Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 425: Chapter 425

"Uncle Silas, we're family. How could you—" Aileen stammered, utterly stunned.
"Apologize," Silas cut her off sharply.
Aileen, reluctant as she was, saw Silas raise his hand again and quickly blurted out, "I'm sorry. It was my fault."
"Mr. Kaylor, is that..." Silas started hopefully.
"Not sincere enough," Elmer said, his face like stone. "Do it again."
Aileen opened her mouth to argue, but Elmer slapped her twice more. Her face was swollen like a balloon, and all that bratty attitude was long gone.
Elmer snapped, "He told you to apologize. Are you deaf? Do you want to drag the whole family down with you?"
Aileen, eyes brimming with tears, looked over at Zoe. "I'm sorry. It was my fault," she choked out.
This time, the words were laced with real fear. She knew if she didn't mean it, the humiliation would just continue. Being shamed once was bad enough. She couldn't take any more. Anyway, Elmer let the apology stand.
"Get Aileen out of here right now," Silas said the second Elmer backed off, waving for his muscle to drag her away.
Aileen's little scene was over. But the heavy silence remained as every employee waited to see what punishment Elmer would deliver to them—the ones who had cheered Aileen on.
Elmer glanced at Zoe, clearly trying to figure out how to handle the crowd.
Zoe saw everyone looking like they'd seen ghosts, shaking like leaves. They knew exactly who she was now and were terrified she'd make them pay later.
But honestly, Zoe couldn't have cared less about them. Maybe they'd get what was coming to them, but Elmer could handle that. She put people she trusted in charge of Wadden Group for a reason.
When Zoe gave no instructions, Elmer threw out a careful question. "Madam, would you honor us by staying for a meal? It's been too long."
"I don't have time," Zoe said flatly.
"My apologies, Madam," Elmer said quickly. "You must be swamped with work. Please, don't be offended."
Zoe's gaze flickered over to Silas, who still had a desperate, ass-kissing smile plastered on his face. She thought, 'Well, he's smart and knows when he's beat.'
"You and Terry better not forget what Wadden Group's about," Zoe told Elmer. "Deal with the rest however you want." And with that, she turned and strode for the doors.
Nobody was dumb enough to get in her way this time. Only Aileen had been that brain-dead. Zoe walked out of the building and got into her car.
Aileen was trapped in another car waiting for Silas to finish up. The second she saw Zoe emerge, she tried to jump out and go after her. But her bodyguards had the doors locked down tight.
Frustrated, she pounded on the window and shouted, "Move! Let me out!"
Just then, Silas stormed over. He got into the car and smacked her across the face without saying a word.
"Uncle Silas, you hit me again? What the hell?" Aileen cried out.
Silas roared, "Damn right I hit you. I'm trying to knock some sense into that thick skull of yours. Do you have any idea what's going on? The Carleton family isn't top dog anymore. Wadden Group runs this city now.
"Hell, they're one of the biggest players on the planet. And that's who you decided to pick a fight with?"
Aileen stared in disbelief. "But Uncle Silas... We're a global brand, aren't we? How'd we fall behind some upstart like Wadden Group?"
"We're not even playing the same game anymore," Silas snapped. "The only reason we're still afloat is because of the scraps they throw us. Our profits would be in the gutter otherwise.
"Wadden Group is the company we gotta crawl to now. Don't offend their people again. Another stunt like today, and you'll sink the entire family."