Chapter 106
The onlookers' opinion of Sonia shifted as they had witnessed everything from the beginning. It was clear Sonia had been making baseless accusations about others. Their hushed conversations didn't escape Sonia's ears, and her expression darkened further.
Gabriel hadn't expected Sonia to be so unreasonable. He retorted sharply, "Does she even need to try? Ma'am, you need to stop making wild allegations. She's not someone to be offended. Just leave. The more excuses you make, the more you'll embarrass yourself."
The moment Gabriel said that, everyone was eager to know more. Sonia, the daughter of a major shareholder, couldn't afford to offend that woman? Who exactly was that woman? Could they just get the full story already?
It was fortunate that none of them had jumped in to defend Sonia to curry favor with her. Otherwise, they would be in trouble now. Sonia glared at Gabriel and muttered through gritted teeth, "You'll regret this!"
Gabriel watched her leave with conflicted emotions. She was Walter's daughter, and Walter was aligned with Randall Hall, Austin's second uncle—who had been scheming for power for a long time. He wasn't sure if dismissing her this way would be beneficial or disadvantageous to Austin.
Then, whispers from the employees behind him reached his ears.
"Sonia is Mr. Beasley's daughter. It wasn't easy for him to get her a receptionist position, and now she's been fired just like that!"
"Beasley will cause trouble for Mr. Hall. I heard he's very protective of Sonia."
"Beasley holds a significant amount of shares in the company. If he really makes a fuss, I don't think Mr. Hall would have an easy time."
Gabriel's expression darkened. He turned to the group and said sharply, "Shouldn't all of you be working instead of gossiping?"
The crowd shuddered in fear; no one dared to gossip further, and they quickly dispersed.
In the CEO's office, Suzanne placed her spoon down after eating a little. Fortunately, she had packed a small portion; otherwise, there might not have been enough food left with her joining in. Austin frowned when he saw that Suzanne had barely eaten anything. He glanced at her and asked, "Have a little more, won't you?"
Suzanne shook her head and replied, "I'm full." She had always had a small appetite.
Austin was about to say something else when, suddenly, there was a loud and violent pounding on his office door. Suzanne frowned slightly. Who would dare to behave like that?
Austin's expression darkened. His gaze turned cold and piercing as he looked toward the door. Then, he said icily, "Come in."
The door was flung open with force, slamming loudly against the wall. Clearly, the visitor was not here with good intentions.
A man in a patterned suit stood at the entrance. He had a prominent beer belly, and his broad, fleshy face was twisted in anger as he strode in with heavy steps. Following closely behind him was Sonia in her professional attire.
Suzanne raised an eyebrow.
Austin's glare turned razor-sharp as he said, "Mr. Beasley, it seems the older you get, the ruder you become."
Walter's chest tightened. Even though he was nearly fifty years old, he still felt a pang of apprehension whenever he faced Austin. But he couldn't show any weakness now!
Walter's expression darkened as he glared at Austin and snarled, "Look at the mess your assistant made! Who exactly is being disrespectful here?"
Suzanne frowned. It was no wonder Sonia was so arrogant; she had someone backing her, and that person dared to be rude to Austin.
Walter walked up to Austin. His gaze swept over Suzanne, who was sitting on the couch. A bit of disdain flashed in his eyes as he sneered, "Mr. Hall, are you mindlessly defending this woman just because she's pretty? That's not like you at all."