Founder and CEO of a booming real estate empire, she had become a multimillionaire before the age of forty. Her world was built from glass walls, steel frames, and cold marble floors. Efficiency was law. Emotions were distractions.
Her corporate offices occupied the top floors of a waterfront skyscraper in Seattle, while her penthouse—overlooking Elliott Bay—frequently appeared in business and architecture magazines. In Lauren Mitchell’s world, people moved fast, followed orders without hesitation, and excuses were unacceptable.
Weakness had no place.
That morning, however, her patience snapped.
Carlos Rivera, the janitor who had cleaned her offices for the past three years, was absent again.
Three absences in one month.
And always the same explanation.
“Family emergencies, ma’am.”
Lauren scoffed as she adjusted her tailored blazer in the mirror of her private restroom.
“Family?” she muttered. “In three years, he’s never mentioned having one.”
Her assistant, Rebecca, gently reminded her that Carlos had always been punctual, quiet, and hardworking. But Lauren had already made up her mind.
To her, this was simple.
Irresponsibility disguised as personal drama.