Inside the quiet, private boardroom behind the ballroom, Arthur sat at the head of a dark oak table while Olivia carefully unlatched the gold locks on the velvet box.
Arthur: Did the final polish go smoothly?
Olivia: Yes. It took four hours, but the diamond setting is completely secure.
She opened the lid, revealing a breath-taking sapphire necklace that sparkled intensely under the warm lights.
Arthur: Absolutely stunning. Your mother would have loved this.
Olivia: I made sure the cut matched the original sketch she left in her journal.
A knock sounded at the door, and Arthur's corporate attorney, Thomas, stepped into the room holding a thick leather briefcase.
Thomas: Good evening, General. Good evening, Miss Sterling.
Arthur: Thomas. Did you handle the situation outside?
Thomas: Julian's father, Harrison Vance, has already called my office three times in a panic.
Arthur: Good. Let him sweat.
Thomas: He is begging for a five-minute meeting with you before the charity auction begins.
Olivia: Is he going to try and cover up what his son did?
Thomas: Harrison knows that if Sterling Enterprises pulls its commercial backing from Vance Logistics, their stock will drop twenty percent by tomorrow morning.
Arthur: Tell him I will give him two minutes. But his son and that arrogant woman stay outside the building.
Thomas: Understood, sir. I'll bring Harrison in now.
Thomas stepped back into the hallway, leaving the door slightly open. Olivia looked at her father, feeling a knot form in her stomach.
Olivia: Do we really need to destroy his family's business over this?
Arthur: Olivia, men like Julian Vance think they can walk over anyone who doesn't wear a designer label. If we don't teach them a lesson now, they will keep doing it to people who don't have a father like me to stand up for them.
Olivia: I know. It just hurts seeing how quickly people judge you when you're carrying a delivery box instead of a champagne glass.
Arthur: Let them judge. They don't realize you're the one holding the keys to the empire.
The door swung open, and Harrison Vance rushed into the room, wiping sweat from his forehead with a silk handkerchief.
Harrison: Arthur! Please, my old friend! I am so deeply sorry for my son's unspeakable behavior!
Arthur: Save your breath, Harrison. Sit down.