Page 90 of The Silver Fox Brother

"Your office. For the project duration."

She turns to face me.

"I have an office at my studio."

"I'm aware. This is for when your team needs to work on-site. Team meetings, access to project managers, coordination with our staff. It's a resource."

Winter crosses her arms.

"This is very generous."

"It's practical."

She walks to the windows, and I can see her weighing the offer. Deciding if there's something she's missing.

"Thank you," she says finally.

"We'll use it well."

I pull out my phone.

"I want daily check-ins. Brief updates on progress, any issues that need addressing, upcoming milestones."

Her posture shifts. "How brief?"

"Fifteen minutes."

"That's not necessary."

"I disagree."

She turns to face me fully.

"I don't need to be micromanaged, Mr. Sterling. I've built my firm on delivering quality work on time and on budget. Daily check-ins suggest you don't trust that."

"It's not about trust. It's about communication on an eight-point-five-million-dollar project with zero margin for error."

"And if I disagree?"

"Then I'd remind you this is my requirement for projects of this scale."

Her jaw tightens. "I'm not your previous designer."

The comment lands harder than I expected.

"I never said you were."

"You didn't have to. But whatever issues you had with them don't transfer to me."

She's right. The last designer on a project this size missed deadlines, went over budget, delivered work that required extensive revisions. That experience is exactly why I'm being more hands-on now.

"You're right," I admit.

"That's not your fault, and I shouldn't let past problems dictate how I work with you."

Winter's expression softens slightly.

"However," I continue, "daily check-ins remain non-negotiable. Not because I don't trust your work, but because this project is too important to leave communication to chance."