Page 8 of Wrapped Up with the Three Scrooges

The Three Scrooges.

Max and Levi shifted uncomfortably, no doubt just as disturbed by this revelation as I was.

“Fuck.” Levi slumped in his chair.

Max stood and walked to the window overlooking the main wrapping floor. “She’s exaggerating. We can’t be that bad.”

I joined him, following his gaze. Below, employees moved mechanically between stations, heads down, no interaction.

“Maybe...” Levi started, then stopped.

“Maybe what?” I turned to face him.

“Maybe we need to lighten up a bit.” He held up his hands defensively when I glared at him. “I’m not saying we let them turn this place into a circus, but Janet has a point. Happy employees work harder.”

“This isn’t a democracy,” I growled. “We built this company on precision and excellence.”

“And we’re about to watch it fall apart because we can’t keep staff,” Max pointed out quietly.

I braced my hands on my desk, fighting the urge to sweep everything onto the floor. “Get out. Both of you. I need to deal with our singing sensation out there.”

They left without argument, but I caught the loaded look they exchanged—that silent communication that made my blood boil because I knew exactly what it meant. Max’s resigned shake of his head and Levi’s tight-lipped frown spoke volumes about their wavering faith in my leadership.

Great. Now even my partners, the guys who’d been with me since the beginning, who understood why I ran things the way I did, were questioning my methods. It stung more than I cared to admit.

I took a deep breath, straightened my tie, and sat down in my chair. Time to show Emery exactly why they called us the Three Scrooges.

“Ms. Williams.” My voice held the command of the CEO I was, and she was soon scurrying into the office. “Shut the door.”

“Yes, sir.” She shut the door with a soft click, and fuck if my dick didn’t jump at how she said sir, her voice carrying the right mix of respect and something else.

The way she perched on the edge of the chair, fidgeting with the hem of her green blouse, made images of what she would look like with—no. Absolutely not.

I pushed the thought away with the same ruthless efficiency I applied to running my company, gripping my pen so hard I thought it might snap. This was about maintaining order, not indulging in whatever twisted fantasies my traitorous mind conjured up. I forced myself to focus on the matter at hand, ignoring how the blouse moved against her chest with each one of her breaths.

“Tell me about your last job.” I kept my voice even and professional.

“I was an executive assistant at Apex Financial for three years.” Her fingers twisted the fabric of her shirt harder. “I left due to... workplace environment issues.”

That caught my attention, my pen stilling mid-tap against the desk. Something in her evasive tone set off warning bells, the kind that had saved my ass more than once in the business world. “What kind of issues?”

She crossed and uncrossed her legs. Her fingers had practically knotted themselves in the hem of her blouse by now.“It wasn’t a good fit anymore.” The way she wouldn’t meet my eyes told me there was far more to this story than she was letting on.

“Maybe I should call for a reference.” I reached for my phone. “Get their perspective on these issues.”

“No!” The word burst from her with such force that we both froze. She quickly composed herself, but I’d caught the flash of panic in her eyes. “I mean, my supervisor is out of the country right now. Business trip to... Europe.”

My bullshit detector went into overdrive. Everything about her body language screamed that she was lying. “Ms. Williams, I don’t appreciate being lied to.”

“I’m not-” She stopped herself, shoulders slumping. “Please don’t call.”

I leaned forward, studying her face. “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t.”

A tear slipped down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away. Something in my chest tightened, but I ignored it. I’d seen plenty of crocodile tears in my time.

“I really need this job, Mr. Gray.” Her voice wavered. “I know I messed up today, but I heard what Janet said about morale. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing? A little joy during the holidays?”

Anger flared in my chest. “You were eavesdropping?”

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