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Short filmTranscript
00:00I'm about three seconds away from flipping a desk.
00:03That's not what the data says, Professor Chen.
00:06My voice echoes through the half-empty lecture hall, sharp enough to cut glass.
00:11You're cherry-picking statistics to support a hypothesis that's fundamentally flawed.
00:17Chen's face goes red.
00:19Behind me, someone whispers,
00:21Oh my God, she's actually doing this.
00:24Yeah, I'm doing this.
00:26Because I didn't spend four years drowning in student debt,
00:29and another two working three jobs to get into Stanford's graduate economics program
00:33just to sit quietly while someone with tenure spouts bullshit.
00:37Miss Brennan, Chen's voice drops to that condescending octave professors use
00:42when they want to remind you they hold all the power.
00:45Perhaps you'd like to present your alternative analysis to the department review board?
00:50I'm sure they'd find your passion entertaining.
00:54Translation, sit down and shut up or kiss your thesis approval goodbye.
00:58I should back down.
01:00I know I should.
01:01My roommate Jade would be texting me right now if she were here.
01:05Liv, stop poking the bear.
01:07You need him to graduate.
01:09But Jade's not here, and I'm so tired of swallowing my words.
01:13Actually, I would love to present to the board,
01:15I say, crossing my arms.
01:17Because unlike some people,
01:19I can back up my arguments with peer-reviewed sources
01:21instead of a superiority complex.
01:24The room goes silent.
01:26Like, you could hear a pin drop silent.
01:29Chen's smile turns arctic.
01:31Get out of my lecture hall.
01:33Gladly.
01:35I snatch my laptop off the desk,
01:37shoving it into my backpack with more force than necessary.
01:40My hands are shaking.
01:42Adrenaline or rage, maybe both.
01:43But I keep my chin up as I stalk toward the exit.
01:47That's when I see him.
01:49He's standing at the back of the hall,
01:51leaning against the doorframe like he owns the building.
01:54Which, knowing Stanford's donor list, he might.
01:57Dark suit, darker eyes,
01:59and a face that belongs on a movie screen
02:01somewhere between dangerous and devastating.
02:04He's watching me with an expression I can't quite read.
02:07Amusement, maybe?
02:09Interest?
02:10Our eyes meet for half a second
02:12as I push past him into the hallway.
02:14I like that fire, he says,
02:17voice low and smooth as expensive whiskey.
02:19Don't lose it.
02:21I don't stop walking.
02:23Because I've got exactly zero time
02:25for cryptic rich guys
02:26who think they can drop movie lines
02:27and expect women to swoon.
02:29I've got a thesis to salvage,
02:31a professor to either apologize to
02:33or completely alienate,
02:34and about $16 in my checking account until Friday.
02:37The Bay Area sun hits me like a spotlight
02:40as I burst through the main doors
02:41and I suck in a breath of overpriced California air.
02:44My phone buzzes immediately.
02:47Jade.
02:48Heard what happened.
02:49Chen's office.
02:50Now.
02:50Damage control.
02:52Me.
02:53Or I could just drop out and become a bartender.
02:56Jade.
02:56You'd get fired for arguing with drunk people.
02:59She's not wrong.
03:01I'm halfway across the quad
03:02when I hear footsteps behind me.
03:04Fast ones.
03:05Miss Brennan.
03:08I turn,
03:10expecting Chen
03:10or maybe his TA coming to deliver another threat.
03:13Instead, it's movie screen guy,
03:15and he's closing the distance between us
03:17with the kind of confidence
03:18that suggests he's never been told no
03:20in his entire life.
03:22Can I help you?
03:23I ask,
03:24because apparently I haven't hit
03:26my daily quota of bad decisions.
03:28Up close,
03:29he's even more unfairly attractive.
03:32Sharp jawline,
03:33perfectly tailored suit
03:34that probably costs more than my tuition,
03:36and eyes so dark they're almost black.
03:38There's a thin scar
03:39cutting through his left eyebrow,
03:41the only imperfection
03:42on an otherwise annoyingly perfect face.
03:45I have a proposition for you,
03:47he says.
03:48I laugh.
03:49Actually laugh.
03:51Wow.
03:51That's forward.
03:52I'm flattered,
03:53but not that kind of proposition.
03:56His mouth quirks into something
03:57that might be a smile
03:58if it reached his eyes.
04:00I need an economist.
04:02Try the career center.
04:04I hear they have a bulletin board.
04:06I need one who isn't afraid
04:08to challenge authority.
04:10He glances back at the building.
04:12That was quite a performance.
04:14It wasn't a performance.
04:15It was me being right.
04:17I adjust my backpack strap,
04:20suddenly very aware
04:21that I'm wearing ripped jeans
04:22and a faded Cal State hoodie
04:24while talking to someone
04:25who looks like he stepped out
04:26of a Forbes photo shoot.
04:28Look,
04:28I don't know who you are
04:29or what you want,
04:30but I really need to go grovel
04:32to my advisor
04:32before I tank
04:33my entire academic career.
04:36Dante Marchese,
04:37he says,
04:38extending a hand.
04:40I don't take it.
04:41Because I'm not an idiot,
04:43and I've lived in the Bay Area
04:44long enough to know that name.
04:46Everyone knows that name.
04:48Marchese Construction
04:49owns half of San Francisco's skyline.
04:51Marchese Holdings
04:52has fingers in everything
04:53from tech startups
04:54to luxury hotels.
04:56And Dante Marchese,
04:57the youngest of three brothers,
05:00supposedly runs the entire empire
05:01after his father died two years ago.
05:04There are other rumors, too.
05:06The kind people whisper about at bars.
05:08Words like connected
05:09and family
05:10and don't ask questions.
05:13Olivia Brennan,
05:14I say finally,
05:15keeping my hands firmly
05:16in my pockets.
05:18And whatever you're selling,
05:19I'm not interested.
05:21I'm not selling anything.
05:23He tilts his head,
05:24studying me like I'm
05:25a particularly interesting equation.
05:27I'm offering you a job,
05:29six months,
05:30full-time analyst position
05:32reviewing acquisition targets
05:33and market strategies,
05:34$200,000.
05:36My brain short circuits.
05:38I'm sorry,
05:39did you just say,
05:40$200,000,
05:42plus housing,
05:42since I assume you're living
05:44in one of those overpriced
05:45student apartments
05:46splitting rent four ways.
05:48Three ways, actually.
05:50One of our roommates
05:50moved out last month
05:51because she couldn't afford it anymore.
05:53I have no idea
05:54why I'm telling him this.
05:56And that's,
05:57that's an insane amount of money
05:58for an analyst position.
06:00What's the catch?
06:01No catch.
06:03But his eyes say otherwise.
06:04I need someone smart enough
06:06to spot problems
06:07others miss
06:07and brave enough
06:08to tell me about them.
06:10You just proved you're both.
06:12A gust of wind
06:12carries the scent of eucalyptus
06:14across the quad.
06:16Somewhere behind us,
06:17a group of undergrads
06:18laughs about something.
06:19Normal college sounds.
06:21Normal college life.
06:22Everything about this conversation
06:24is the opposite of normal.
06:26I'm in the middle of my thesis,
06:28I say,
06:28because I need to say something
06:29that isn't yes.
06:31Please,
06:31I'll sell you my soul
06:32for that kind of money.
06:34I can't just drop everything.
06:37You can defer
06:37or finish it remotely.
06:39I'll provide whatever resources
06:41you need.
06:42He pulls out a phone
06:43that probably costs
06:44more than my car.
06:46I'll have my assistant
06:47send over the contract details.
06:49Sleep on it.
06:51I didn't give you my number.
06:53That almost smile returns.
06:56I know where you go to school,
06:57Miss Brennan.
06:58Your number isn't exactly
06:59classified information.
07:01That's borderline
07:02stalking.
07:03That's business.
07:05He starts walking backwards,
07:07still watching me.
07:08I'll be in touch.
07:09And Olivia?
07:10Don't apologize to Chen.
07:12He's wrong,
07:13and you know it.
07:14Then he's gone,
07:15disappearing into
07:16a black town car
07:17that was definitely
07:18not there
07:18thirty seconds ago.
07:20I stand there,
07:21heart hammering,
07:22while my phone
07:23buzzes again.
07:24Jade,
07:25where are you?
07:27Me.
07:27I think I just got
07:28offered a job
07:28by the mafia.
07:30Jade.
07:30Me.
07:32We'll explain later.
07:33Maybe.
07:34If I'm not being dramatic.
07:36I look down at my phone,
07:37then back at the town car
07:38pulling away.
07:39Two hundred thousand dollars.
07:41What the hell just happened?
07:43I don't sleep on it.
07:45I lie awake
07:45until three a.m.
07:46doing what any reasonable
07:47person would do.
07:49Googling the hell
07:50out of Dante Marchese.
07:52The official story
07:53is impressive enough.
07:54Youngest CEO
07:55in his family's history
07:56turned a construction company
07:58into a billion-dollar empire.
08:00Philanthropist.
08:01Sits on the boards
08:02of half a dozen charities.
08:04There are photos of him
08:05at galas,
08:06ribbon cuttings,
08:07business conferences.
08:08Always in a suit.
08:10Always with that same
08:11unreadable expression.
08:13Then there are
08:13the Reddit threads.
08:14The conspiracy blogs.
08:16The carefully worded
08:17news articles
08:17that never quite say
08:18anything concrete
08:19but imply everything.
08:22Alleged ties
08:23to organized crime.
08:24Under investigation
08:26but never charged.
08:28Three competitors
08:29who mysteriously
08:30backed out of deals.
08:32By sunrise,
08:33I've convinced myself
08:34I'm going to ignore
08:34his offer completely.
08:36By noon,
08:37I'm staring at an email
08:38from his assistant
08:39with a contract attached
08:40and a meeting location
08:41for 2 p.m.
08:43By 1.45,
08:44I'm standing outside
08:45a restaurant
08:45in Pacific Heights
08:46that doesn't even have
08:47a sign on the door.
08:48Reservation name?
08:50The hostess looks like
08:51she stepped out
08:51of a fashion magazine.
08:53Bored and intimidating.
08:54I'm...
08:55meeting someone?
08:56Dante Marchese?
08:58Her expression
08:59shifts immediately.
09:00Of course.
09:02Right this way,
09:02Miss Brennan.
09:03She knows my name.
09:05They were expecting me.
09:06The restaurant
09:07is the kind of place
09:08where they don't list
09:08prices on the menu
09:09because if you have to ask,
09:11you can't afford it.
09:13Floor-to-ceiling windows
09:14overlook the bay,
09:16sunlight streaming
09:16across white tablecloths
09:18and crystal glasses.
09:19It's barely 2 in the afternoon,
09:21but the place is half-full
09:22with people
09:23who clearly
09:23don't have regular jobs.
09:25Dante's at a corner table,
09:27jacket off,
09:28sleeves rolled up
09:29to his elbows.
09:30He's on the phone,
09:31speaking rapid Italian,
09:33and doesn't look up
09:34until I'm 3 feet away.
09:35He ends the call
09:36mid-sentence.
09:38You came,
09:39he says,
09:40standing,
09:41not surprised,
09:42pleased.
09:43I came to tell you
09:44no in person.
09:46I slide into the chair
09:47across from him
09:48before he can pull it out.
09:49Seems more polite
09:50than ghosting you.
09:52Mmm.
09:53He signals the waiter,
09:54who appears instantly.
09:56We'll have the tasting menu
09:57and bring her the sancerre.
09:59I can order for myself.
10:02You can,
10:03he agrees,
10:04but you won't look at the menu
10:05because you're too proud
10:06to admit you're hungry
10:07and too stubborn
10:08to let me think
10:09I'm buying your cooperation
10:10with lunch.
10:11I hate that he's right.
10:14The sancerre's fine,
10:15I mutter.
10:17The waiter vanishes.
10:19Dante leans back,
10:20studying me
10:20with those dark,
10:21unsettling eyes.
10:23In the full daylight,
10:24I can see more details.
10:25The silver watch
10:26that's definitely
10:27a Patek Philippe.
10:28The slight stubble
10:29along his jaw.
10:31The way he holds himself
10:32like someone
10:32who's never doubted
10:33his place in a room.
10:35So,
10:36he says,
10:37tell me why
10:38you're saying no.
10:40Because I'm not an idiot.
10:41I fold my hands
10:43on the table.
10:44I looked you up.
10:46Read all the articles.
10:48The ones that say
10:48you're a brilliant businessman
10:50and the ones that say
10:51you're...
10:51something else.
10:53Something else,
10:53he repeats,
10:54amused.
10:55Careful, Olivia.
10:56Libel laws exist
10:57for a reason.
10:58I'm not accusing you
10:59of anything.
11:00I'm just saying
11:01that $200,000
11:02for a six-month
11:03analyst position
11:04is suspicious as hell
11:05and I don't need
11:06that kind of trouble
11:06in my life.
11:08What kind of trouble
11:09do you need?
11:10The kind that comes
11:11with a PhD
11:11and a legitimate career,
11:13not...
11:14I gesture vaguely
11:15at him.
11:16The restaurant,
11:17everything.
11:18Whatever this is.
11:20The wine arrives.
11:22I don't touch it.
11:23He does,
11:24taking a slow sip
11:25while watching me
11:25over the rim
11:26of his glass.
11:28You're in debt,
11:29he says finally.
11:30Student loans,
11:32credit cards,
11:33medical bills
11:33from when your mom
11:34had pneumonia
11:35last year.
11:36You work three jobs,
11:37campus library,
11:38weekend shifts
11:39at that coffee shop
11:40on Castro,
11:41and online tutoring
11:42that pays $8 an hour.
11:44You're brilliant,
11:45but you're drowning.
11:47My blood goes cold.
11:49How do you...
11:50I do my research, too.
11:52He sets down his glass.
11:54I'm not trying
11:55to scare you.
11:56I'm trying to show you
11:57that I'm serious.
11:58I need someone
11:59I can trust,
12:00and trust requires
12:01transparency.
12:04Transparency?
12:04I laugh,
12:05sharp and bitter.
12:06You just admitted
12:08to digging into
12:08my entire life.
12:10That's not transparency.
12:11That's stalking
12:12with better resources.
12:14Fair.
12:15He doesn't look
12:16remotely apologetic.
12:18But everything I found out,
12:19you just confirmed
12:20by not denying it.
12:22So we're even.
12:23We're not even close
12:24to even.
12:25The first course arrives,
12:27something with
12:27seared scallops
12:28and microgreens
12:29that probably costs
12:30more than my weekly
12:31grocery budget.
12:32I stare at it,
12:33stomach growling
12:34despite my anger.
12:36Eat.
12:37Dante says.
12:38Then tell me
12:38what it would take
12:39for you to say yes.
12:41I pick up my fork.
12:43Honesty.
12:44Real honesty.
12:46What do you actually
12:47need me for?
12:49Exactly what I said.
12:50Analysis.
12:51Due diligence.
12:53I'm expanding
12:53into new markets,
12:55and I need someone
12:55who can spot red flags
12:57before they become problems.
12:59You have an entire
13:00company full of analysts.
13:03I have an entire
13:04company full of people
13:05who tell me
13:05what they think
13:06I want to hear.
13:07He cuts into his
13:08scallop with
13:09surgical precision.
13:10You proved
13:11you don't have
13:12that problem.
13:13So you're hiring me
13:15because I have
13:15a big mouth?
13:16I'm hiring you
13:17because you have
13:18integrity.
13:19He pauses.
13:20And yes,
13:21because you're not
13:22afraid to use
13:23that big mouth
13:23when it matters.
13:25I take a bite.
13:26It's delicious,
13:27obviously.
13:28Everything about
13:29this situation
13:29is designed to be
13:30impossible to refuse.
13:31What about the other
13:33stuff?
13:34I ask quietly.
13:35The rumors.
13:37What about them?
13:38Are they true?
13:40Dante sets down
13:41his fork.
13:42The restaurant noise
13:43seems to fade.
13:44Or maybe I'm just
13:45hyper-focused
13:45on his answer.
13:47My family has
13:48a complicated history,
13:49he says finally.
13:51My grandfather
13:51immigrated from Sicily
13:53with nothing,
13:54built this empire
13:54from the ground up.
13:56Some of his methods
13:57were, let's say,
13:58traditional.
13:59Old world.
14:00But that was then.
14:02That's not an answer.
14:03It's the only answer
14:04you're getting today.
14:06His voice is steel
14:07wrapped in silk.
14:08What you need to know
14:09is this.
14:10The work I'm offering
14:11you is legitimate.
14:13Legal.
14:14Everything will be
14:15documented,
14:15transparent,
14:16above board.
14:18You'll have full access
14:18to all financial records.
14:20If you find something
14:21illegal,
14:22you can walk away.
14:23No questions,
14:24no consequences,
14:25and you keep
14:26whatever salary
14:26you've earned.
14:28You'd really let me
14:29walk away?
14:31I'd really let you
14:32walk away.
14:34He meets my eyes.
14:36Because forcing you
14:37to stay would defeat
14:38the entire purpose
14:39of hiring you.
14:41The logic is sound,
14:43too sound,
14:44which somehow
14:44makes it more suspicious.
14:46I need to think
14:47about it,
14:48I say.
14:49You have until Monday.
14:50That's four days.
14:52Plenty of time.
14:54He slides a card
14:55across the table.
14:56Heavy stock,
14:57embossed lettering,
14:59just a phone number.
15:00Call me when you decide.
15:02Or don't.
15:03Either way,
15:04lunch is on me.
15:06I pocket the card,
15:08hating myself a little.
15:10We eat in silence
15:11for a few minutes.
15:12The food is incredible,
15:14each course better
15:15than the last,
15:16but I barely taste it.
15:18My mind is spinning
15:19through scenarios,
15:20calculations,
15:21risk assessments.
15:22$200,000
15:23would change my life,
15:24would change my mom's life.
15:27I could pay off
15:28her medical bills,
15:29my loans,
15:30actually finish my thesis
15:31without juggling
15:32three jobs.
15:33But at what cost?
15:36Can I ask you something?
15:38I say as they're
15:38clearing the main course.
15:40You can ask.
15:41I might not answer.
15:42Why me?
15:43Specifically me.
15:45There are hundreds
15:46of economic students
15:47at Stanford.
15:48Thousands across
15:49the country.
15:50Why track me down
15:51after one argument
15:51with a professor?
15:53Dante leans forward,
15:54elbows on the table.
15:56The sunlight catches
15:57the scar through his eyebrow,
15:58and for just a moment,
16:00he looks less like a CEO
16:01and more like someone
16:02who's been through
16:03actual hell.
16:04Because when Chen
16:05threatened your entire future,
16:07you didn't back down,
16:08he says.
16:09You doubled down.
16:11Do you know
16:12how rare that is?
16:13Real courage,
16:14not the performative kind.
16:16I watched you walk out
16:17of that lecture hall
16:18knowing you might have
16:19just destroyed
16:19your academic career,
16:21and you didn't flinch.
16:22I flinched internally,
16:24but externally?
16:26He shakes his head.
16:28Nothing.
16:29That's the kind of person
16:29I need beside me,
16:31someone who won't crumble
16:32when things get difficult.
16:34Things get difficult
16:35in your line of work?
16:36His smile is blade sharp.
16:39More than you know.
16:41My phone buzzes.
16:42It's Jade.
16:44Chen's looking for you.
16:45Says he'll let it slide
16:46if you apologize.
16:48Do it.
16:48I stare at the message,
16:51then at Dante,
16:52then back at my phone.
16:54Something wrong?
16:55He asks.
16:56Just,
16:57Professor Chen,
16:59offering me a lifeline
17:00if I grovel.
17:01Are you going to?
17:03I think about Chen's
17:04condescending smile,
17:06about four more years
17:07of biting my tongue,
17:09about spending my 20s
17:10broke and exhausted,
17:11hoping someone will
17:12eventually take me seriously.
17:15No.
17:16I say slowly.
17:17I don't think I am.
17:20Dante's expression
17:21doesn't change,
17:22but something shifts
17:23in his eyes.
17:24Approval, maybe.
17:26Or recognition.
17:28Good,
17:29he says.
17:29Then I'll see you Monday.
17:31I haven't said yes yet.
17:33You will.
17:35He stands,
17:36pulling on his jacket
17:37with fluid grace.
17:38Drops a black credit card
17:39on the table
17:40without even looking
17:41at the bill.
17:42One more thing,
17:43I call as he turns to leave.
17:44If I do this,
17:46if I say yes,
17:47I'm not going to be
17:49your yes woman.
17:50You're hiring me
17:51to tell you the truth.
17:52That's what you'll get,
17:53even when you don't like it.
17:56Dante looks back
17:57over his shoulder,
17:58and for the first time,
17:59his smile reaches his eyes.
18:02Olivia Brennan,
18:03he says.
18:04I'm counting on it.
18:07Then he's gone,
18:08leaving me alone
18:09with the check,
18:10the sunshine,
18:11and the growing certainty
18:13that I'm about to make
18:14either the best
18:14or worst decision
18:15of my life.
18:17My phone buzzes again.
18:19This time,
18:19it's an unknown number.
18:21Black car outside
18:22whenever you're ready.
18:23Driver will take you
18:24wherever you need to go.
18:26DM.
18:28I look out the window.
18:29Sure enough,
18:30there's a black Mercedes
18:31idling at the curb.
18:33Absolutely not,
18:34I mutter,
18:35standing up.
18:36I walk out the front door,
18:37past the Mercedes,
18:38and start the 45-minute trek
18:40back to my apartment
18:41on public transit.
18:42My phone buzzes
18:43one more time.
18:44Stubborn.
18:45I like that, too.
18:47I don't text back.
18:48But I don't delete
18:49his number, either.
18:50Monday morning,
18:51I'm standing outside
18:52Marquesi Holdings
18:53in the financial district,
18:55wearing the one
18:55professional outfit I own,
18:57black pants from Target,
18:59white blouse that's been ironed
19:00within an inch of its life,
19:02and blazer I borrowed
19:03from Jade.
19:04I look like I'm dressed
19:04for a job interview,
19:06which,
19:06technically,
19:07I am.
19:08Except I already said yes.
19:10Saturday night,
19:11at 11 p.m.,
19:11after 48 hours
19:12of arguing with myself,
19:14I texted that number.
19:15I'm in.
19:16But we're doing this
19:17my way.
19:18His response was immediate.
19:20Wouldn't have it
19:20any other way.
19:22Monday, 9 a.m.
19:23Don't be late.
19:24Now I'm here,
19:25staring up at a glass tower
19:26that reflects the morning sun
19:28like a mirror,
19:29and questioning every life choice
19:30that led to this moment.
19:32Miss Brennan?
19:33A woman in her 50s
19:35appears beside me,
19:37elegant,
19:37efficient,
19:38terrifying.
19:40I'm Victoria,
19:41Mr. Marquise's
19:42executive assistant.
19:43He's expecting you.
19:45She doesn't wait
19:46for a response,
19:47just turns and walks
19:48into the building.
19:50I follow,
19:51because apparently
19:51that's my life now.
19:53The elevator ride
19:54to the 42nd floor
19:55is silent
19:56except for smooth jazz
19:57and my racing heartbeat.
19:59Victoria doesn't make
20:00small talk,
20:01doesn't even look at me,
20:02just checks her phone
20:03with the focus
20:04of someone managing
20:04a small country.
20:06The doors open
20:07onto a reception area
20:08that screams
20:09old money meets
20:10modern power,
20:11original artwork
20:12on the walls,
20:13furniture that's
20:14probably Italian
20:14and definitely expensive,
20:16floor-to-ceiling windows
20:17showcasing a view
20:18of the entire bay.
20:20Conference room three,
20:22Victoria says,
20:23pointing down a hallway.
20:25Mr. Marquise is
20:26finishing a call.
20:27He'll be with you shortly.
20:29Then she's gone,
20:31leaving me alone
20:31in a space
20:32that costs more
20:33per square foot
20:33than my entire apartment.
20:36I find conference room three,
20:38walk inside,
20:39and stop dead,
20:40because Dante's not alone.
20:43There are four other men
20:44in the room,
20:45all in suits,
20:46all watching me
20:47like I'm an unexpected problem.
20:49Three of them are older,
20:51probably 50s or 60s,
20:52with the kind of faces
20:53that suggest
20:54they've seen things
20:55they'll never talk about.
20:56The fourth is younger,
20:58maybe Dante's age,
20:59with similar features.
21:01Brother,
21:01I'm guessing.
21:03Dante's at the head
21:04of the table,
21:05standing,
21:05arms crossed.
21:06He sees me
21:07and something flickers
21:08across his face.
21:09Surprise?
21:10Concern?
21:11Gentlemen,
21:12he says smoothly.
21:14We'll continue this later.
21:15We're not done here, Dante.
21:18The youngest one,
21:19definitely his brother,
21:21doesn't move.
21:22You can't seriously
21:23be bringing in
21:24an outsider for this.
21:25She's a liability.
21:27Marco?
21:28Dante's voice drops
21:29to a register
21:30that makes the air
21:30feel thinner.
21:32Leave.
21:33She doesn't know anything
21:34about our business.
21:35That's exactly why
21:36I hired her.
21:37Fresh perspective.
21:38No preconceptions.
21:40Dante finally looks at me.
21:42Olivia,
21:43give us five minutes.
21:45No.
21:46The word is out
21:47before I can stop it.
21:49Every head in the room
21:50turns.
21:52Excuse me?
21:53Marco says.
21:54No,
21:55I repeat,
21:56stepping fully into the room.
21:57If I'm a liability,
21:59let's talk about it now.
22:00If there's a problem
22:01with me being here,
22:02I'd rather know
22:02before I waste anyone's time.
22:04The three older men
22:05exchange glances.
22:07One of them,
22:08salt and pepper hair,
22:09expensive watch,
22:10actually smiles.
22:12She's got spine,
22:13he says to Dante.
22:14I'll give you that.
22:16Tony, please.
22:18Dante pinches
22:18the bridge of his nose.
22:20Everyone out!
22:21Now!
22:22They leave.
22:24Slowly.
22:25Marco shoots me a look
22:26that could freeze vodka,
22:27but he goes.
22:28The door closes.
22:30Silence.
22:31That was either
22:32very brave
22:32or very stupid,
22:34Dante says finally.
22:36Probably both.
22:38I drop my bag
22:38on the conference table.
22:40Want to tell me
22:41what I just walked into?
22:43Family business.
22:44He moves to the windows,
22:46staring out at the city.
22:48Marco thinks I'm making
22:49a mistake bringing you on.
22:50He's not entirely wrong.
22:52Wow.
22:53Great pep talk.
22:55Really feeling
22:55the warm welcome.
22:56I'm being honest.
22:58He turns to face me.
23:00There are people
23:00in my organization
23:01who won't like you,
23:03won't trust you,
23:04will make your job harder
23:05just to prove a point.
23:07So why bring me into it?
23:09Because I need someone
23:10who isn't already
23:11part of the machine.
23:13He crosses the room,
23:14stopping a few feet away.
23:16Close enough
23:17that I can smell his cologne,
23:18something expensive
23:19and woodsy.
23:21Everyone else here
23:22has agendas,
23:23loyalties,
23:24history,
23:25you don't.
23:26Yet,
23:27I say.
23:29Give it time.
23:30I'm very good
23:31at making enemies.
23:33That almost smile again.
23:35I'm counting on it.
23:37He hands me a tablet.
23:40Start with these
23:41three acquisition targets.
23:42Hotels in Seattle,
23:43Miami,
23:44and Austin.
23:44I need full market analysis,
23:46risk assessment,
23:47and your honest opinion
23:48on whether any of them
23:49are worth pursuing.
23:51I scroll through the files.
23:53This is...
23:55actually straightforward.
23:56Legitimate business.
23:58Did you think
23:58I was going to hand you
23:59a list of illegal operations
24:01on day one?
24:02I didn't know what to think.
24:04Think that I meant
24:05what I said.
24:06He leans against the table.
24:08Legal.
24:09Transparent.
24:10Real work.
24:11I'm reading through
24:12the Seattle file
24:13when I notice something.
24:15Wait.
24:16This hotel.
24:17The Grandview.
24:18They're being pressured to sell.
24:20Multiple offers.
24:21All declined.
24:22But look at this.
24:23I zoom in
24:24on a property survey.
24:26Someone's been buying up
24:27adjacent lots.
24:29Slowly.
24:30Through shell companies.
24:32Dante moves behind me,
24:33looking over my shoulder.
24:35And?
24:36And it's a squeeze play.
24:38Buy everything around them.
24:40Wait until they can't
24:40operate effectively.
24:42Then swoop in
24:42with a lowball offer.
24:44I turn my head.
24:46He's closer than I realized.
24:47Is that you?
24:49Would it matter if it was?
24:51Yes.
24:52I hold his gaze.
24:53Because that's predatory.
24:55Legal, maybe.
24:56But predatory.
24:58For a long moment,
24:59he just looks at me.
25:01Then,
25:01it's not us.
25:03But I know who it is.
25:05Then we should warn them.
25:07We're not the good guys here,
25:09Olivia.
25:10Maybe not.
25:11But we're not the bad guys either.
25:13I stand up,
25:14forcing him to step back.
25:16You hired me to tell you the truth.
25:19Here's the truth.
25:20If you want to acquire that hotel,
25:22do it properly.
25:23Fair market value.
25:24No games.
25:25Because the second you start playing dirty,
25:27you become exactly what people say you are.
25:30And if I say no,
25:31then I walk away,
25:33like you promised I could.
25:35The tension in the room is thick enough to cut.
25:38Dante's jaw tightens.
25:40His hands flex at his sides.
25:42I can see him running calculations,
25:44weighing options,
25:46deciding whether I'm worth the trouble.
25:48Fine,
25:49he says finally.
25:51We'll approach them directly.
25:52Fair offer.
25:54Good.
25:55But Olivia?
25:57He steps closer.
25:58Don't mistake me for someone who can be managed.
26:01I'm giving you this because you're right.
26:03Not because you backed me into a corner.
26:06Noted.
26:07We work through the rest of the morning in surprising sink.
26:11He's sharp.
26:12Sharper than I expected.
26:13Asking questions that cut right to the core of each analysis.
26:17We argue about the Miami property.
26:19Agree on Austin.
26:21Circle back to Seattle three times before settling on an approach.
26:25Around noon,
26:26Victoria appears with lunch.
26:28Salads that look like art installations.
26:31You don't have to feed me,
26:33I say,
26:33picking at the arugula.
26:35I have to feed everyone.
26:37It's easier than tracking who ate what.
26:40Victoria sets down sparkling water.
26:43Also,
26:43you're making Mr. Marchese actually think today.
26:46That's worth feeding.
26:48She leaves.
26:49Dante's trying not to laugh.
26:51What?
26:51I demand.
26:52Nothing.
26:53Just,
26:54Victoria doesn't give compliments.
26:56Ever.
26:56You've been here four hours and she likes you.
26:59Should I be worried?
27:01Probably.
27:02My phone buzzes.
27:04I ignore it.
27:05It buzzes again.
27:06And again.
27:07Take it,
27:08Dante says.
27:10It's Jade.
27:10Then my mom.
27:12Then a number I don't recognize.
27:14All texts.
27:15Jade.
27:16Where are you?
27:17Mom.
27:18Honey.
27:19Someone's at the apartment asking for you.
27:22Unknown.
27:23Miss Brennan.
27:24This is Agent Sarah Chen with the FBI.
27:26We need to speak with you regarding your new employment.
27:29My blood turns to ice.
27:31Dante.
27:33Something in my voice makes him look up immediately.
27:36I show him the phone.
27:38His expression doesn't change,
27:39but I see his knuckles go white as he grips the edge of the table.
27:43Don't respond,
27:44he says quietly.
27:46Not yet.
27:47The FBI is at my apartment.
27:49I know.
27:51He's already moving.
27:52Phone to his ear.
27:54Tony,
27:54we have a problem.
27:56Federal visit to the new analyst's residence.
27:58Yes,
27:59today.
27:59Handle it.
28:00He ends the call.
28:02Looks at me.
28:03I need you to listen very carefully,
28:05he says.
28:06This is the intimidation tactic.
28:08They do this every time I hire someone new.
28:11Show up,
28:11ask questions,
28:12imply I'm under investigation.
28:14It's designed to scare you away.
28:16It's working.
28:18Olivia.
28:20He's in front of me now,
28:21hands on my shoulders.
28:22You haven't done anything wrong.
28:25You're not in trouble.
28:26They're fishing.
28:27For what?
28:29For anything.
28:30Everything.
28:31It's what they do.
28:33His grip tightens.
28:34But you have rights.
28:36You don't have to talk to them.
28:37Not without a lawyer.
28:38And definitely not without me.
28:40This is insane.
28:42This is my world.
28:44His eyes are darker than ever.
28:46And I should have warned you.
28:48That's on me.
28:49But right now,
28:50I need you to decide.
28:51Are you in?
28:52Or are you out?
28:54My phone won't stop buzzing.
28:56Through the window,
28:57I can see the city sparkling in the afternoon sun.
28:59Bright.
29:00Beautiful.
29:01Completely indifferent to my crisis.
29:03Two paths.
29:05One safe.
29:06One dangerous.
29:06I'm in,
29:09I hear myself say.
29:10But we're going to my apartment,
29:12together.
29:13And we're doing this in broad daylight
29:14where everyone can see we have nothing to hide.
29:17Dante studies my face.
29:19You're sure?
29:20No.
29:20But I'm doing it anyway.
29:22The car ride to my apartment takes 20 minutes.
29:25The longest 20 minutes of my life.
29:28Dante makes three more calls.
29:30His lawyer,
29:31someone named Vincent,
29:32and Marco again.
29:33She's staying,
29:35he says into the phone.
29:37Deal with it.
29:39When we pull up,
29:40there are two agents outside.
29:42Dark suits.
29:43Government-issue sedan.
29:44The whole cliché.
29:46Let me do the talking,
29:47Dante says.
29:49Absolutely not.
29:50I open the car door.
29:52They came to see me.
29:53I'll handle it.
29:54I walk up to the younger agent.
29:56A woman in her 30s
29:58with sharp eyes and sharper suit.
30:00Agent Chen,
30:01I say.
30:02I'm Olivia Brennan.
30:03I understand you wanted to speak with me.
30:05She glances at Dante,
30:07who's standing three feet behind me
30:08like a well-dressed shadow.
30:10Miss Brennan,
30:12we have some questions about your new position
30:14at Marquesi Holdings.
30:16Great.
30:17Ask away.
30:18Right here in the sunshine
30:19where my neighbors can hear every word.
30:21I cross my arms
30:23because I have nothing to hide
30:25and I'm assuming you don't either.
30:27Agent Chen's mouth twitches.
30:29Perhaps somewhere more private.
30:31Here is fine.
30:33Dante's voice is calm.
30:34Deadly calm.
30:36My lawyer will arrive
30:37in approximately six minutes.
30:39You can wait
30:40or you can ask your questions now.
30:42They ask their questions.
30:44Standard stuff.
30:45How I met Dante,
30:46what my job entails,
30:48whether I've witnessed anything illegal,
30:50I answer honestly,
30:51because the truth is boring and legitimate
30:53and exactly what it appears to be.
30:55By the time the lawyer arrives,
30:57they're already packing up.
30:59We'll be in touch,
31:01Agent Chen says.
31:03I'm sure you will,
31:04I reply.
31:05They leave.
31:07The lawyer leaves.
31:09Dante and I stand on the sidewalk
31:10watching the government sedan
31:11disappear around the corner.
31:13So,
31:14I say eventually.
31:16That was fun.
31:18That was a test.
31:20He looks at me.
31:21And you passed.
31:23I wasn't trying to pass anything.
31:25I was just telling the truth.
31:27I know.
31:29He's quiet for a moment.
31:31That's why it worked.
31:33The sun is starting to dip toward the horizon,
31:36painting everything gold.
31:38My hands are shaking
31:39with leftover adrenaline.
31:41I should...
31:41I gesture vaguely at my apartment.
31:45I should probably go reassure my roommate
31:47that I'm not actually working for the mob.
31:49Are you?
31:51Dante asks.
31:52Reassured, I mean.
31:54I look at him.
31:55Really look at him.
31:56At the scar.
31:57The expensive suit.
31:59The careful control.
32:00At the man who hired me
32:01because I argued with a professor.
32:03Who let me challenge him.
32:05Who stood behind me
32:06while federal agents
32:07asked uncomfortable questions.
32:09I'm getting there,
32:10I say honestly.
32:11Good.
32:13He pulls out his phone.
32:14Because tomorrow we're flying to Seattle.
32:16You wanted to handle
32:17the Grandview acquisition properly.
32:19Let's go make the offer in person.
32:21Tomorrow.
32:22Problem?
32:23I don't even have a toothbrush.
32:26We'll buy one in Seattle.
32:28He's already walking back to the car.
32:30Be ready at 6 a.m.
32:31And Olivia?
32:32Yeah?
32:34He looks back.
32:35And this time his smile is real.
32:37Warm.
32:38Devastating.
32:40Welcome to the family business.
32:42The car pulls away.
32:44I stand there,
32:44phone buzzing with messages
32:45from Jade demanding explanations,
32:48watching the city light up
32:49in the fading sun.
32:51Six months.
32:52$200,000.
32:53And a man who makes me feel
32:55simultaneously terrified
32:57and more alive
32:58than I've ever been.
33:00What the hell
33:01have I gotten myself into?
33:02I mutter.
33:03My phone buzzes again.
33:05Dante.
33:06Something interesting.
33:08I promise.
33:09Despite everything,
33:11the FBI,
33:12the fear,
33:13the absolute insanity
33:14of the day,
33:15I smile.
33:17Yeah.
33:17Something interesting indeed.
33:20The end.
33:23Your time means everything.
33:25If Liev and Dante's story
33:26resonated with you,
33:27consider
33:28leaving a comment
33:29with your favorite line,
33:31sharing with one friend
33:32who needs a good romance
33:33coming back next week
33:34for the next adventure
33:35because every great love story
33:37deserves an audience.
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