Chapter 9 - The $6,000 Bet
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The hum of polite conversation filled the opulent room as waiter service concluded.
Victor Sinclair stood up at the head of the table, raising his crystal glass to address the thirty-two elite guests.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Victor announced, his voice booming with authority. "Tonight marks a historical union. Sinclair Maritime and Vandermir Enterprises will merge into a single entity, creating an unstoppable commercial logistics empire across the Great Lakes!"
The room erupted into polite applause.
"Before we sign," Victor continued, gesturing to his lawyer, Arthur Vance, "my legal team has prepared the final forty-page master agreement. It covers all operational transfers, asset management, and liability protections."
Margot, recovering from her shock at seeing Dela alive and standing, saw an opportunity to publicly crush the woman who terrified her. She stood up, raising her hand to speak.
"Father," Margot said loudly, gaining the attention of the entire room. "Before we finalize this monumental deal, I believe we should acknowledge the hard work of our service staff tonight. Especially our lead waitress."
The room grew quiet. Guests looked toward Dela, who stood calmly near the champagne tower.
"In fact," Margot sneered, a cruel glint in her eyes, "I hear this young woman is in desperate financial trouble. She needs six thousand dollars for a medical deposit for her unborn child."
Gasps echoed around the table. Several guests looked uncomfortable with the sudden, tacky personal attack.
Margot stepped around the table, holding a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills from her purse. She set the cash down right in the center of the cherrywood table, next to the forty-page contract.
"I’ll tell you what, waitress," Margot sneered, her voice dripping with humiliation. "If you can pick up this legal contract, read through page one, and summarize the corporate terms without making a single mistake... I’ll give you this six thousand dollars in cash right now. A little charity for a poor girl who clearly can't afford proper shoes."
The room fell into a stunned, awkward silence. Victor Sinclair chuckled softly, enjoying his daughter's cruel display.
Gus sat quietly at his end of the table, his dark eyes burning with dangerous intensity. He didn't stop Margot. He simply looked at Dela and gave her a single, subtle nod.
Dela stepped forward.
Her new leather shoes made no sound against the polished floor. She walked gracefully to the head of the table, standing directly between Victor Sinclair and Margot.
May you like
She didn't look at the money. She didn't look at the guests.
She reached out her long, delicate hand and picked up the forty-page contract.
