Serena almost rolled her eyes as the security guard blocked her path at the entrance to the offices. She was pretty sure there had to be a rule against people taking petty power trips, but clearly, that wasn't the case today. Taking a deep breath, she tilted her head slightly, sizing him up before addressing him in a tone that carried both patience and a sharp edge.
"Look," she began, her voice calm but laced with a warning, "either you call whoever it is that instructed you to stop me and explain how pointless this little charade is, or we can do this the hard way. And trust me, you won't enjoy that part, because I'll get the lawyers involved. Then you can explain to them and your superiors why you're taking the fall for someone else's bad decisions." She offered him a tight smile. "So, Sir Security, please do the needful and let me through. I promise it'll be less painful for everyone."
