Richard looked stunned.
Evelyn’s hand dropped from her pearls.
Madison actually laughed.
“Excuse me?”
Dante’s gaze remained cold.
“For this negotiation,” he said.
“She’s my point of contact.
My office works with her, or there is no harbor discussion.”
The meaning settled over them.
He had not claimed Clara like property.
He had chosen her publicly.
In the one room where her family had tried hardest to make her invisible, Dante Romano had made their most valuable business opportunity depend on her voice.
Richard recovered first.
“That is impossible.
Clara has no formal position in the company.”
“Then give her one.”
“You cannot dictate our personnel decisions.”
“No.
I can dictate where my money goes.”
That ended the argument.
Richard had spent months seeking Dante’s participation in the harbor development.
Without it, the project’s financing would become far more difficult and several influential partners would likely disappear with him.
Madison understood the same thing.
Her anger changed into panic.
“She has no experience dealing with investors.”
Dante looked at the folder.
“She has more experience understanding your proposal than you do.”
Madison turned on Clara.
“You planned this.”
Clara almost laughed.
She looked at her stained uniform, her cut thumb, the broken glasses on the floor.
“Yes,” she said quietly.
“I planned the part where you pushed me into a champagne tray.”
A few guests failed to hide their smiles.
Madison heard them.
Her cheeks burned.
“You ungrateful little—”
“Madison.”
This time Richard’s warning was sharp.
Not because he suddenly cared about Clara.
Because too many important people were watching.
That realization hurt Clara more than she expected.
Even now, his instinct was not to defend her.
It was to protect the deal.
Evelyn approached Clara and lowered her voice.
“We can discuss this at home.”
Clara met her mother’s eyes.
“No.”
Evelyn blinked.
Clara had rarely used that word with her.
“No?”
“You had years to discuss it at home.”
The words were not loud.
They did not need to be.
Evelyn’s composure cracked just enough for Clara to see the anger beneath it.
“Do not embarrass this family because a stranger has temporarily made you feel important.”
