She knew the answer would not matter.
Richard had already decided whose version he preferred.
Victoria folded her arms.
"Frankly, Richard, I don't understand how someone like this was hired in the first place."
Richard gave a nervous laugh.
"Please don't worry. We'll take care of it."
He turned toward Nia.
"Come to my office."
Nia's stomach tightened.
"Sir, may I explain what happened?"
"You can explain it in my office."
Elijah finally stepped forward.
"Excuse me."
Richard turned, visibly annoyed at the interruption.
"Yes?"
"I've been standing here observing the conversation. I don't believe the young woman has done anything to justify the treatment she's receiving."
Richard looked Elijah up and down.
His eyes paused on the older man's coat, then moved to the worn edges of his shoes.
"Sir, I appreciate your concern, but this is a matter between our management and our employee."
Elijah nodded.
"Then I hope management will take the time to understand the matter before making a decision."
Richard's expression hardened.
"We have procedures for handling customer complaints."
"That is good to hear."
"And I would appreciate it if you allowed us to follow them."
"Of course," Elijah replied. "Procedures are important. So is fairness."
Richard did not respond.
Victoria gave Elijah a mocking smile.
"Perhaps you should leave the employee evaluations to people who understand business."
Elijah looked at her.
"I've spent a considerable amount of my life in business."
"Then you should understand why a company protects its best customers."
"I understand why a company protects its reputation."
Victoria raised her eyebrows.
"Exactly."
"But I also understand that a company's reputation depends on how it treats people when it believes nobody important is watching."
For the first time, Victoria appeared genuinely irritated.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that the quality of a business is revealed by its behavior, not merely by its prices."
Richard stepped between them.
"Sir, I must ask you not to interfere with our internal procedures."
Elijah studied him for a moment.
"Very well."
He stepped back.
Nia looked at him with a mixture of gratitude and concern. She appreciated that he had spoken up, but she did not want him to become the next target.
"Thank you," she murmured.
Elijah gave her a small nod.
Richard motioned toward the office again.
"Nia, now."
She followed him down the hallway.
Victoria watched them disappear, then turned toward the remaining shoppers.
"I hope you can all see that I have been more than patient."
Nobody answered.
Elijah approached the briefcase display and picked up a dark brown leather model.
He examined the stitching, tested the zipper, and opened the interior compartments.
The workmanship was excellent.
Daniel remained beside him, watching the manager's office.
"Mr. Carter, this is becoming ridiculous."
Elijah looked at the briefcase.
"Yes."
"Do you want me to call the corporate office?"
"Not yet."
"Why?"
Elijah closed the briefcase gently.
"Because I want to know whether the manager's behavior is an isolated failure of judgment or a reflection of the culture he's created."
Daniel understood.
He took out his phone and quietly sent a message to the company's regional operations director.
Elijah, meanwhile, continued examining the merchandise.
He noticed something else.
A small plaque near the register carried the boutique's official motto:
EXCELLENCE IN EVERY DETAIL. RESPECT IN EVERY INTERACTION.
Elijah read it twice.
Then he looked back toward the hallway where Nia had disappeared.
He wondered how many employees had been asked to uphold those words while being denied the same respect themselves.
Inside the office, Richard closed the door.
Nia stood before his desk, trying to remain calm.
"Do you know how important Ms. Hale is to this store?" he asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Do you know how much she spends here each year?"
"I don't know the exact amount."
"Enough that losing her business would hurt our numbers significantly."
Nia nodded.
"I understand."
"Then why would you risk upsetting her?"
"I didn't intend to upset her. I was trying to find the item she requested."
Richard leaned back in his chair.
"Intentions don't matter when the customer is unhappy."
Nia hesitated.
"Sir, I checked the reservation system twice. There was no confirmed hold."
"Then you should have found a way to solve the problem."
"I offered to contact the other branches."
"And yet she is still unhappy."
Nia looked at him.