And reassure employees that the company would survive.
We introduced stronger financial oversight.
Independent verification for new suppliers.
Multiple approvals for large transfers.
Regular audits.
And clearer boundaries between personal relationships and company authority.
Some employees felt embarrassed that they’d trusted Brandon’s recommendations.
I refused to blame people who’d been deliberately misled.
Instead, we focused on fixing the weaknesses that had allowed the transactions to happen.
Rossi Design Group survived.
Our projects continued.
Clients stayed.
And forty employees kept their jobs.
One Friday afternoon, Dad visited my office.
I was reviewing plans for a luxury hotel renovation.
He stood beside the window overlooking the Chicago River.
“How are you doing?” he asked.
I thought about the question.
Then answered honestly.
“Better.”
He nodded.
“Good.”
I smiled.
“You saved my company.”
Dad shook his head.
“No, Elena.”
He looked around the office.
“You built this company. You listened when someone warned you there might be a problem. Then you did the work to protect it.”
