1: 1
The company booked its annual summer retreat, and I reserved the entire hot-springs resort.
Late that night, Marina Fox, the new assistant, hammered on my door in a half-sheer silk nightgown.
"Mr. Delgado, my roommate slipped in the bathroom and she's bleeding everywhere. Please, help me carry her out!"
She sobbed, staring up at me with those pitiful eyes, half her body already leaning toward me.
I was about to head to her room to help when a line of red text drifted across my vision.
【Don't go! This woman has planted a pinhole camera in the blind corner of the hallway, and there's aphrodisiac scent burning in the room!】
【By tomorrow morning, a trending scandal about a famous entrepreneur pressuring a female subordinate for sex is going to blow up the entire internet.】
【She's even got a settlement agreement ready. She's just waiting to use the footage to force you to hand over 15% of the company's shares, or she ruins your whole family!】
I froze for a beat.
Seeing I hadn't moved, Marina bit her lip and raised her voice.
"Mr. Delgado, are you really going to stand there and watch an employee get hurt? If someone dies, can you take responsibility for that?"
I drew in a breath, stepped clear of her hand, and let out a cold laugh.
"If someone's dying, then call 911. What, am I supposed to be a doctor just because I'm the boss?"
"Also, dressed like that, standing in the hallway, you sure you came here for help?"
"……"
The tears were still in Marina's eyes, but her fake, pitiful expression froze on the spot.
She clearly hadn't expected the even-tempered boss to shut her down with something that blunt.
"Mr. Delgado…" She blanked for two seconds, then bit down hard on her lower lip to force the tears out faster. "How can you say that to me? This is a matter of life and death. I was so panicked I didn't even grab a jacket, and you actually have the nerve to nitpick?"
She reached out to grab my wrist.
"Just come with me and take a look, please. Jill hit her head in the bathroom and there's blood all over the floor. I can't move her by myself!"
As she closed in, a sharp, cloying sweetness of perfume hit my face.
Another line of red text drifted past my eyes:
【Careful! Her clothes are sprayed with a potent aphrodisiac. One touch to your skin and it takes effect!】
I jerked back half a step, dodged her hand, and looked at her.
"If there's blood all over the floor, how is it you don't have a single drop on you?"
Marina opened her mouth and couldn't get a word out. Her face went a little pale.
Two doors down the hall swung open, and Alma Whitney, the roommate, came charging out, jabbing a finger at me and pitching her voice higher.
"Mr. Delgado, are you even a man? Jill's in there twitching from the pain, and you're standing here dragging your feet!"
"To think you're always up on that stage swearing you treat your employees like family. Now your family is dying, and you won't even step through a door!"
The resort hallway was dead quiet at this hour, and that shout of hers carried.
Lights came on one by one in a few rooms down the corridor, and VP Lucas Chavez came hurrying over with a jacket thrown across his shoulders.
He looked from Marina to me, his face full of concern.
"Whoa, what's going on here? What's all the noise in the middle of the night?"
Sales director Charles Lawrence came out right behind him, and the moment he took in the scene his brow furrowed.
Marina spun around and threw herself at Lucas, sobbing.
"Vice President Chavez! Jill fell in the bathroom and she's bleeding badly. I just wanted Mr. Delgado to lend a hand and help carry her out, but he not only refused to save her, he… he insulted me for dressing indecently!"
Lucas's face darkened, his tone thick with reproach.
"Saul, this is on you. You're the head of the company. When an employee has an accident, you should be the first one in there."
Charles chimed in at once.
"Exactly, Mr. Delgado. We're out here on a retreat, safety comes first. These two young girls are scared out of their minds in the middle of the night. Would it kill you to go in and take one look?"
I looked at these two executives. Back at the office they practically bowed ninety degrees whenever they saw me, and now here they were, jumping higher than anyone.
Right on cue, the text flickered past.
【Ha, that old fox Lucas Chavez finally shows his face! He's the real mastermind behind all this!】
【That agreement forcing you to give up 15% of your shares is sitting in the briefcase in his room right now!】
【They want to use moral pressure to force you into that room. Once you're inside, it's like mud in your pants. Even if it isn't crap, it's crap!】
I sized up the two of them.
"Vice President Chavez, Mr. Lawrence," I said, tugging at the corner of my mouth. "Since you two think it's a matter of life and death, that not a second can be wasted, then you go save her."
The hallway went quiet for two seconds. Lucas gave a dry cough to cover his awkwardness.
"Saul, she came to you. This… this wouldn't be appropriate."
Charles quickly shrank back. "Right, Mr. Delgado, a hero-rescues-the-damsel moment like this, how could we possibly steal your thunder."
I smiled at them, mocking.
"Article Eight of the employee handbook. Executives of the opposite sex are strictly forbidden from entering a female employee's room alone, late at night."
"Vice President Chavez, aren't you always the biggest stickler for the rules? So why are you egging me on to break them now?"
Both of them were instantly choked into silence.
Seeing this, Marina covered her face and wailed until her voice cracked.
"Mr. Delgado, if you stand here and let Jill die in there today, tomorrow we're going to the Department of Labor to report you for disregarding an employee's life!"
"Go report me." I fished out my phone and said it evenly.
"I've got time to stand here listening to you throw a tantrum, but I'd rather just solve the problem."
I dialed the resort's lobby manager and raised my voice.
"Manager Lambert, this is Saul Delgado. Bring your on-site doctor and a stretcher and get to Room 302 right away. There's a guest bleeding heavily."
I hung up and raised an eyebrow at Marina.
"Leave the professional work to the professionals. I'm the boss, not a doctor."
Marina's eyes went wide, and she traded a quick, panicked look with Alma.
