Monty was left speechless. Calliope had justid it all out, no holds barred. By the end of it, he was leftpletely at a loss.


    He knew deep down that everything Calliope said was spot on. He was utterly floored. Even though she hadn''t been around the office much, she seemed to have an uncanny understanding of thepany''s ins and outs.


    She was sharper than him, sharper even than Horatio, who had been working there for years. They had always dismissed her, calling her a jinx, a waste of space. Yet here she was, impressively capable andmanding.


    She nailed every issue with precision, decisive and efficient. Problems that had been festering for ages seemed simple to her, with solutions she came up with in the blink of an eye.


    And then there were those things Monty always wanted to do but never dared. But when sheid it out, it all made so much sense.


    "Uh, well... since you''re handling things now, you should take care of these issues."


    The thought of firing people made him ufortable. Some were long-time employees, and he didn''t want to be the bad guy.


    Calliope gave Monty a sidelong nce. "Afraid of ruffling feathers, are you?"


    Monty felt like a schoolboy caught doing something wrong, sheepishly silent.


    "I can propose the ideas, but you have to back me up," Calliope said coolly. "At the board meeting, you need to speak up, or I''ll wash my hands of thepany."


    "You can''t do that!"


    Monty genuinely believed that Calliope was the key to thepany''s future. She had the chops to turn everything around. If she stepped away, thepany was likely doomed.


    Before, he had been reluctant, hesitant to hand over the reins. But now, thinking it through, if Calliope took charge and thepany thrived, he''d still benefit without lifting a finger.


    Besides, she promised not to touch Horatio''s position or others'' like him. So, really, it was a win-win. A thrivingpany meant everyone won.


    Monty hade to his senses. He was eager to let Calliope take the wheel, at least for now.


    "You understand what you need to do when the timees," Calliope said, shooting Monty a knowing look. "Now, let''s eat. I''m starving."


    "Sure thing, I''ll treat you to lunch. What do you feel like eating?"


    Monty was instantly enthusiastic.


    "Let''s hit the cafeteria," Calliope said, getting up.


    Monty uttered, "The cafeteria? Well, okay then, our cafeteria should be decent enough!"


    Calliope gave Monty a look but said nothing, heading out ahead. Monty hurried to catch up with her.


    They soon arrived at the bustling


    cafeteria, just as the lunch rush was


    in full swing. As they approached,


    they could hear the chorus ofints.  swnovel


    "The food here is terrible! Not even a slice of meat today!"


    "They dock our pay for this slop, treating us like cattle! Fed on grass every day!"


    "Yeah, cattle at best!"


    "We work ourselves to the bone and still can''t get a decent meal!"


    "If they didn''t take out the meal charge


    takerom our pay, I''d just order like a rip-off not to eat here els


    But since they do, it


    belongs to swnovel


    "Absolutely, it''s outrageous."


    Calliope stopped at the entrance, turning to Monty with a pointed look.


    "You want them to work like racehorses, but you won''t even give them oats to eat. Does that seem fair to you?"


    Monty was already dabbing at his


    forehead with a handkerchief, sweat trickling down. He had spent the entire morning under Calliope''s critical eye, and the worst part was, he had no good counter-argument.  swnovel