Elliot cleared his throat.
"Those matters are included in the overall integration model."
Nia looked toward him.
"Then please identify where."
He hesitated.
"The model is proprietary."
Wei spoke quietly.
"She's a recognized party to the relevant governance process. The appropriate disclosures can be handled through counsel."
Nia nodded.
"I'm not asking to see unrelated commercial secrets. I'm asking how the people covered by these arrangements will be affected."
Victor laughed without humor.
"You sound exactly like your mother."
Nia looked at him.
For a moment, something passed across her face.
Grief.
Then pride.
She answered softly.
"Thank you."
Victor stopped smiling.
He hadn't meant it as a compliment.
But she had accepted it as one.
Near the end of the dinner, Elliot excused himself.
He stood abruptly.
"I need to make a call."
Margaret looked toward him.
"Please remember the preservation notice applies to relevant communications and records."
Elliot froze.
For a moment, he stared.
Then nodded stiffly.
"Of course."
He walked through the sliding doors.
Victor remained seated, his appetite gone.
The Peking duck sat at the center of the table, almost untouched.
The crystal glasses still reflected the warm lights.
But the celebratory atmosphere had disappeared.
After a few minutes, Victor looked toward Nia.
His voice was quieter.
"How long have you been working here?"
"About a year."
"And you've been dealing with this transaction while serving tables?"
"Yes."
He studied her.
For several seconds, he seemed genuinely puzzled.
"Why?"
Nia considered the question.
Then answered.
"Because my work doesn't stop being work simply because I have another responsibility."
Victor looked toward the table.
He appeared to want a more dramatic explanation.
A secret fortune.
A disguise.
Some elaborate plan to embarrass him.
But there wasn't one.
She needed income.
She enjoyed parts of the job.
And she'd agreed to a lawful document handoff because the people involved would be present.
His decision to humiliate her had created the confrontation.
Not hers.
Victor finally stood.
"This dinner is over."
Wei nodded.
"I think that's wise."
The billionaire looked toward Nia one final time.
For a moment, his expression softened into something almost thoughtful.
Then he turned and left.
Nia remained seated.
Only after the sliding doors closed did she realize her hands were trembling.
The first person to reach Nia after the guests left was Sofia.
She came through the sliding doors carrying a tray of untouched desserts, set it down, and stared at her friend.
"What just happened?"
Nia looked up.
For a moment, she didn't know how to answer.