Was she demanding too much? Gianna contemplated, while the silence loomed in the boardroom, cutting into her skin, penetrating deeper with every passing second, making her almost wish that she hadn't vied for Vance's rights, that she hadn't pushed her luck. He would have thought the same too.
Almost. Because she didn't.
Vance needed to be paid full commission for his work, which bettered her idea of a collection, refined it, sharpened it—and would, if it worked, bring much revenue to the company, more than their wildest imaginations had dared to calculate.
"Gianna Aldo…" Arthur finally broke the silence, his voice measured, too calm to be harmless. "I hope, for your sake, that you are not taking advantage of the company's leniency to you and your peculiar situation?"
His eyes pinned her in place. "I hope you are not getting prideful…"
A pause followed, intentional, sharpened. "Because that would be a problem—might puncture the very beautiful relationship we share."
