The instant employees saw Preston, they changed.
Daniel straightened.
Marcy stopped moving.
Two supervisors who had been talking quietly separated.
Preston noticed Cassandra.
He stopped.
His eyes traveled from her sneakers to her hoodie.
Then he frowned.
"You."
Cassandra looked at him.
"Good morning."
"Don't good-morning me."
His voice echoed down the corridor.
"The agency said someone would be here at seven-thirty."
Cassandra glanced at the wall clock.
"It is eight twenty-eight."
"Exactly."
He pointed toward the restroom.
"That bathroom is disgusting."
Cassandra looked at the puddle.
"There appears to be a leak."
"I didn't ask what appears to be happening."
She studied him quietly.
Then she said, "Someone should put a warning sign down."
Preston laughed.
It was not a friendly laugh.
"Listen to me carefully."
He walked closer.
"Cleaners clean. They don't give orders."
"I wasn't giving an order."
"You're talking back."
Several employees lowered their eyes.
Cassandra noticed.
She had been CEO long enough to recognize fear.
But she had never seen it spread this quickly.
"I am not from an agency," she said.
Preston looked at her hoodie.
"Of course you are."
"You should be careful with assumptions."
For half a second, Preston hesitated.
Then his pride erased the warning.
He stepped closer.
"Sweetheart, I don't know what kind of attitude they allow wherever you came from, but on my floor, people know their place."
The hallway became completely silent.
Nolan smiled.
Cassandra looked at him.
Then at Preston.
And something inside her became very calm.
Because now she knew.
The reports had not exaggerated him.
They had underestimated him.
The Bucket
Preston pointed toward the restroom.
"Go clean it."
Cassandra did not move.
"There's a water leak."
"I don't care."
"Someone could slip."
"Then put a towel down."
"That won't solve the problem."
Preston's jaw tightened.
"You seem to have a lot of opinions for someone who pushes a cleaning cart."
Cassandra looked at the employees around them.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
She understood why.
This was how Preston controlled the floor.
He did not need to threaten everyone individually.
He only needed to make one example of someone.
The rest learned.
Nolan reached for a plastic bucket sitting beside the cart.
"Here."
He shoved it toward Cassandra.
Blue cleaning water splashed over the rim and onto her sneakers.
A few employees gasped.
Cassandra looked down at her shoes.
Then slowly raised her eyes.
Nolan smirked.
"Director Vale doesn't like repeating himself."
Preston crossed his arms.
"Get started."
Cassandra said nothing.
Preston stepped closer.
"You heard me."
"You are making a mistake."
Preston smiled.
"Do you know how many cleaning companies operate in this city?"
Cassandra remained silent.
"Do you know how easy it is for me to make one phone call?"
He leaned toward her.
"I can make sure you never work in a corporate building again."
Cassandra looked at him.
"Is that a threat?"
"No."
His smile widened.
"That's advice."
Nolan laughed.
Preston pointed at the restroom.
"Get on your knees and scrub the toilet."
The words echoed.
Marcy's face went pale.
Daniel stopped typing.
The older warehouse coordinator looked up.
Cassandra noticed him.
His name was Walter, according to the badge she had seen earlier.
Walter looked at Preston.
Then at Cassandra.
For the first time, something resembling anger appeared in his eyes.
But fear quickly returned.
Cassandra turned toward the restroom.
She walked inside.
Preston followed.
Nolan carried the bucket.
The restroom was worse than it had looked from outside.
One sink was running because its handle was broken.
Water covered the marble floor.
A fire alarm inspection sticker had expired months earlier.
The last stall had a broken lock.
Cassandra stared at the room.
Preston pointed.
"That one."
"You want me to scrub a toilet."
"I want you on your knees."
Cassandra slowly turned.
"Say that again."
Preston smiled.
"Get on your knees and scrub."
Nolan laughed.
From the doorway, Daniel and Marcy watched.
Daniel's hand slipped into his pocket.
He was holding his phone.
Marcy had hers out too.
Preston noticed.
"Put those away."
Neither moved.
"I said put them away."
Daniel swallowed.
"No."
The single word seemed to shock everyone.
Preston's face darkened.
"What did you say?"
Daniel's hands shook.
"I said no."
Preston stepped toward him.
"You want to lose your job?"
Daniel looked terrified.
But he kept the phone raised.
"No."
Marcy stepped beside him.
"Neither do I."
Preston stared at both of them.
Then he laughed.
"You think your little recordings matter?"
Cassandra looked toward the phones.
They mattered.
They mattered enormously.
She bent down and picked up the yellow sponge.
For several seconds, she held it.
Preston mistook the movement for surrender.
"That's better."
Cassandra looked at the sponge.
Then at him.
"You have eight minutes."
Preston frowned.
"What?"
"Eight minutes of power."
He laughed.
"You've lost your mind."
"No."
Cassandra dropped the sponge into the bucket.
"I've simply given you a deadline."
Preston grabbed her sleeve.
The movement was sudden.
His fingers tightened around the fabric.
He pulled her forward.
The cleaning cart struck the wall.
Daniel raised his phone higher.
Marcy began recording too.
Preston dragged Cassandra toward the stall.
"Clean it."
Cassandra stumbled once.
Then steadied herself.
She did not fight him.
She could have.
But fighting him would turn the story into an argument.