“Ms. Weston and I are completely confused as to why the permissions for Villa Dolce Vita have been revoked. We did everything you asked all throughout the process, complied with any necessary adjustments and amendments where required. As far as we were concerned, everything was agreed and authorized. What has changed?”

“We did also,” one of the officials replied. “But then we received the updated application.”

Kim looked at the older man, mystified. “What updated application?” she asked.

“An application for amendments to the licenses,” he said, picking up one of the documents on the table. “As such, any changes automatically rescind the previous grant and put the entire project back into the planning process.”

“But we didn’t request any amendments...” Kim insisted, looking at Antonio, who seemed equally puzzled.

“Show me the new application,” her partner requested, and the official duly handed him the document. Kim watched as he read through it quickly and slowly shook his head.

“Yes, this is very definitely a mistake. An oversight from someone in the company—an office clerk, perhaps,” he assured them. “Please ignore this request,” he said. “There are no amendments planned to the project. This is most definitely a clerical error, a misunderstanding.”

Kim let out an inward sigh of relief.

A misunderstanding... Thank goodness.

The two officials looked at each other.

“Please,” she insisted, her heart rushing into her mouth once again. Surely these guys couldn’t insist on holding them to a mistake. These things happened all the time. “Everything remains as it stands. The project is complete and due to open for business within days. We would not and do not require any material changes at this point.”

She noticed one of the officials give the other an almost imperceptible nod and her pulse began to race in anticipation of what they would say.

“OK, yes. We appreciate that mistakes happen, though in order to reinstate the previous approvals we would need an assurance in writing—”

“Absolutely, I’ll arrange to do that right away,” she promised them, letting out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

It was just a mistake. Thank God, thank God...

She had no idea who in the office would request amendments to the licenses at this late stage, though she guessed it must be as Antonio suggested, a clerical error of some kind. She’d find out—eventually. The important thing was that they were out of the woods.

As Antonio echoed her assurances to follow up in writing, and exchanged further pleasantries with the officials, Kim noticed him squirrel away the offending documents into his briefcase and made a mental note to examine them herself afterward.

But she couldn’t deny her elation and sheer relief that it had in fact all been settled. After weeks of being taken for a ride every which way, finally she’d got some satisfaction.

Thank goodness.