Chapter Nine

Daniel

As soon as Ariana entered my office, she asked, "What do you think about the proposal from Flair Cosmetics, Daniel?" her sudden interruption derailed my train of thought.

I let out a frustrated sigh. "Ariana, you know I prefer to be addressed as Mr. Russo while we're in the office. I don't want any rumors or disrespect circulating," I reminded her for the umpteenth time. I had reiterated my request to her multiple times, but she never seemed to take it seriously.

"Sorry, Mr. Russo," Ariana glanced at me. "I'll switch to calling you that when we're around others. But when it's just us, can't I just call you Daniel?" she suggested.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, but I prefer maintaining a professional attitude in the office. It's better not to blur the lines."

"No offense, Daniel, but I would also like to remind you that I mentioned I would refer to you as Mr. Russo only in public. When we're alone, I don't see any reason why I should refer to you by your last name," Ariana said with a shrug.

I knew where this conversation was headed, and I didn't want to engage in it. Okay, fine, what do you need, Miss Morgan?" I asked, hoping to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"I was wondering if you've given any thought to the proposal from Flair Cosmetics. I think it could be a profitable venture for us," Ariana said.

I frowned in response. "I've made it clear that I don't want anything to do with that company. They have a bad reputation, and I don't trust them," I said, hoping that would be the end of it.

"But Daniel, we could make a lot of money from this collaboration. And besides, the allegations against Andrew Reynolds have been resolved. It's time to move on," Ariana argued.

I frowned. "I don't get why you're downplaying their reputation when they were accused of something as serious as sexual assault just last year, Ariana. It's not just some small issue that has already been resolved. And just because I've always wanted to branch into the makeup business doesn't mean I would compromise my values to do so," I said, disappointment evident in my tone towards Ariana.

"I understand your reservations, Daniel, but I'm just saying it's worth considering," she responded.

"Are you suggesting that I work with a company whose CEO was arrested and detained for molesting and assaulting an employee? That's not just a tainted brand, that's a toxic company, and once again, I have no intention of ever associating myself or my business with that kind of behavior," I added, hoping to make my position crystal clear with Ariana.

I felt disappointed that Ariana was trying to convince me to work with Flair Cosmetics despite their reputation for misconduct. Her actions made me question whether she shared my moral values or not.

"I understand that you're not trying to defend them, but the allegations against them are severe. And it's not just one isolated incident. Flair Cosmetics has a history of misconduct, and I don't want to associate myself or our business with a company known for behaving poorly," I explained to Ariana.

Although Ariana tried to persuade me, she eventually accepted my stance. "I respect your decision, Daniel. I only brought it up because I found their proposal reasonable, but I understand that you don't want to work with them," Ariana said, her tone almost sarcastic.

"I don't want you to think that I'm being unreasonable either. We need to prioritize our values over potential profits. Flair Cosmetics has a bad reputation that we don't want to be associated with," I continued, hoping that Ariana understood the importance of our shared values.

Ariana simply nodded her head in agreement, and I was relieved that I didn’t have to keep arguing with her.

"Okay, Daniel. So we'll need to keep an eye on every other equally prominent brand and weigh our options," she responded.

"I agree that we should venture into the makeup and cosmetics sector, but I don't think we need to research all the brands in the country. I'm specifically interested in an ethical brand with great and dependable products. Also, it needs to have a spotless reputation since we are the ones they'll need, not the other way around. Understood?" I instructed.

"Crystal clear, sir," was her reply.

"Anything else you need to discuss?" I inquired.

"Yes, actually," she said.

I grimaced and quizzed, "What now, Ariana?"

"Mrs. Wilfred's assistant called and said that Mary wants to speak with you regarding an artist of hers whom you disrespected. Can you elucidate, Daniel?" Ariana asked. At once, I burst into laughter.

"Ariana, are you joking with me right now? Is this real?" I guffawed.

"Am I laughing, Daniel? Is this funny to you? Who's the artist you disrespected, and what happened?" Ariana responded, unamused.

I found it somewhat hilarious that I received a call from Mary, claiming that I disrespected one of her artists, and it was even more hilarious that Bella had reported me to Mary for my insistence on buying her painting.

"What else did Mary say?" I asked curiously.

"She wants you two to meet tomorrow. But hold on, did you insult her work or disrespect the artist in some way?" Ariana questioned me, worried that I had caused trouble.

"I didn't insult her work, Ariana," I clarified.

"Then what happened? Why did she complain to Mary?" Ariana prodded for answers.

"I met Bella at Mary's exhibition yesterday. We were discussing her work, and I offered to buy the painting she explained to me. However, Bella declined to sell it. But I was persistent and kept offering her more money, which she found disrespectful," I explained.

"But that's ridiculous! I can't believe she reported you to Mary over something like that. What is she? A child?" Ariana scoffed.

"You're right. It's a bit silly." I agreed with her.

"Anyway, you're going to get a lecture from Mary tomorrow. Good luck explaining the situation to her. But I'm curious, why were you so interested in that painting? I know for a fact that you are no fan of any kind of artwork, so, what made you so interested in buying hers?" Ariana asked.

I hesitated to answer. The truth was, I didn't find the painting particularly interesting or anything, but I found Bella intriguing.

"Let’s just say that I found the artist very interesting," I answered with a small smile.

"That's ridiculous, Daniel. You're interested in her painting just because you want to get under her skirt? The audacity you have Anyway, I hope you don’t end up getting yourself into any trouble. Don’t say I didn’t warn you." Ariana warned me, but I ignored her warning, thoughts of Bella filling my head as I looked forward to meeting her the next day.