“The woman came into the VIP area and wouldn’t explain who she was.”
Evelyn’s eyes widened.
“The woman?”
Selene’s confidence weakened.
Malcolm looked between them.
“What woman?”
Evelyn opened her phone.
Pulled up Windche’s leadership page.
Turned the screen.
Lara Wynn’s professional photograph appeared.
Adrien felt the room contract.
Malcolm said slowly:
“This woman?”
Adrien said nothing.
Selene raised one hand to her mouth.
“That’s her.”
Malcolm looked at Adrien.
“What did you do?”
Adrien’s voice became defensive.
“She didn’t identify herself.”
Evelyn almost laughed.
“She was on the guest list.”
“She looked like—”
Evelyn cut him off.
“Finish that sentence.”
Adrien stopped.
Malcolm turned toward Selene.
“What happened?”
Selene stared at the table.
“She was rude.”
“No.”
Evelyn’s voice was sharp.
“She was standing quietly.”
“You approached her.”
Selene looked up.
“You were watching?”
“I saw enough.”
Malcolm said:
“Someone tell me exactly what happened.”
Nobody wanted to.
Then general counsel’s phone buzzed.
He looked at it.
His expression changed.
“There’s video.”
Adrien closed his eyes.
Of course there was.
The lawyer connected his phone to the screen.
A social-media clip appeared.
Shot vertically from maybe fifteen feet away.
Selene’s voice:
“I think you need to learn your place.”
Then wine.
Lara standing still.
Adrien laughing.
“That’s what happens when someone pretends to be important.”
The clip ended.
No one spoke.
Malcolm removed his glasses.
Placed them carefully on the table.
“Eight hundred million dollars.”
Adrien leaned forward.
“I can fix this.”
Malcolm stared.
“How?”
“I’ll call her.”
“She won’t take your call.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I already tried.”
Adrien froze.
Malcolm continued.
“Her chief of staff answered.”
“Windche has terminated all communication except through counsel.”
“They have instructed their teams to cease closing activity immediately.”
“Our joint press release is withdrawn.”
“The signing tomorrow is canceled.”
“The international rollout is canceled.”
“The banking presentation Monday is canceled.”
Adrien’s breathing became shallow.
Selene spoke.
“We can apologize publicly.”
Hexton’s general counsel looked at her as though she had suggested arson.
“You poured wine on the owner of the counterparty.”
“It was—”
“On video.”
Selene stopped.
Malcolm turned toward Adrien.
“Do you know why this is worse than the canceled deal?”
Adrien said nothing.
“Because for seven months, Windche has been conducting cultural due diligence.”
Adrien frowned.
“What?”
Evelyn answered.
“They told us.”