She sat straighter and folded her hands on the table.
“All right,” she said.
“Obviously this is surprising.”
“Apparently.”
“But we’re adults.”
I waited.
“We can separate business from family.”
The irony was almost elegant.
Less than twenty-four hours earlier, she had decided my mere presence could contaminate a family party.
Now that she needed something from me professionally, separation and maturity had suddenly become important values.
Ethan nodded quickly.
“Exactly.
This has nothing to do with yesterday.”
Jamie’s eyes flicked toward me.
I kept my voice level.
“Yesterday has everything to do with whether I personally remain on this account.”
Sabrina’s jaw tightened.
“Are you threatening my business because of a private family disagreement?”
“No.”
I slid a page from the folder toward her.
“I’m protecting both businesses from a conflict of interest.”
She looked down but did not touch the paper.
I continued.
“Your contract is with Rowan Strategies, not with me as an individual.
After what happened yesterday, I can assign another executive to supervise the account.
Your team will receive the same professional service promised in the agreement.”
For one second, I saw relief in her face.
Then I added, “But any personal access to me ends here.”
The relief disappeared.
That distinction mattered because Sabrina had spent the previous month insisting that she needed senior leadership involved.
Her brand was preparing for its first major expansion outside our region.
She wanted national press, investor attention, and partnerships with hospitality groups.
She had told my team repeatedly that the project was too important to be delegated.
She had just never known the executive she wanted was me.
Sabrina leaned forward.
“I requested founder-level involvement.”
“You requested senior strategic oversight.
You’ll receive it.”
“From whom?”
“Daniel Cho, our managing director.
He’s excellent.”
Her lips parted.
I could see the calculation happening.
Daniel was excellent.
That was not the problem.
The problem was that Sabrina suddenly understood something humiliating: the person she had deliberately excluded from a family dinner had been the person she had been trying to impress in business for months.
Ethan finally found his voice.
“Clara, come on.”
I turned to him.
“Come on what?”
“You know what I mean.”
“I don’t.”
He rubbed a hand over his face.
“This is getting ridiculous.
Sabrina made one comment.
I sent a stupid text.
