"All right." Alex sipped his coffee. "Can I fire someone?"
"Whatever you want," Maria said. "As a shareholder, you will have that power, and we won't second guess you." In the past, she had been impressed by him, but now she knew how powerful he was, and she realized he couldn't be underestimated.
"Good." Alex casually threw the shareholder's card in front of Susan and said, "You're fired. You are no longer the head of Baltimore General Hospital." He pointed at the door. "You can leave now."
"Fired?" Susan asked in astonishment. She couldn't believe her ears. She had been surprised to see that Maria had been sent as the messenger of the Thornton family, and now this had happened. She shook her head in dismay. Her annual salary at the hospital was impressive. The hospital was running smoothly and making tens of millions of dollars each year. It was the top medical center in all of Baltimore, and Susan had helped make that happen. She had always worked well with the Thorntons, and yet now, they had brought Alex in as a shareholder.
I'm so confused, she thought. Why do the Thorntons want to give Alex so much power? I thought that they were enemies. What do they know that I don't? Why did he fire me? What do I do now?
Susan turned to Maria and desperately asked, "Ms. Thornton, Alex is nothing. He has no power. Why are you trying so hard to keep him happy? Our hospital is booming and successful, so why change things and give Alex the reins?"
The news was a huge blow to Susan. Since she had been fired, it would be hard to find another job like that one, and she felt hurt and embarrassed. She thought about all that she had lost in the past few moments. I won't have any security, she thought. I'm used to living a life of luxury. What will I do to maintain my lifestyle?
Before Susan could finish her thoughts, Maria scoffed at her. "How dare you disrespect Mr. Ambrose. He is a friend and now a shareholder, so I trust his judgment. If Alex wants to fire you, then so be it. You're done."
Maria stared down her nose at Susan, which was no small feat, considering Susan was much taller than she was. "Now, you have two hours to gather your things and leave. Security will be there to watch over your departure. It's best if you go peacefully. Do you understand?"
Maria had watched as Susan had annoyed Alex, and now she had rushed in to put out the fire, so as not to bring herself any unexpected trouble. She was afraid of Alex, and now the entire family wanted to appease him, so she did what she had to do.
The time had come for the Thorntons to build up their relationship with Alex. Susan was simply an annoyance that Alex had taken care of.
"Do you understand?" Maria asked again, staring hard at Susan.
Susan's face had turned white, but she knew she had no choice. She nodded, knowing she didn't dare to be rude to Maria. She didn't know why the Thorntons were supporting Alex, but she knew she would find out, although it would have to wait. For now, she simply glared at Alex resentfully, and then she nodded to her people and left the clinic.
After Susan had left, there was a collective sigh of relief from the patients in the waiting room. Since she had been fired, they were no longer banned from medical services in Baltimore. In turn, they all cast furtive looks of appreciation at Alex; he was truly amazing.
"Mr. Ambrose, was that situation handled to your satisfaction?" Maria asked eagerly. She put aside her cold expression and turned it into one of extreme humility. She had been afraid that the incident would have been an unpleasant experience for Alex.
She knew she was lucky that Alex hadn't killed her in the past. He was powerful, and now she was going to get to work with him. He was a difficult man to read. Sometimes he smiled and seemed kind. Other times, he could be brutal.
Fortunately, Alex accepted the gift. He looked at everything in it, and then he closed the lid.
"I'll accept your gifts," he said. "But know this, it isn't enough. In fact, I think it is a paltry offering. A bloody handkerchief, a hospital, and a car; they're nothing compared with the value of my life."
Moreover, Cam has been elusive, Alex thought. I don't have much trust in him now. Who can guarantee that he won't blackmail me in the same way next time?
He drank his coffee quietly, his emotions guarded, and Maria had no idea what he was thinking.
She felt flustered. She had thought that Alex's acceptance of the gift would mean that everything was over, and she hadn't expected Alex to want more.
"I don't know what else you want from us," she said quietly. "My family has offered these items with the greatest sincerity to make amends with you."
"Well," Alex said thoughtfully. "Although I opened this small clinic, I have no shortage of money and assets. If I want to, I can make a lot of money easily. So, you go back and tell Ferdinand that when he wants to buy a house, I can give him a discount. As for the gift sent this time, it's not enough. He and Cam Fitzroy will need to come up with some other ideas to see if I can be satisfied."
"Sir, if you have any requests, please feel free to ask," she said. "I'll pass the message on."
Alex narrowed his eyes. "What could your family offer me that would be of enough value?"
Maria stared at him expectantly.
"I know," Alex said after he had pondered for a few moments. "Go back and tell your people that they need to send one of their younger fellows to work for me. Yes, a young man. He will become my driver for the next year."
"I'm not sure they'll go for that," Maria said hesitantly. "Do you have anyone specific in mind?"
Alex took a sip of coffee while he considered. The Thorntons were a large family, but then again, so were the Fitzroys. He came to a decision.
"Lachlan asked Ricky to impersonate me in order to kill people," he said. "He needs to be punished, but I'll go easy on him. Ask Lachlan's son to drive for me. There are more Fitzroys than Thorntons these days, so I'm sure they can spare one man."
Maria shuddered at the implication. All rumors indicated that Alex had already eliminated most of the heirs of the Thornton family.
The main reason that Alex was pushing for more was that he wanted to play both sides. He could pit the powerful families against one another if necessary. That way, he wielded invisible power over them all.
"Excuse me?" Maria cleared her throat. "Are you sure you don't want to reconsider this request? We could discuss other options."
"Discuss what?" Alex asked.
Maria slammed her mouth shut, and her reaction solidified Alex's decision. If she was worried, then he had made the right choice.
The punishment might seem painless, but the loss of reputation caused by the act could be immeasurable.
Maria felt that the Demon sect might not agree to the condition, and then her work here would not be effective. On the other hand, she was somewhat hopeful because the Thornton family was not the mastermind behind this particular plan. Furthermore, although he might take a huge economic loss, Alex was willing to let Ferdinand buy a house for far less than the asking price. That meant that Alex was either generous or very, very smart.
Maria was worried about what the others might say when they heard Alex's demand. If an organization like the Demon sect allowed Alex to come in and start making demands, then they would be disgraced. She was in a state of confusion and didn't know what else to say.
"In fact, it's good for both the Thornton family and the Demon sect," Alex said. "They've both always enjoyed hurting people and causing trouble everywhere. I'll try to bring that under control. There's no call for that kind of behavior anymore."
He paused and took another sip of coffee. "I'll tell you what. If Lachlan's son doesn't come, then you can come work for me."
Maria squirmed uncomfortably and said in a flustered voice, "Well, okay, then. I'll report back immediately. Wait for my reply."
She turned and fled.
"Well, Alex," Sawyer said from nearby, where he had heard the end of their conversation. "If you succeed in taking down the Demon sect a notch, then it would be the equivalent of severely beating them publicly. It could be a more powerful method than defeating all their people. It's very clever." He smiled, and then asked, "Do you think they will agree?"