Filed to story: The Return Novel (Natalie & Bryce) PDF Read Online Free
Natalie said in a mocking way, “The manager at that damned company was probably sent by Fate to stop me from moving forward with my future. Looks like he doesn’t want me, a good employee. Maybe this company really deserves to fail.” She felt better after venting out loud. She didn’t notice that Bryce’s expression was a little pained.
He felt torn; he knew he had to lay off staff who were incompetent in poisoning the company. Was Natalie implying that people like him were tyrants? If so, this would be the first time in his life he’d been scolded. This woman was pretty bold.
The warm evening light shone on Natalie’s face, giving her a glow. Bryce looked at her, and his anger melted away. Without realizing the change in his heart, he sat down beside her to comfort her.
He said, “When a company has a problem, we can only blame the previous owner for their lack of experience or their stupidity. When a new owner takes over in these circumstances, they are the real victim. Often, companies will have to cut jobs to recover. Cutting jobs can be the wisest decision.”
Natalie sighed, “I hear what you’re saying, but you don’t understand. I applied for a lot of jobs before this company finally accepted me. I never expected this to happen to me. It’s just so disappointing.”
Then she remembered the incident that had happened at the company and got angry. “The boss is to blame. He’s been criticized and has a terrible image in the industry for fooling around with his own staff. Did he start this company just so he can fool around?” Natalie quickly took her laptop and walked away towards her own room in another part of town.
In the mansion of Howard Clare, everything was in disarray. Expensive porcelain and ornaments were scattered on the table, a complete mess. Bryce’s cousin, Howard, was holding an antique vase that he really liked.
Angrily, he smashed it to the floor. Porcelain splinters flew everywhere, and the noise was audible in the rooms upstairs. Howard’s father, Jimmy, came down to see what the fuss was about, and that’s when he saw all the mess still on the stairs. He shouted sternly, “Howard, what’s the matter? What the hell are you doing?”
Seeing his father, Howard restrained his temper and stopped smashing things, but his eyes were still full of anger. He said bitterly, “It’s all because of that idiot Bryce. He’s laying off employees without my consent. What does he mean by that? I’m the president of that company, so now he wants to interfere with even my small company?”
Jimmy let out a sigh. Of course, he had heard about what was happening at the company, but even though he resented Bryce, he couldn’t help but scold Howard. “It’s your fault this happened. I’ve told you plenty of times not to fool around. You’ve been caught red-handed by Bryce, so who can you blame? He was targeting our family initially, but now anyone who stands out is likely to get hurt.”
Howard didn’t like hearing his father’s remark. Was he implying that Howard needed to take Bryce’s advice into account before he did anything? “Dad, the Clare family is almost completely controlled by Bryce now. Do you think that we should be eclipsed by him like that? Don’t you think it’s terrible to hear all the rumors flying around? People say that we’re mere worms in the Clare family.” The more Howard said, the angrier he became.
Jimmy shouted, “That’s enough!” And he shut up. Jimmy said, “Why do you think I’m saying this to you? You brought this on yourself. If you were more serious and responsible in your work, maybe your grandfather would take you seriously. But you don’t take anything seriously, and you’re lazy compared to Bryce. You’re in a pretty weak position.”
All the anger went out of Howard, and he grumbled, ‘Grandpa is just too biased. He gave everything to Bryce. I would be just as good as Bryce if I only had the same resources.’ Jimmy looked at him coldly.
He knew his son better than anyone. Was he really that capable? But no matter what anyone said or however much they complained, the fact remained that Jimmy’s family was just the poor relatives of the Clare family. The family’s power and influence were all under the main family members’ control, which Jimmy’s branch of the family hated.
Jimmy’s age and experience made him more cautious when doing things in the family compared to Howard.
He consoled his son, “Listen, Howard. I know about the family’s current situation, but you can’t act on impulse. Listen to me, do well at the company first, and then we can discuss things further once you’ve achieved good results. I can go to your grandfather and talk things through with him.”
Howard, realizing that this was his only realistic option, nodded his head reluctantly. Just as he was going to respond, his father continued, “In the meantime, I think you’d better control yourself and stop fooling around. If you don’t get your act together, you’ll have Bryce dominating you for the rest of your life.”
Howard understood that this was going to be a very busy time. He couldn’t afford to be careless, and he really had something to prove. He lowered his head and said reluctantly, “Okay, Dad, I understand.”
The next morning, Natalie was just about to wake Liam when the company called her on the phone.
Natal was pessimistic, expecting the news that she wouldn’t be required to go to work there after all. But to her surprise, the HR manager informed her that she could start on the following Monday. Better Than Expected.