’re right.”
She nodded.
“I want fewer hours. I want to train whoever replaces me. And I want the freedom to leave without feeling like I’m abandoning a child because the adults around her can’t behave.”
The words landed hard.
Alexander agreed.
Not because he liked it.
Because he understood it.
That same afternoon, Rebecca found the first financial clue.
Veronica did not own Maison Privé.
But she had introduced several clients to the company over two years.
Under a legal referral agreement, she received a fee for certain successful placements.
Not unusual.
Not illegal.
The Vaughn household contract, however, would have been extraordinarily large.
Rebecca calculated the potential referral compensation.
“Roughly a hundred and eighty thousand dollars in the first year.”
Alexander looked at her.
“That’s not enough.”
“For what?”
“To explain this.”
Rebecca agreed.
Veronica lived comfortably.
She had investments.
She was marrying Alexander.
A referral fee could explain enthusiasm.
Not abuse.
Not forged emails.
Not removing staff.
There had to be another reason.
Then Rebecca found that Veronica had recently negotiated a different compensation arrangement with Maison Privé.
Not based on referral.
Based on something called a launch milestone.
The details were not public.
Maison Privé refused voluntary disclosure.
Rebecca would need legal discovery.
Alexander stared at the phrase.
“Launch of what?”
“We don’t know.”
May you like
That answer irritated him more than usual.
But for the first time, the financial side of the story had a shape.
