She turned her attention to Lauren, who was now standing completely still, holding her hands behind her back. Jordan told her that going along with cruelty just to please a superior was a clear sign of poor character and bad judgment. She then looked at Marcus, the security guard, who immediately took two steps back and unclasped his hands, realizing the gravity of the situation.

Jordan picked up her leather folder, tucked it securely under her arm, and looked directly into Ethan’s eyes. She told him that his management style was toxic to the brand she intended to build. Effective immediately, his employment, along with the employment of the shift staff who had participated in the behavior, was terminated. She gave them exactly nine minutes to clear out their personal belongings from the back offices and hand over their keycards to the regional representative who was already on his way down to take temporary charge of the front desk.

Ethan stood frozen behind the counter as Jordan turned on her heel and walked calmly toward the elevators. The heavy glass doors of the lobby opened as the new management team arrived to oversee the transition, leaving the former staff to pack their things in complete silence.