The Intern Punishes Her Billionaire Boss Chapter 10

The Intern Punishes Her Billionaire Boss Chapter 10 Cleaning Up the Mess

Leo was efficient and quick to act. By that afternoon, a layoff list was placed on my desk-eight names total, all young designers from the Design Department. They had one thing in common: mediocre professional skills, but they’d been the ones closest to Ivy, the ones who loved spreading negativity and pushing aside senior colleagues in the office more than anyone else.

I picked up my pen, no hesitation in my movements, and signed my name at the bottom of the list.

“Tell HR to give them a standard severance package and complete their offboarding today.” Isaid to Wendy.

“Yes, Ms. Hale.” Wendy’s expression was complicated, a mix of sympathy and resolve, but she nodded and agreed without hesitation.

Word spread through the company in no time. For a moment, panic hung in the air like a thick fog. Some people clapped their hands in approval, relieved that the company had finally rid itself of these bad apples. Others felt a twinge of unease, fearing they might be the next one on the chopping block.

I paid no attention to the whispers and murmurs. I knew that cutting through the chaos quickly would bring growing pains-and they were unavoidable. Only after dealing with this could I finally sit down and tackle the mess Julian had left behind.

I asked the Finance Department director to bring over all the company’s accounts from the past three years, and I went through them line by line, carefully checking every detail. I had no idea how bad things were until I saw the numbers-and what I found made my blood run cold.

Julian’s greed was far bigger than I’d ever imagined. He’d not only used his position to set up various falsely named project funds to line his own pockets, totaling over ten million yuan, but what was even more terrifying was that he’d secretly used the company as collateral to take out a huge loan from outside-and there was no trace of where that money had gone in the books.

I knew it would be cruel. My company had drifted off course for far too long. To steer it back, I had to be unyielding, to cut away the dead weight dragging us down. Kindness here would be a weakness, one that would cost me everything I’d built. To steer it back, I had to cut away the rotting masts and frayed ropes. No matter how painful it was, it was necessary.

I hadn’t given him no chance. I even found myself thinking-if today, when I’d fired him, he’d shown even a hint of remorse, if he’d taken the initiative to confess his mistakes, maybe I would have shown mercy for old times’ sake and left him a way out.

But he hadn’t. He’d chosen to go down a path of no return, even trying to bite back at me.

My phone vibrated-it was a message from my lawyer.

“Ms. Hale, the police have found that huge unexplained loan in Julian’s personal account. Additionally, in his communication records with Ivy, they found a complete plan to empty the company’s assets and start a new firm of their own. The evidence is irrefutable; he’s looking at at least ten years in prison this time.”

Ten years. The best ten years of a young man’s life.

I turned off my phone, leaned back in my chair, and closed my eyes. The image of Julian as a hopeful, ambitious intern clashed sharply with the greedy, selfish man he’d become. It was a bitter reminder that even the most promising people could be corrupted by power and greed, and that trust, once broken, could

never be fully restored. The image of Julian interviewing for the company ten years ago popped into my mind. He’d said. “Ms. Scarlett, my dream is to follow you and build spaces that can change people’s lives.”

It was me who’d promoted him from an intern to a design team leader, then design director, and finally CEO. I’d once thought he was my proudest achievement-never imagining that this achievement would eventually turn on me.

Doubt gnawed at me-had I trusted human nature too much, or overestimated my ability to judge people? The thought lingered only briefly; deep down, I knew the mistake wasn’t mine. I’d given him every chance to do the right thing, but he’d chosen greed over loyalty, betrayal over gratitude.

After a long while, I opened my eyes again. My gaze was clear now. None of this was my fault. No, I wasn’t wrong. The mistake was his-his greed and ambition had devoured his original intention. This experience wasn’t a failed investment for me; it was an expensive lesson. It taught me never to place 100% trust in anyone, especially in the face of huge interests.

The internal phone on my desk rang-it was the Front Desk.

“Ms. Hale, there’s a lady downstairs who claims to be Julian’s mother. She insists on seeing you, and we can’t stop her…”

I rubbed my brow, a tired sigh escaping me. What had to come, had come.

“Let her up.”

This time, I would personally draw a complete end to this mistaken past. It was not only his judgment-it was my rebirth.