Tension simmered in the air, thick enough to suffocate. Even the waitstaff, trained to remain impassive in the presence of power, hurried to exit the room. No one wanted to linger in the battlefield between two of the most influential tycoons of their generation.
A sharp chime broke the silence.
Lillie Bai reached for her purse—a custom piece her mother had designed exclusively for her—and retrieved her phone. Without hesitation, she answered, making no effort to shield her conversation from the man sitting across from her.
"Yes?"
[Miss Bai, the documents are ready. Should I have them delivered now or—?]
"Now," she replied crisply.
[Understood. May I know your location?]
"L'incarnation du Loisir," she said, her French flawless and effortless.
