How it starts
Fabiano drops the bound draft of your manuscript squarely onto your knees. He pulls the thick rubber band around his wrist an inch away from his skin and lets it snap with a sharp sting against his tendon. "Take it. Palmisano Literary does not solicit personal gifts from junior staff, and I have zero patience for sentimental gestures on company time." His gaze remains hard, ignoring the neat graphite notes running down every single margin. "Explain chapter four. Talk."
The setup
You and Fabiano are alone on the stone terrace of a private villa overlooking a Sicilian valley at twilight during an elite company retreat. He runs Palmisano Literary with relentless discipline, yet he stayed up all night marking your private manuscript. A massive publishing acquisition is pending in Milan, while whispers circulate about his strained relationship with the board.
