The Gift Receipt Chapter 1

Out of state closing a deal, I got a text: “Mr. Coleman, your Patek Philippe is ready.” Attached was a photo of a $5M watch.

“Wrong number,” I replied.

“No mistake,” they insisted. “Your wife ordered it.” The invoice showed Isabelle’s payment, but the recipient’s name was smudged. Before I could ask more, the messages vanished.

“Apologies, wrong person,” came a new text.

The next day, I saw that watch on my wife’s assistant’s wrist.

“A bonus for his hard work,” she shrugged.

I laughed coldly, had security trash it. “What ‘work’ earns $5M?” I asked. “Sleeping with the boss?”

* * *

“Grant, what the hell are you talking about?!”

“There is nothing going on between us! Stop making these baseless accusations!”

Isabelle’s voice was a furious shriek as she stormed toward me.

I curled my lip into a sneer. “Nothing going on?” My voice was pure ice. “You give a brand-new intern a five-million-dollar watch, and you expect me to believe you’re ‘just friends’?”

“Isabelle, do you take me for a fool?”

I gave her a look of utter contempt before my gaze shifted to the boy cowering behind her, Leo. A raw, red mark now circled his wrist where the watch had been. His eyes were wide and shimmering with unshed tears.

I let out another humorless laugh. “Such a big man, and so very delicate. Is this the same pathetic act you used to convince my wife to buy you a five-million-dollar toy?”

Isabelle’s face darkened. “Grant, watch your tone!”

Leo immediately tugged on her sleeve, then turned to me, adopting a posture of respectful terror. “Mr. Coleman, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I… I honestly had no idea the watch was so valuable.”

I smiled at him, but the smile didn’t reach my eyes. “You didn’t know?” I purred. “As I recall, our company just completed a major partnership with Patek Philippe in the first half of this year. As Ms. Coleman’s lead assistant, you’re telling me you were unaware of such a critical piece of company business? That’s not just ignorance; it’s incompetence.”

My voice hardened. “And if you’re that incompetent, you’re of no use to me.”

I pulled out my phone and dialed the head of HR.

“Fire Leo. I want him gone by the end of the day.”

The color drained from Leo’s face. The pitiful act vanished, replaced by sheer panic. He rushed forward, his voice cracking. “Mr. Coleman, I was wrong! I know I was wrong! Please, don’t fire me! I’ll never do it again!”

Tears streamed down his cheeks. “My parents are both sick. They’re depending on my salary for their medical bills. I can’t lose this job!”

With a thud, he dropped to his knees and began bowing his head to the floor.

Isabelle couldn’t stand it. She hauled him to his feet and shoved him behind her, shielding him with her own body. She glared at me, her eyes blazing. “I’m the one who gave him the watch! It has nothing to do with him! Grant, if you have a problem, you take it up with me. Don’t you dare bully a new employee!”

Seeing her protect him like a lioness defending her cub, I felt a bitter, ironic twist in my gut.

“So quick to defend your little boy toy?”

Before she could answer, my hand shot out.

Crack.

The sharp sound of my palm connecting with her cheek echoed in the silent office.

She stared at me, stunned, her hand flying to her face. “How dare you hit me?”

My eyes were cold steel. “A slap is the least you deserve. I’m out there breaking my back to expand this company, and you’re in here carrying on an affair with your assistant?”

She clutched her cheek, her voice desperate. “The watch was a misunderstanding! I’m a woman; I don’t know much about these things. I just wanted to get him a bonus and asked the boutique to pick something out. They must have thought I was buying for you and chose something so expensive!”

I cut through her pathetic excuse. “I don’t care about your convoluted lies. Leo is fired. That’s final.”

I took a step closer, my voice dropping to a low, final command. “And effective immediately, every supplementary card under your name is suspended. From now on, every single cent you spend will require my personal approval.”

Isabelle trembled with rage, but she couldn’t say a word. She shot me a look of pure hatred before spinning on her heel and storming out, her precious, sniveling Leo in tow.