Maryann turned to Maggie. "Issue both Derek and Elaine with their dismissal notice first thing tomorrow morning. You must ensure they leave the premises as soon as they've picked up their belongings from their offices."
Maggie nodded.
Elaine's face turned grave, and she started to panic.
Derek clenched his fists in anger. "Maryann, you're making a huge mistake. Don't forget, you owe me credit for half of the company's profit. If it hadn't been for me and my team promoting all the products, the Robinson Winery wouldn't have been so successful."
Then he moved closer to her and asked, "You're firing me because of a loser like him? Is it really worth it?"
"Get out of here!" yelled Maryann.
Elaine sneered and took Derek by the arm. "Let's leave, Derek. I'd thought we might be in this situation one day, so I kept it a secret."
Maryann looked at her, confused.
Elaine smiled and said, "Maryann, you must know that I'm the only one who knows the full recipe for Revive, the wellness wine you were planning to launch. When I developed the product, I only revealed thirty-three of the ingredients. The other three, I kept a secret." She smirked. "So, if I leave, you won't be able to produce the wine again. The recipe you have is incomplete, and without Revive, you won't be able to make sufficient profits in the next quarter."
Maryann's face turned red with anger.
"You signed and approved the incomplete recipe I gave you, so don't think you can force me to hand over the full recipe to you," continued Elaine. "You can't even win against me in a lawsuit."
Elaine looked at Maryann triumphantly. "You can either choose to share half of the company shares with Derek and me, and fire Alex, or wait for the Robinson Winery to go bust."
Then she glanced at Alex and remarked, "You're just an ordinary guy, looking to get rich."
Alex remained silent and simply smiled.
Derek was elated. "That's brilliant, Elaine! I'm impressed by how far-sighted you are."
Then he turned to Maryann and said, "So, what do you think now? Do you still want to fire us?"
"Elaine, you really are treacherous!" said Maryann. Her eyes narrowed, and there was a trace of coldness in them. "I've given you both company cars, houses, high salaries, huge dividends, and managerial positions. Yet you use my trust to cheat me!"
Then her tone became indifferent. "It seems I've been blind for the past two years."
"Stop talking nonsense, Maryann," said Elaine. "Agree to my terms. Otherwise Derek and I will leave with the secret recipe. Even if we don't set up our own business, we'll sell it to the Blue Bottle Winery, and then it will be too late."
"Oh, really?" said Alex.
Elaine looked at him scornfully. "What do you know?"
Alex ignored her and turned to Maryann. "Give me the bottle of Revive and let me taste it."
Without saying a word, Maryann gestured to Maggie to get the bottle from the car.
After a few minutes, Maggie returned and handed the bottle to Alex.
He poured the wine into a glass and carefully tasted it.
After looking at the ingredients on the back of the bottle, he said, "The three missing ingredients are Astragalus, Rehmannia, and Lycium."
Then he looked at Elaine and said with a smile, "Elaine, are those the three missing herbs?"
Elaine's body froze for a moment. "How did you know? That can't be possible!"
Maryann took the opportunity to slap her across the face. "Now, get out!" she said.
Elaine and Derek looked at each other in confusion and hurriedly left.
Everyone else praised Alex for solving the crisis at the Robinson Winery, and they toasted him one after another.
After a few minutes, Alex excused himself and found a quiet corner to sit in to avoid all the attention.
Meanwhile, Maryann and Cassidy went to a private room to talk. Then, fifteen minutes later, the two women came out, smiling. It was obvious that they had reached an agreement regarding the Blue Bottle Winery.
Alex didn't ask about what they had discussed. After all, it wasn't really any of his business.
After having a drink with Maryann, Cassidy hugged Alex and left.
Maryann sat down beside Alex and said, "Don't you want to know what agreement Cassidy and I have reached?"
Alex poured himself a glass of wine. "I'm not interested," he replied.
Maryann smiled. "I understood Cassidy's position, and I promised her I would give the Blue Bottle Winery the benefit of the doubt."
"Really?" Alex asked, surprised. "If you give them the benefit of the doubt, they'll be free to cause more trouble." He frowned. "I don't trust the Murdoch family at all. Cassidy just felt obliged to help them."
"I know about your disputes with the Murdoch family," said Maryann. "I heard a little about it through Uncle Sawyer. You can be rest assured that I stood my ground with Cassidy. She can go back to Louisa and explain. I'll bide my time. The Blue Bottle Winery's decline is inevitable, and the Murdoch family won't be able to save it."
Maryann had been in the business for a long time. She had a good command of things, and she had already made a plan.
"Do whatever you want, but don't put the Robinson Winery at risk in the future. Do you understand?" asked Alex in a serious tone. "I might not be able to save you."
Maryann made a silly face at him. She was happy Alex was part of the company, and she felt optimistic.
She had noticed for some time how Alex sympathized with people in difficult situations, and it made her more and more interested in him.
Alex checked the time on his watch. "Maryann, I'd like to propose a toast to you," he said. "But after having a drink, I must leave."
He knew he would need to start early the next morning. Otherwise, the situation at the clinic would go back to its former state.
"Must you leave so soon?" asked Maryann. "I'm really enjoying myself. You should know that I've decided to divide the company's profits into ten parts. You'll take seven parts, and I'll take three."
Alex smiled.
After what had happened that evening, Maryann appreciated him even more. "Alex, thanks for everything. You're my hero," she said.
"You think too highly of me," he said. "I'm not a hero. I'm just the owner of the Woodside Clinic and the manager of Birchwood Real Estate Company. My girlfriend, Debbie, and I both run it, and we're both very happy." He smiled. "My career has just begun. In fact, if I don't leave now, I won't be able to go in early tomorrow to treat my patients."