Alessandro lost the Bergman contract on a Wednesday.
Not because his proposal wasn't strong enough. Not because his team hadn't put in the hours or because his numbers weren't competitive. He lost it because Dante Moretti walked into the final pitch meeting with an offer that undercut Alessandro's by fifteen percent — a margin so thin it was basically a declaration of war.
The news came at 4:47 PM. Alessandro had been in his office, reviewing quarterly projections that were already looking worse than they should, when his phone rang with Bergman's decision. The conversation lasted less than three minutes. Professional. Apologetic. Final.
"We appreciate your proposal, Mr. Castellano, but we've decided to go in a different direction."
Translation: You lost.
He'd hung up without the usual pleasantries. Sat there for five full minutes staring at nothing, feeling the defeat settle into his bones like ice water. Then he'd called Marcus.
