Leo Gambino A Thousand Foes

007 Gold Digger

Gasps echoed in the hall. A high-ranking manager of Aureum Vaults had been slapped. Hargrove clutched his stinging cheek, his mind reeling in confusion. "Ma'am—"

"You had one job," Valery said icily. "And you messed it up by siding with these ugly clowns!"

Darlene, who hadn't seen Valery before, bounced forward. "What did you call us? H-How dare you?!"

Valery turned to her, looking bored, as if she were a toadstool. "How dare I?" She chuckled. "You hag! I don't dare—I decide. And I've decided that both of you need to shut up."

Darlene, further enraged, opened her mouth to protest.

At that precise moment, a silver-haired, rotund man stumbled down the executive marble staircase. He was in his late sixties, wearing an Armani suit. He was Mark Aureum, the owner of the Aureum Vaults Emporium.

His forehead dripped with sweat, and it appeared as if he was on the verge of having a heart attack.

And why wouldn't that happen?

Urgent messages had flooded his office a few minutes ago. Valery Frost, the Iron Lady of Nexus City's corporate world, was in his store. Even the local media had picked up the story.

Moreover, because of the Emporium's idiotic staff, a scandal had begun that could tarnish Aureum Vaults' sterling reputation forever.

"Madam! Dear Madam!" Mark exclaimed, gasping for breath as he approached. Despite his obesity, he bowed so low his glasses nearly slipped off.

"What an unparalleled privilege to have you in our humble establishment! I came as soon as I was informed. Please, ma'am, what can I do for you? Aureum Vaults is completely at your disposal!

Valery disentangled her arm from Leonard's to point accusingly at the manager. "This incompetent oaf and his staff have offended me deeply. They accused Leonard of being a scammer and summoned security to assault him!

Mark's face rapidly drained of color. He might as well have collapsed from a cardiac stroke right there.

With a single phone call, Valery Frost could raze his billion-dollar establishment to rubble. What madness possessed his staff to offend her?

He whirled on Hargrove and Teddy, his teeth chattering. "You blithering idiots! Have you lost your mind?! How dare you misbehave with Miss Frost's esteemed guest?!"

He motioned to the security guards to act immediately. "Pack your desk and leave this instant! You're fired! I'll make sure you won't even get a janitor's job in this city!"

"No… no, Sir, please! I-I didn't mean—" Hargrove began.

Hargrove and Teddy didn't even get a chance to redeem themselves, shocked at how their lives had fallen apart after offending a CEO's servant, whom they had declared a scammer.

They stammered frantically, but the guards pushed them away.

Mark turned towards Leonard with an apologetic expression. "My apologies, Sir. The Reishi Royale is yours as a gift. We will refund the amount. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Leonard indicated the young clerk, Lily, who still looked terrified. The poor girl was fired for treating him with respect and fairness.

"She helped me out while the others leveled false accusations. Perhaps a reward is due for her commitment to the job?"

Mark, desperate to salvage the moment, turned his attention to Lily, who stood trembling behind the counter.

"Lily, my dear. You made an excellent judgment under pressure. As a reward, you're hereby promoted to head clerk of the Botanicals section, effective immediately. I will double your salary and give you a bonus for your loyalty."

Lily's eyes widened in disbelief, her hands clasping together as tears of gratitude welled up. "Thank you, Mr. Aureum!"

She turned her gaze to Leonard and mouthed a silent appreciation. A promotion that would have taken years came to her unexpectedly, thanks to this wonderful gentleman.

Darlene and Mabel stared, frozen in disbelief.

"You bitch!" Darlene suddenly blurted at Valery. "The Reishi Royale was meant for Victor Langford, my future son-in-law! Not for this gold-digger loser! Victor will make you pay!"

Valery tilted her head lazily. "Oh? Will he really make me pay?" Then, she smirked, slow and sharp like a lethal blade. "That's hilarious. I've never even heard of this Langford guy. Does he sell toys?"

Darlene looked like she was about to explode like a volcano. Mabel stomped her foot. "You'll regret this! You think you're untouchable? I bet you're just another new rich woman who has a fetish for poor men—"

"ENOUGH!" Mark Aureum's roar silenced the room.