“Good.”
Diana ended the call.
She slipped the phone into her hand but did not put it away.
Patricia’s voice had lost volume.
“Who are you?”
Diana looked at her.
“I already gave you every opportunity to find out who your customer was.”
“Who are you?”
Ashley was already searching on her phone.
She typed:
Diana Mitchell Luminous Designs.
The company site loaded.
There she was.
Older photograph.
Same eyes.
Same face.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer.
Ashley went pale.
“Oh my God.”
Kevin looked over.
He saw the photograph.
Then Diana.
“Oh.”
Patricia turned toward them.
“What?”
Neither answered.
“What are you looking at?”
Ashley’s hand shook as she lowered the phone.
Kevin stepped toward Patricia.
“Stop talking.”
“What?”
“Patricia, please.”
“Why?”
Kevin’s voice was barely audible.
“Because that’s Diana Mitchell.”
Patricia frowned.
“So?”
Then the name reached the part of her mind that had spent eight months signing corporate documents.
Diana Mitchell.
Founder.
CEO.
The name beneath quarterly letters.
The signature on executive policies.
The woman whose biography Patricia had skimmed during onboarding but whose face she had never bothered to remember.
Patricia looked at Diana.
Then Ashley’s screen.
Then back.
The blood drained from her face.
“No.”
Diana said nothing.
“This is—”
“No.”
Patricia almost laughed again, but no sound came.
“You can’t be.”
Diana’s expression hardened.
“Can’t be what?”
Patricia shook her head.
“I didn’t mean—”
“Can’t be the founder?”
“I—”
“Can’t own the company?”
Patricia’s eyes filled.
“That isn’t what I meant.”
Diana reached into her handbag.
She removed a simple business card.
Diana Mitchell
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Luminous Designs
She placed it on the glass counter.
Patricia did not touch it.
“You said this was your store.”
Patricia swallowed.
“I meant I manage it.”
“You said you decide who deserves service.”
“No, I said—”
“You said I looked like a thief.”
Patricia’s lips trembled.
“I was protecting inventory.”
“From what?”
No answer.
“From what, Patricia?”
Patricia looked around.
Everyone was watching now.
The Blackstones.
Employees.
Customers.