Chapter 6 - THE MILLION-DOLLAR PROBLEM
Isabella lifted her chin.
“That proves nothing.”
Dante looked at her.
“You offered a million.”
She snapped:
“It was obviously a joke.”
Guests heard.
Elena did too.
She walked off the floor.
“I don’t want your money.”
Isabella exhaled.
Then Elena continued:
“But Sofia heard you say a woman like me couldn’t earn it.”
Isabella’s face tightened.
Elena looked toward the band.
Then the young dancers.
Then back.
“If you want the room to believe the offer meant something, fund training for kids whose parents can’t pay for it.”
A murmur moved through the guests.
Isabella stared.
“You want me to donate a million dollars?”
“No.”
Elena picked up her heels from Sofia.
“I want you to stop using money like it proves who deserves to stand in a room.”
That line landed harder.
Dante looked at Isabella.
She looked at him.
Waiting for rescue.
He did not give it.
Then she said:
“She assaulted your employee.”
The bodyguard had already been helped up.
His name was Colin Barrett.
Dante asked:
“Did you grab her first?”
Colin hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Ms. Conti told me to remove her.”
Dante looked at Isabella.
“Did she threaten anyone?”
“No.”
“Damage anything?”
“No.”
“Then why was security touching her?”
Colin said nothing.
May you like
Neither did Isabella.
The broken table suddenly looked less like Elena’s violence and more like the result of a chain of bad authority.
