"What's up?

" Conrad's voice, chill and boss-like, cut through the tension, the undeniable vibe of a CEO. Gone was the playful banter between us. They say women are fickle, but men are no different. The head of security, pale and trembling, quickly scrambled over to report the situation. Conrad listened, his gaze eventually landing on Ernest.

"So, this mess is due to Mr. Collins' personal vendetta?

" I knew right then that Conrad was itching to take this out on Ernest., Ernest didn't bite, but Conrad's lips twisted in a mocking smile.

"Mr. Collins, hmm?

",

"Yes, that's right,

" Ernest admitted, undeterred., Conrad bent down to pick up the pieces of something that had been shattered.

"Mr. Collins, how do you propose we handle this?

",

"What does Mr. Wagner think?

" Ernest clearly caught the underlying tone in Conrad's voice., I kept quiet. Any word from me would only fan the flames. If it weren't for me, Conrad wouldn't be making a mountain out of this molehill with Ernest. In fact, given his nature, he'd usually back Ernest up. After all, this was a ruckus on Wagner Group's turf, specifically their theme park. The saying goes, you don't kick a dog without looking at its owner. Today's blatant disregard was, plainly speaking, a slap in Conrad's face., Conrad tossed the broken pieces aside, wiping his hands as if to rid himself of dirt.

"Mr. Collins, since you have personal matters to attend to, I think you should focus on those. In the meantime, let Mr. Wagner handle the situation here.

", I was stunned. Conrad was essentially sidelining Ernest's role. Now, with the light show testing nearing its end and little left to do, Ernest's presence or absence wouldn't make much of a difference. So, in a way, Conrad's move was a classic case of discarding someone once their usefulness had ended. All of a sudden, it hit me - what if Conrad set up that earlier ruckus himself, just as an excuse to boot Ernest out?,

"I'm not an employee of Mr. Wagner; you have no right to decide whether I stay or go,

" Ernest retorted firmly., Conrad's mocking smile returned.

"Is that so? Let's see about that.

" He reached for his phone, obviously intending to call Ernest's superior., I stepped forward.

"Mr. Wagner, you're making a decision without a full investigation. Don't you think that's a bit hasty? And...

" I paused for a beat.

"Even though the light show is almost ready and could technically be completed without Mr. Collins, are you sure the final product will meet expectations?

", Just then, Dustin arrived, clearly just catching wind of the situation, his approach hurried. He first looked at me, and I seized the moment.

"Mr. Wagner, you're letting Mr. Collins go. You'll be in charge of the final adjustments. Do you think you can handle it?

", I was deliberately throwing Dustin under the bus. It was a bit underhanded, relying on Dustin's loyalty to me to even pose such a question. Dustin's gaze deepened as he looked at me, then turned to Conrad.

"We still need to run comprehensive tests after the adjustments. It's best if Mr. Collins stays on till the final inspection.

", Conrad's expression darkened immediately. His eyes on Dustin were full of disappointment and frustration for not siding with him. However, Conrad was resolute, unwilling to compromise. He coldly addressed Dustin, his own brother, with a tone that was all business.

"Mr. Wagner, if we insist on keeping him, I fear the theme park will be trashed before we even finish testing.

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