“You are correcting the category right now?”
The waitress smiled weakly.
“Apparently.”
The coworker touched her shoulder.
“You okay?”
“No.”
“Good.”
The waitress frowned.
“Why good?”
“Because if you said yes, I’d think you were having a breakdown.”
The waitress looked toward the door.
“What do I do?”
Her coworker shrugged.
“You go back when you’re ready.”
“You don’t owe that table a family reunion because their appetizers are getting cold.”
The waitress laughed.
Then became serious.
“And the restaurant?”
Her coworker’s expression changed.
There it was.
Even inside family shock, the other problem remained.
The acquisition.
The staff.
The millionaire’s words.
“We need to tell people.”
the coworker said.
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
“Because we heard a conversation.”
“Which you translated in front of witnesses.”
“That doesn’t tell us what’s signed.”
Her coworker sighed.
“You’re annoyingly responsible.”
“My mother.”
“Probably.”
The waitress looked at the locket again.
“My mother.”
The phrase felt different now.
Outside, the millionaire was trying to regain control.
“This is obviously emotionally complicated.”
The German industrialist stared at him.
The millionaire continued.
“But we should separate personal matters from the transaction.”
The old man laughed softly.
“What transaction?”
The millionaire froze.
The blonde lawyer closed her eyes.
The industrialist turned toward him.
“You told me the employees would be protected during transition.”
“We discussed restructuring.”
“You said voluntary turnover.”
The millionaire leaned forward.
“Labor efficiency is part of redevelopment.”
“You said the brand value depended on retaining the existing team.”
“For the initial period.”
“You said twelve months.”
The millionaire paused.
He had.
Not in the final document.
In conversation.
The German investor knew the distinction.
That made it worse.
The industrialist continued.
“You planned sixty days.”
The millionaire sighed.
“Look, we are about to invest hundreds of millions.”
“And therefore?”
“We have obligations to returns.”
“So you lied to me.”
“I simplified.”
The industrialist smiled without warmth.
“That word should be expensive.”
The younger executive at the table looked down.
The blonde lawyer said quietly:
“We should pause this conversation.”
The millionaire turned.
“Whose side are you on?”
She stared.
“I’m your attorney.”
“That is not the answer you think it is.”
The industrialist almost smiled.
The manager approached.