The younger woman immediately lowered her eyes.
The Black customer noticed.
Then looked toward the telephone.
โPlease put that down.โ
The associate sneered.
โYou don't get to tell me how to run my department.โ
At that moment, the store manager emerged from the private consultation suite.
He was fifty years old, white, with neatly styled graying hair, an expensive charcoal suit, and the polished appearance of a man who had spent his entire career serving wealthy clients.
He approached with a strained smile.
โWhat seems to be the problem?โ
The associate immediately straightened.
โSir, this customer is insisting that I remove the Meridian Eight despite having no verified purchasing history.โ
The Black woman turned toward him.
โI asked her to check my appointment. She refused.โ
The manager glanced toward the display.
Then toward the woman.
His expression became cautious.
โMadam, watches in this category are reserved for qualified collectors.โ
The Black woman looked directly into his eyes.
โThen qualify me.โ
He blinked.
She continued.
โAsk my name. Check the system. Follow your procedure.โ
The manager hesitated.
He had expected an angry customer demanding special treatment.
Instead, the woman was asking him to perform the most ordinary verification task in the boutique.
Before he could answer, his tablet vibrated.
A corporate notification appeared across the screen.
He glanced down impatiently.
Then froze.
The subject line read:
CONFIDENTIAL CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENT โ OWNERSHIP TRANSITION COMPLETE
He opened it.
The message confirmed that a holding company had completed its acquisition of 61 percent of Aster & Vale International's voting shares earlier that morning.
The new controlling shareholder had been appointed executive chair by the company's board.
The announcement included a photograph.
The manager stared at it.
A beautiful Black woman.
Extraordinarily deep ebony-brown skin.
Long, luxurious black hair.
Distinctive almond-shaped eyes.
And a confident expression.
He slowly raised his head.