Anastasia never beat around the bush. She was direct, decisive, and didn''t shy away from making the hard calls. Flynn and Nelson were bbergasted, witnessing her do something they''d never dared to—she fired Tristan, one of thepany''s heavy hitters, just like that.
Before Anastasia showed up, they had treaded carefully around Tristan, worried he''d take critical client information with him if he ever left. They often turned a blind eye to his antics to keep things running smoothly. But Anastasia? She strode in and booted him out without a second thought, leaving Flynn feeling both relieved and uneasy. Sure, Tristan was gone, but what if he took their clients with him?
Flynn wanted to raise this with Anastasia but thought better of it. Undermining her in front of everyone wasn''t an option.
Tristan, confident in his hold over client rtionships, was only briefly fazed by his dismissal. With a smirk, he retorted, "If thedy insists, I won''t hang around. Just don''te crying to meter."
Anastasia chuckled coldly and told Nelson, "Get Tristan''s files, have him sign the exit forms, and settle hispensation right now. He leaves without a byte from hisputer, and we retrieve all client data he''s essed."
Anastasia wasn''t about to let Tristan walk away with their client list.
Realizing the seriousness, Tristan protested, "You''re cutting off your nose to spite your face. Those clients trust me. You think they''ll just switch to someone else?"
Anastasia smirked, "You only knew them because of thispany, Tristan. Don''t think you''re irreceable. They''re doing business with Elysian Technologies, not you."
Done with the conversation, she nodded at Nelson, who signaled the security team. “Mr. Tristan, let''s sort out your resignation," Nelson said, leading the way as guards escorted Tristan out.
Tristan was practically dragged out.
Anastasia had been at thepany for less than ten minutes and had already made a ssh by kicking Tristan out. Everyone else was left in shock, quickly realizing they didn''t want to be the next on her list.
In their eyes, Anastasia was inexperienced, impulsive, and
unpredictable. They figured she was acting on emotion. If she decided to fire them on a whim, they''d be jobless, but the Salstrom family could certainly handle a few severance payouts.
They decided to see what else Anastasia had in store.
Tristan''s departure was just the start. Anastasia sipped her coffee, enjoying the moment, then
with those who missed the meeting. They have fifteen minutes to show up, or they''re marked absent. Three absences and they''re out no matter their role. If they can''t followpany rules, they don''t belong here."
Anastasia''s approach was bold and upromising, and although Flynn thought
it might be a bit harsh, he went along with it.
"Of course, Ana. I''ll have the secretary make the calls right away."
It worked like a charm. Within minutes, two-thirds of the absentees were present, while those who thought they could bluff their way through found themselves cklisted and penalized.
People showed up en masse, mostly because they didn''t want to cross a woman who had just lost her husband and might be unpredictable in her grief.
To the men, women were often seen as impulsive and emotional, and they weren''t willing to risk their jobs by getting on Anastasia''s bad side.
As the conference room filled up, it was the first time since Herman''s incident that attendance was this high. Flynn couldn''t help but admire Anastasia''s effectiveness.
Once everyone had gathered and the clock struck the hour, Anastasia kicked off the meeting. "Thanks for showing up on short notice. Let''s get started As you know, my husband''s ident has left me in a tough spot. If fact or say something out of line, please bear with me."
The room collectively held its breath.
Taking her grief out on them? Thisdy of the house was no pushover, and they
were starting to realize just how serious she was.