“You failed.” — The only woman who dared judge a powerful billionaire gave him a zero, but never expected him to change for her.
PART 5
Sebastian stopped walking.
The man was tall, relaxed, and standing closer to June than Sebastian considered necessary for any professional discussion.
June noticed him.
“Sebastian, this is Daniel Reed. We’ve worked together on several community development cases.”
Daniel offered his hand.
“Good to meet you.”
Sebastian shook it.
“Attorney?”
“Yes.”
“What kind?”
“Commercial disputes and nonprofit development.”
“How long?”
“Twelve years.”
“Which firm?”
June slowly lowered the folder she was carrying.
Sebastian continued.
“Do you represent private developers?”
“Sometimes.”
“Any clients connected to Caruso properties?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Have you ever handled litigation involving conflicts of interest?”
Daniel looked toward June.
“Is he always this thorough?”
“Only when he’s being normal.”
Sebastian looked at her.
June reached for her notebook.
His entire demeanor changed.
“Daniel,” he said smoothly, “it was a pleasure meeting you.”
June’s mouth twitched.
She wrote something.
For the next two hours, Sebastian thought about the sentence in her notebook.
He found her reviewing documents in a conference room.
“Did you deduct points?”
She did not look up.
“For what?”
“You wrote something after I spoke to Reed.”
“I write many things.”
“Was it related to my behavior?”
June finally raised her eyes.
“Are you asking whether jealousy affects your evaluation?”
“I was not jealous.”
She opened the notebook.
Sebastian’s gaze dropped automatically.
She wrote another line.
“Now what?”
“Nothing.”
“You wrote something.”
“I noticed.”
The situation became worse two days later when Daniel appeared again.
He and June went for coffee after a mediation session.
Sebastian did not interfere.
Instead, he developed four completely legitimate reasons June needed to return to his office.
The first involved an employee matter that could wait until Monday.
The second involved an evaluation question she had already answered.
The third was so transparently unnecessary that even Sebastian abandoned it.
The fourth involved a parking complaint.
Technically, it concerned interpersonal conduct.
June arrived twenty minutes later carrying her notebook.
“You needed me?”
Sebastian indicated the complaint.
She read the first page.
“This required my immediate presence?”
“It involves a dispute between two senior employees.”
“It involves a parking space.”
“Parking disputes can become highly interpersonal.”
June stared at him.
Sebastian remained completely serious.
Then she started laughing.
He preferred her laughter when it was directed at other people.
Unfortunately, he also found himself wanting to hear it again.
June stepped closer.
“Sebastian, if you wanted to interrupt my coffee with Daniel, you could have admitted it.”
“I did not want to interrupt your coffee.”
Her pen touched the notebook.
“Don’t.”
June froze.
Sebastian looked genuinely offended.
“You are weaponizing stationery.”
She laughed harder.