Two city police officers arrived ten minutes later, their heavy black boots echoing against the marble pillars.
Officer Miller: Mrs. Vance, we received a call about a corporate safety violation and physical altercation.
Victoria: Officer, this former employee illegally padlocked an active fire exit door to sabotage a delivery worker, then physically assaulted her in this lobby.
Chad: I didn't assault anyone! I kicked a bag! A bag isn't a person!
Maya: The hot soup inside the bag splashed over my hand and burned my skin, Officer.
Officer Miller looked down at Maya's wrapped hand, then at the scattered food on the floor.
Officer Miller: That constitutes reckless assault resulting in personal injury, sir. Stand up and put your hands behind your back.
Chad: This is insane! I'm an executive! I have a meeting with the board of directors at ten o'clock!
Officer Miller: Your meeting is going to have to wait, sir. Turn around.
The metallic click of handcuffs echoed through the sunlit hallway as Chad was pulled to his feet.
Chad: Mrs. Vance! Think about the stock price! If the news gets out that an executive was arrested in the lobby, the shares will drop!
Victoria: Our stock price is built on integrity, Chad. Cleaning garbage out of our leadership will only make our company stronger.
Maya: And by the way, Chad... my delivery app account has a full GPS log of the exact time I arrived at your building.
Chad: You... you logged the time?
Maya: I arrived ten minutes early. Your little lock trick is recorded on the cloud servers, too.
Officer Miller: Let's go, pal. You can explain your little prank to the desk sergeant.
Chad was led away down the long corridor, his gravied pants dragging as crowd members cheered and clapped.
Victoria turned to Maya, taking her hands in hers with a warm, caring smile.
Victoria: Are you okay, Maya? Let's get you to the building infirmary to treat that burn properly.
Maya: I'm fine, Vic. Honestly, the burn doesn't even hurt anymore after seeing him in handcuffs.
Victoria: Why didn't you tell me you were working for a delivery app this summer?
Maya: Because I wanted to earn my own tuition money for graduate school without taking handouts from the family trust fund.
Victoria: You always were too stubborn for your own good, just like Dad.
Maya: Dad taught us that no job is beneath us, and nobody has the right to look down on honest work.
Victoria: He was right. But working as a delivery driver while dealing with corporate bullies isn't how you're going to spend the rest of your summer.
Maya: What do you mean?
Victoria: Chad's office is empty as of today. And I need a new Head of Ethics and Vendor Relations.
Maya blinked, looking at her sister in complete surprise.
Maya: Head of Ethics? Vic, I haven't even finished my master's degree yet!
Victoria: You have more ethics in your pinky finger than Chad had in his entire body. Come upstairs with me.