“Now she knows.
You’re not going to gamble your empire on a waitress.”
Hannah looked at Giovanni.
“Don’t.”
Everyone turned toward her.
She hated how much saying it hurt.
“You already helped my mother.
You gave me a job.
Your lawyers found the contract problem.
Renegotiate it and keep your company safe.”
Rebecca’s smile widened.
Hannah continued.
“I’m not worth hundreds of people losing jobs.”
Giovanni was silent for several seconds.
Then he looked at Rebecca.
“Your mistake is believing this decision is about Hannah’s worth.”
Rebecca’s smile faded.
“It’s about yours.”
He slid the unsigned partnership agreement across the table.
“I will not tie my company to people who hide material language in contracts and retaliate against an employee who notices.”
Rebecca stood.
“You’ll regret this.”
“Possibly.”
“You could lose everything you built.”
“Then I’ll build again.”
Tyler stared at him.
“For her?”
Giovanni’s answer was quiet.
“For the line I refuse to cross.”
Rebecca and Tyler left without another word.
The consequences came quickly.
The canceled partnership cost Moretti Imports money.
Expansion plans were delayed.
A lender demanded additional assurances.
Two smaller partners temporarily froze negotiations.
For several weeks, financial reporters speculated about instability inside the Moretti organization.
Some people assumed Giovanni had made an irrational decision because of Hannah.
He never corrected them by exposing her mother’s illness or turning Hannah’s humiliation into publicity.
He released only the contract findings necessary to explain the business decision.
The security recording stayed private unless the Ashfords repeated their theft allegation.
They stopped repeating it.
Marcus received a formal request for his testimony if legal action became necessary.
It never did.
Rebecca quietly paid Hannah the original four hundred fifty dollars through the staffing agency after counsel demanded payment.
When the check arrived, Hannah stared at it for a long time.
Then she walked into Giovanni’s office and put his four hundred fifty dollars on the desk.
He looked at the money.
“What’s this?”
“They finally paid me.”
“So?”
“So you get yours back.”
“I wasn’t lending it.”
“I know.”
He studied her.
Hannah raised one eyebrow.
“You said I didn’t owe you anything.”
