“It’s not nearly enough!” Henri snarled. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? That video is everywhere. The Gaming Commission has moved up the hearing. Our investors are panicking. And you—” He jabbed a finger at Orion. “You need to cut her loose. Now. Today.”
“No,” Orion said with deadly calm.
“No?” Henri’s voice went up an octave. “That’s your response?”
“Firing Tashi makes us look guilty of wrongdoing,” Orion explained, his tone maddeningly calm. “It suggests we believe the allegations have merit. We’re not doing that.”
“You are guilty!” Henri’s control finally snapped. “You violated every professional boundary, put the company’s gaming license at risk, and created a public relations nightmare that could destroy everything we’ve built!”
“Henri,” Leo said, moving toward the bar. “Have a drink and calm down.”
“I will not calm down!” Henri’s hands were shaking now, balled into fists at his sides. “There’s a Gaming Commission hearing in three days. Three days! And if they rule against us, we lose everything. The license, the hotel, our reputations—everything!”
“Not if we stick together,” Orion said. “We present a united front, we show that no policies were violated, and wedemonstrate that what happened between consenting adults is not the Commission’s business.”
“You’re delusional.” Henri’s voice dropped to something cold and dangerous. “Completely delusional if you think that strategy will work. You’re unreasonable. All three of you.”
“Henri—”
“No. I’m done trying to reason with you.” He straightened his tie with jerky movements, trying to regain some composure. “If you refuse to let her go, if you refuse to take this seriously, then I have no choice but to call for an emergency meeting of the board of directors—one I still sit on—and have you all terminated… for failing to follow applicable gaming laws, regulations, and licensing requirements. For conflict of interest. For gross negligence in your fiduciary duties.”
The room went silent.
I could hear my heartbeat, loud and erratic. Leo had gone still. Orion’s expression hadn’t changed, but something shifted behind his eyes—a calculation, a reassessment.
“You’d do that to us, Henri?” Orion asked quietly. “Your business partners of all these years?”
“I’ll do what I have to do to protect this business,” Henri said. His voice was steady now. Certain.
“Your investment.” Orion’s tone was measured, but I could hear the steel underneath. “You’ve gotten your investment back many times over, Henri. Plus, you’ve spent more time on the links than attending to your job. I’ve had to pick up the slack while you schmooze with Vegas VIPs.”
Henri’s face went even redder. “That’s not?—”
“Think twice about your threats,” Orion continued, his voice cutting. “Because if it wasn’t for our affection for you, you’d have been out on your ass a long time ago.”
“That’s how you see it?” Henri’s voice shook with what could be hurt beneath the rage. “After all the sacrifices I’ve made for this company? After seventeen years?”
“You provided seed money, and we appreciate that. But you’ve been collecting a paycheck while my brothers and I did the actual work. Yes. That’s how I see it.”
Henri stared at Orion for a long moment, his chest heaving. Then his expression hardened into something I couldn’t read—something that looked almost like satisfaction beneath the anger.
“Fine,” he said. “I’ll see you at the board meeting.”
He turned and stalked toward the door, his movements sharp and controlled. At the threshold, he paused, looking back at me one last time.
His expression made my blood run cold. It wasn’t just anger. Not just a look of disgust. It was something deeper. Something personal.
Then he was gone, the door slamming behind him hard enough to rattle the artwork on the walls.
The silence that followed suffocated me.
“Well,” Leo said finally, his voice carefully light. “That was educational.”
Nobody laughed.
Orion was already on his phone, fingers flying across the screen. “I need to call our lawyers. If Henri’s serious about calling a board meeting?—”
“He’s serious,” Leo said quietly. “Did you see his face? He’s not just angry, he’s determined. Like he’s been planning this.”
