“You were frightened.”
Sophie lowered her eyes.
“I was.”
“That doesn’t make you responsible for what happened.”
Mr. Chen returned from the inspection room.
“The gown can be repaired,” he said. “The side seam can be reinforced, but we’ll need to remove part of the existing stitching. It may take several hours.”
“Can the atelier manage it safely?”
“Yes, if we send it immediately.”
Elena nodded.
“Please proceed. We’ll cover the repair and arrange delivery if Ms. Ashford still wants the gown.”
Daniel looked surprised.
“You intend to deliver it?”
“If it’s completed safely and the customer accepts it.”
“After the incident?”
“The customer’s behavior does not justify damaging her property.”
Daniel seemed to struggle with the distinction.
Elena turned toward him.
“Daniel, I’d like to meet with you in the office.”
He straightened.
“Of course.”
“And I’d like Sophie and Mr. Chen to join us for part of the meeting.”
Daniel hesitated.
“Certainly.”
The group walked toward the back office.
Elena paused at the doorway and looked back at the tailoring table.
A pair of scissors lay beside a small scatter of loose beads. The surface bore a faint mark where the metal tray had struck it.
She thought of her mother’s old sewing table, its surface worn smooth by decades of work.
Then she followed the others inside.
The office was quiet and bright, with a glass wall overlooking the sales floor. A framed photograph of the company’s founders hung behind Daniel’s desk.
Elena had studied the photograph before the acquisition. Margaret Finch stood on the left, wearing a black dress with a sharply tailored collar. Her business partner, Thomas Marlowe, stood beside her, holding a bolt of fabric.
They looked proud.
They also looked tired.
Elena wondered whether they had understood what their company would become after they stepped away.
Daniel gestured toward the chairs.
“Please.”
Elena sat across from him. Sophie and Mr. Chen took seats near the door.
Daniel placed his tablet on the desk.
“I want to begin by saying that I’m deeply sorry about what happened.”
Elena nodded.
“Thank you.”
“I should have intervened sooner.”
“Yes.”
He seemed to expect a softer response.
“I’ve known Vivian for years,” he continued. “She can be difficult, but she has always been an important client.”
Elena folded her hands.
“Daniel, I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer honestly.”
“Of course.”
“Would you have intervened if I had been a junior employee?”
He blinked.
“I—”
“Would you have stopped her from shoving a junior employee?”
“Certainly.”
“Would you have asked her to leave?”
Daniel looked down at the tablet.