Page 30 of My Unexpected Surprise
"Do it." I stand up. "And prepare to defend every word when we present. They will push back."
"I know." She meets my eyes directly. "I am ready for that."
I leave the room before I do something stupid like tell her how rare it is for anyone to change my mind about anything. Especially this quickly.
Back in my office I close the door and pick up the phone. Griffin Calloway answers on the second ring. His voice carries the easy confidence of a man who has spent years cleaning up other people's messes in courtrooms and boardrooms alike.
"Valentino. To what do I owe the pleasure this early?"
I sit down at my desk and keep my tone neutral. "Three quick questions. Professional advice. Off the record for now."
Griffin pauses. I can almost hear him straightening in his chair. "Go ahead."
"First. What complications arise when hiring the daughter of a direct business rival?"
He exhales slowly. "Depends on the rival. And how much bad blood already exists. You thinking of Dante De Luca? Because if you are I need you to tell me right now."
I don’t confirm it. "Second question. What are the firm policies and legal exposure around relationships with employees? Direct reports specifically."
Griffin goes very quiet. "Valentino."
"Third. Confidentiality obligations regarding an employee's dependents. Child. Single parent situation. How far can I press for details without crossing lines?"
"Jesus Christ." Griffin lets out a laugh that contains zero humor.
"You hired her. You actually hired Dante De Luca's daughter and now you are asking me about sleeping with her and digging into her kid. Do I have that sequence right?"
"I did not say that."
"You didn’t have to. I’ve known you for years. You don’t ask vague questions. You ask because something specific is already happening."
His voice turns sharp. "Hey, don’t touch her. Not once. Not even if she throws herself at you. HR nightmare. Lawsuit risk. And that’s before we get to Dante.
“Don’t interrogate her about the child either. You start asking about her son and she’ll smell an agenda from a mile away. Single mothers in high pressure jobs already walk a tightrope. You make it worse and she walks or she sues. Or both."
I rub my temple. "And the rival situation?"
"Dante submitted his own proposal to Aurelius two weeks ago. He’s pivoting hard into family security.” He coughs.
“Sorry–so he sees it as the next logical extension of his logistics empire. Private transport. Secure relocation. Now personal protection.
“He wants this contract badly and will use every connection he has. Including his daughter if he can get to her."
I absorb that information in silence. Dante entering my field directly changes the stakes. It also explains why Livia looked so strained when she mentioned family pressure.
Griffin continues. "Don’t start a war with him without ironclad evidence. You go after Dante you gonna need proof of illegal activity or you risk everything you’ve built. And for God's sake don’t let this woman become the battlefield. Hire her for her skills. Keep it professional. Or fire her today and save us all the headache."
"I am not firing her."
"Of course you are not." Griffin sighs. "Look. I like you. I respect what you built. But I’ve seen this movie before. Powerful man. Complicated woman. Sex. It ends in flames, my man. Usually with my firm cleaning up the ashes. Keep your distance."
When the call ends, I lean back and close my eyes.
Griffin's warnings are serious, but they do not change the facts. Livia is the best compliance strategist I’ve interviewed. The revisions she produced this morning prove it. I need her for the Aurelius pitch.
Everything else I will manage.
The morning passes in meetings.
