Without raising her voice, she delivered her response with icy, surgical precision.
"I speak four languages."
The Boss’s jaw tightened. The quiet defiance was a direct assault on his absolute authority, especially in front of his new international partner. The veins in his neck bulged against his open silk collar. His ego, fragile beneath the charcoal suit, demanded immediate and overwhelming retaliation.
He reached into his jacket, pulling out a thick, banded stack of untraceable hundred-dollar bills. With a sudden burst of violent energy, he slammed the cash down onto the mahogany table. The impact made the candle flame violently dance, momentarily throwing the room into deeper darkness. He leaned across the table, his eyes narrowing into venomous slits. He wanted to humiliate her, to buy her dignity and crush it.
"Hundred thousand dollars says you can't say one sentence in Chinese," he spat, a cruel, mocking sneer twisting his features.