Giovanni gulped at the dark look in Matteo's eyes. There was no way he could say no and offend him. But there was also no way he could offend the Walton and Friesent families as well.
Amelia spotted his hesitation, and she decided to lend a helping hand.
"Mr. Montgomery, may I say a word?" Amelia asked cautiously.
"What is it, Amelia?" Matteo asked, turning to gaze at her.
Giovanni couldn't miss how his eyes softened as he looked at this Amelia person. To his knowledge, Matteo Montgomery had never looked at any guest he brought with such tenderness.
"They are unrelated to the issue at hand," Amelia said, looking at the flute as a gentle reminder. "Banning them out of nowhere would merely cause issues for the charity."
"But they are also not allowed to harass people at will," Matteo said severely. "Mr. Giovanni?"
"Yes?" Giovanni leapt up.
"As the host of the event, you ought to keep an eye out on what is happening at your auctions," Matteo coldly said. "Caleb Walton and Kelsie Friesent have been harassing my assistant here the entire night. They have caused damages to her personal property and attempted to publicly slander her. What might you think is punishment enough?"
There.
It was unrelated to the flute, but this was another issue the charity event was responsible for. As the host, they should've ensured that none of the guests would harass another, and for what Amelia had faced the entire night, they had turned a complete blind eye despite the plentiful servers and staff present.
"Please forgive us, Mr. Montgomery, that was our oversight," Giovanni immediately said, bowing his head. "I…"
At this point, Giovanni's forehead was completely beaded with sweat. He had ignored certain reports of a ruckus between a couple of guests, but he hadn't thought that it would bring him so much trouble just for turning a blind eye to the squabbles of the elite circle.
"How about this," Matteo said, coldly glaring at Giovanni. "In the future, if there is anything the Montgomerys wish to bid for, Kelsie Friesent and Caleb Walton will be barred from offering a counter."
Giovanni stilled. It wasn't a complete ban, but he would surely still hear complaints. Yet, that was infinitely better than outright barring them from attending future events.
"Yes, Mr. Montgomery! Crystal clear!" Giovanni exclaimed in relief.
This wasn't the best, but it was still much better than the previous sentence Matteo Montgomery handed out! It was difficult to say no outright to this man, even if it meant offending two of the wealthiest families in Solara. Without this suggestion, Mr. Giovanni would've been caught in between a rock and a hard place.
He gave Matteo a bow and then turned to Amelia and gave her one too. Now, this woman was his savior, and he would go home every night and send her a prayer of thanks.
Amelia bowed back with more awkwardness.
"Thank you, Miss Amelia," Giovanni said fervently, reaching out to grab her hands in a tight hold. "I will never forget today. If you have anything you need from me, please just ask."
"Oh, you're welcome," Amelia said in bemusement, unsure of his sudden enthusiasm with her. Beside her, Matteo cleared his throat in warning, and Giovanni quickly pulled his hands back, as though he were burnt.
He had to be careful now! This woman was definitely his lover, or if she wasn't yet, she soon would be. The title of assistant must be a mask in fear of media backlash― Giovanni made a mental note to hide this secret well for them.
Giovanni took a more careful look at her, making sure to memorize her face. Her face looked vaguely familiar to him, as though he had seen it a few decades ago. She seemed like she would shine beautifully on camera as a late 1950s Hollywood actress.
There was a stunning nostalgia in her features, with hauntingly soft baby-blue eyes, soft cheeks, and a plump lower lip. Paired with her blonde curls and champagne gold dress, she was an angelic movie starlet straight from the big screen.
Perhaps that was what captivated a man like Matteo, who already had the world at his fingertips and a bevy of women to choose from. Giovanni would have to stay on her good side in the future, just in case she became Matteo Montgomery's wife.
"As for the flute," Matteo's gaze lazily turned to the girl on the floor, "make sure to investigate this case fully without slacking off." Matteo warned, "If I find out that palms were greased in this investigation, there will be hell to pay."
"Yes, of course! I'll hound the police department every day even if it kills me!" Giovanni promised eagerly.
"Come on Amelia, it's time to go," Matteo said, and she nodded, eager to leave this place.
"Let me escort you―"
"No need. Keep an eye on our suspect," Matteo instructed, and Giovanni's face fell. But he followed them out of the room and gave them a polite bow. Only when he saw the last of their backs along the corridor did he turn back and glare venomously at Gina, who had cried herself to exhaustion.
"You stupid bitch! You're lucky that we're not closed down!" He raged, grabbing her collar to drag her up.
He shook her, as though she was an errant puppy.
"What were you thinking, stealing that flute? You might as well make off with the lion statue while you're at it! Or how about my auctioneer's license!"
Gina choked and gasped, her face wet with silent tears. She shook her head, and Giovanni threw her back down in disgust. Of course, her coworkers and the security guards did not help her up. She should have spoken earlier, but that man was too terrifying, and all her words were stuck in her throat.
"I… She promised…" Gina began weakly, "I didn't mean to…"
"Who promised? Who on earth had the guts to promise you something so big that you would dare steal from me?! Let me know and I'll tear them to shreds!" Giovanni gnashed his teeth.
If one of his employees was responsible, he would rip off their limbs and send them one by one to the police station.
"...It's Kelsie Friesent, Mr. Giovanni," Gina wept. "She promised me 10 million if I would steal it!"