A Smug Shopper Demanded My Eviction—So I Instantly Shut Down My Entire Luxury Chain

The Confrontation in the Penthouse

An hour later, the quiet sanctuary of Regina's penthouse office was interrupted. Her assistant announced that Michael, Natalie, and Regina's own nephew, Julian, were begging for an audience. Regina allowed them in, her expression unreadable as she sat behind her massive mahogany desk. The arrogance that Natalie had carried in the boutique was entirely gone; her eyes were red from crying, and her silk dress looked wrinkled and disheveled. Michael looked as though he might faint, while Julian paced nervously.

"Aunt Regina, please!" Julian burst out, throwing himself toward the desk. "This is all a massive misunderstanding. Natalie didn't know who you were!"

"It is not about who I am, Julian," Regina replied, her voice like ice. "It is about how she treats human beings. And how your manager, Michael, allows it."

But the truth was far worse than bad manners. Regina's sudden freeze on the corporate accounts had triggered an automatic audit. The system had already flagged massive discrepancies. Julian had been embezzling funds from the family trust to fund Natalie's lavish lifestyle, and Michael had been falsifying the boutique's inventory to cover the theft. Knowing they were trapped, Julian's desperation turned into ugly defiance.

He pulled a thick manila folder from his jacket and slammed it onto the desk. "If you ruin us, Aunt Regina, I'll ruin the Vance legacy," he threatened, a desperate smirk forming on his face. "These are the original patent documents for our signature diamond cut. Your late husband didn't design it. He stole it from his partner. If the press gets this, the Vance name is worthless."

Natalie nodded eagerly, wiping her tears. "We can make this all go away. Just reopen the store, reinstate Michael, and keep our allowances flowing. Otherwise, we destroy everything you built."