Benedict was juggling a delicate balancing act—on one hand, trying to calm Cynthia, and on the other, struggling to manage the endless cascade of problems flooding in from VistaSphere Group. He was stretched so thin, his nerves were practically frayed to the breaking point.
The only real solution to put an end to this scandal was for Cynthia and Benedict to present a united front, publicly clearing the air together. Only then would their business partners be reassured: whatever trouble was brewing in their personal lives, it wouldn't threaten the company's stability. That was the only way to steady the ship.
But Cynthia refused to speak to him.
"Mr. Shepard, Miss Tremaine cares deeply about VistaSphere Group. There's no way she'll just stand by and watch the company go under," one of the board members suggested. "Maybe we could get some of her old friends on staff to reach out and update her on what's happening. The quarterly shareholders' meeting is in a week—she'll show up for that, surely."
Benedict nodded wearily, pressing his fingertips to his temple as he spoke in a low, measured voice. "Have Frank reach out to her."
Cynthia would come through for the future of VistaSphere Group. He was sure of it. For now, he'd give her some space. Once she'd cooled off, he could make it up to her.
The company's lawyer hesitated, then quietly interjected, "Frank already handed in his resignation first thing this morning. He cleared out his desk and left."
Benedict's expression darkened immediately. "Who authorized that?"
The lawyer kept his eyes on the floor. "Miss Tremaine terminated his contract. HR processed it this morning along with his severance."
Frank had always been Cynthia's assistant, technically employed under her name. Even though Cynthia hadn't set foot in the office for six months, she still held an official position, so there was nothing unusual about her dismissing a staff member.
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