The serene room was suddenly touched by light as a hand drew back the curtains, allowing strands of sunshine to spill inside, each carrying specks of gold.
Heirloom paintings on the walls, opulent chandeliers, white pure wool carpets, intricately made peach wood furniture emanating wafts of fragrance, and a colorful, time-worn cloisonné vase.
Everything revealed wealth and nobility.
A butler, attired in a black tailcoat, wielded a large pair of scissors in his left hand—snip, snip—neatly trimming the branches of flowers freshly picked from the garden. After arranging a large bouquet, he enquired of the master, "Will this do?"
Such business discussions often began this way.
To the uninitiated, it seemed a mere query about flowers.
"Of course not," the reply came with a shake of the head.
