Chapter 7
The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the Mediterranean sky in bruised shades of violet and amber. Down on the white gravel beach, the tiki torches were lit, casting long, dancing shadows across the boardwalk as evening guests began to drift toward the outdoor dining terraces.
Inside the quiet sanctuary of the staff breakroom, Julian sat with Maria and three other senior employees—a veteran sous-chef named Mateo and a front-desk clerk named Chloe. Spread across the laminate table were dozens of handwritten notes, crumpled drafts, and printouts of the resort’s legacy employment contracts. The initial shock of Julian’s meeting with the Sterling family had given way to cautious, pragmatic optimism.
“I still don’t trust Marcus Vance,” Mateo muttered, stirring a pot of coffee on the small hotplate. “He’s been protecting guys like Arthur for a decade. A sudden change of heart from a corporate executive doesn't happen overnight.”
“Marcus didn’t have a change of heart; he just realized the ship is sinking and he wants to save his own skin,” Julian replied, tapping her pen against the table. “That’s why we aren't relying on Marcus. Our mandate came directly from Richard and David Sterling. We bypass local management entirely. Every complaint goes straight to an independent oversight committee that David and I are setting up tomorrow morning.”
Chloe leaned forward, her eyes wide with cautious hope. “Do you really think they’ll let us fire abusive supervisors without corporate interference? The regional directors protect each other like a mafia.”
“They will,” a voice said from the doorway.
The group startled, looking up to see David Sterling leaning against the doorframe. He had removed his suit jacket, rolling up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt, revealing strong forearms tanned by the sun. He stepped into the breakroom, nodding respectfully to Maria and Mateo.
“David,” Julian acknowledged, setting her pen down. “You shouldn't be down here. If the evening staff sees you lurking in the breakroom, the rumor mill will go into hyperdrive.”
“Let them talk,” David said with a slight shrug. “Besides, I came to drop off the preliminary audit reports from the other three coastal resorts. You were right, Julian. Arthur Vance wasn’t an anomaly. We found similar patterns of abuse and intimidation at two of our properties in Greece and Spain.”
Julian took the heavy manila folder from David’s hand, flipping open the cover to scan the financial and disciplinary logs. The data confirmed her worst suspicions: corporate profitability had been consistently prioritized over human dignity across the entire brand.
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“This is worse than I thought,” Julian murmured, tracing a line of redacted disciplinary reports.
“Which is why we need to move fast,” David replied, his gaze locking onto hers with intense focus. “Tomorrow morning, the regional directors are flying in for an emergency board meeting. My father intends to announce the restructuring plan and introduce you as the lead advisor for the new compliance framework. You need to be ready, Julian. They aren't going to roll out the red carpet for you.”
