Bella's POV
The shouting match between Mateo and our supplier had been going on for twenty minutes now. I stood behind the counter, arms crossed, watching Sanchez wave his hands around like his dramatic gestures would somehow justify the surprise price hike he'd just dropped on us.
"You cannot spring an extra thirty dollars per box on us without warning," Mateo snapped, his accent thickening with frustration. "We have a contract."
Sanchez shrugged, completely unbothered by Mateo's red face. "Contracts change when costs change. Gas prices, labor costs, transportation fees - everything is more expensive now. You want premium produce, you pay premium prices."
I pressed my lips together, fighting the urge to jump into their argument. This was exactly what we didn't need right now. Our margins were already razor-thin, and every unexpected expense felt like another nail in our coffin.
