Page 243 of Merciless Daddy

“Next,” Donatella said.

“Clause four assigns discretionary authority over pending employee payments.”

“To the proxy holder.”

“Without a fiduciary restriction.”

Gianni came closer.

“You are not rewriting the agreement.”

I looked at him.

“Then I am not signing it.”

Donatella’s mouth twitched. Only slightly. It vanished before I could be sure.

The hardware bar reached thirty-one percent.

“Continue,” she said.

I continued.

I challenged the definition of corporate necessity. The absence of a termination mechanism. The indemnity language. The attempt to classify my flight from Gianni as a temporary medical absence.

I forced them to open attached schedules. Vendor lists. Subsidiary voting tables. A page containing my companies’ registered addresses.

Nothing told me where I was.

No network name appeared.

No facility identifier.

Donatella pushed me whenever I slowed.

“Answer clearly.”

“I did.”

“You answered emotionally.”

“I answered accurately.”

“You look exhausted.”

“I was fucking kidnapped!”

“Stop saying that.”

“Then stop helping the kidnapper.”

Gianni smiled from beyond the camera frame.

“Yelena,” Donatella said, “did you form the emergency trust independently?”

“Yes.”

“Did Salvatore Scordato instruct you to do it?”