A soft, involuntary snicker escaped Isadora. It was quick, almost private, but it landed like a pebble in a still pool. Fiona's eyes flashed.
"What are you laughing at?" she asked, the question sharp.
Isadora's smile was small and controlled. "You were in a very public scandal," she said. "You served time. You've only just come out. How would it look for the company to hire you immediately into a senior role? The reputation risk is real. Donors, partners, investors—they will not see this as restoration. They will see it as recklessness."
Fiona's face did not show the heat that rose in her. She had expected this line of attack and had prepared counters, but the counter she had not expected was Isadora's willingness to weaponize propriety against her. The room shifted; some directors nodded at Isadora's point, others looked at Hayes as if waiting for his reaction.
