She looked him directly in the eyes.
“You made the decision.”
Gavin’s shoulders sagged.
Then Eleanor turned to me.
“Christopher, I need someone at Halston.”
I almost laughed again.
“I’m sorry?”
“A position opened this morning.”
“What position?”
Her mouth curved slightly.
“Mine.”
I stared at her.
She let the silence hang for a moment before continuing.
“I’m retiring.”
The room went completely still.
“My board has spent eighteen months searching for someone to oversee a new division focused on acquiring founder-led companies without destroying the cultures that made them valuable.”
I shook my head.
“Mrs. Halston, I run advertising campaigns.”
“You understand people.”
“That doesn’t make me qualified to run an investment division.”
“No.”
She nodded toward the pitch deck still open on the conference monitor.
“But I read your work while waiting for you.”
I followed her gaze.
“You read my presentation?”
“All fifty-four slides.”
