¡Ay! Esta imagen no sigue nuestras pautas de contenido. Para continuar la publicación, intente quitarla o subir otra.
The sun had barely risen over the Manila skyline when Lumiere Houston stepped into the gleaming building of Houston Corporation, his building, his empire, his rules.
Sa sandaling tumapak siya sa pinto, biglang nagbago ang takbo ng hangin sa buong paligid. Ang init at kahinahunan na nakita sa kanyang mga mata noong nakaraang gabi, ang kabutihang ipinakita niya kay Ilaria, ang tahimik na pangakong poprotektahan ito lahat ng iyon ay itinago niya nang malalim, kung saan walang sinuman sa mundo ng negosyo ang makakakita. Ang nakatayo ngayon ay si Lumiere Houston - the man whose name alone commanded fear, respect, and absolute obedience across the world business.
He was dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit, every line sharp and unforgiving, mirroring the man himself. Mariin ang kanyang panga, matalas at malamig ang kanyang tingin, at ang awtoridad na kanyang dala ay hinubog ng maraming taon sa serbisyo militar at ng panahon ng matinding pakikipagsapalaran sa negosyo. Hindi niya kailangang sumigaw, all he had to do was walk into a room, and people fell silent. All employees straightened their posture, executives looked down at their shoes, and even the most seasoned investors shifted uncomfortably in their seats. This was the Lumiere Houston all of them knew him as calculating, unemotional, and completely unstoppable.
His office occupied the entire Houston Tower, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sprawling city stretched out below him like a map he had drawn himself, a silent reminder that he owned the skyline and everything beneath it.
Diretso siyang naglakad patungo sa kanyang mesa na gawa sa mahogany, inilapag ang kanyang bag at umupo,bawat galaw ay tiyak, maingat, at puno ng awtoridad. Ilang sandali pa, pumasok ang kanyang secretary, may hawak na tablet, at halatang kinakabahan.
"Magandang umaga po, Sir Lumiere," sabi nito, nanginginig ang boses."The quarterly reports are ready, the board members are already on standby for your call, and the investors from Cebu are waiting in the lobby-"
He cut her off with a single, sharp look that felt like ice. "I saw the numbers before I left the building yesterday. Three departments missed their targets by more than twenty percent. And you-you knew about it for three weeks and said nothing."
The secretary paled. "Sir, I... I was about to bring it up, but I thought maybe we could recover-"
"You thought?"Tumayo nang dahan-dahan si Lumiere, nakasandal sa mesa habang nakatingin sa kanya, at bumaba ang kanyang boses sa paraang nakakabigat ng dibdib. "Your job is not to think. Your job is to report facts immediately. You withheld critical information that cost this company millions of pesos because you were too afraid to face me. That is incompetence and betrayal of trust."
"Sir, please-I.... I can explain-"
"You're done," sabi niya nang walang kahit anong pag-aalinlangan. "Ihahatid ka ng mga gwardya palabas. Ligpitin mo ang iyong mga gamit sa loob ng isang oras. Matatanggap mo ang iyong huling suweldo at wala nang iba pa. And do not ever apply to any company under the Houston Group, here or anywhere in the country. Now leave."
