Before Elara could even reach into her pocket, Chloe raised her right hand. The gold rings flashed under the lights as she waved her hand outward in a dismissive, highly aggressive gesture, as if trying to shoo away a stray animal. Her red lips curled into a cruel sneer, her voice carrying clearly through the intercom system.
"Hey, get out," Chloe spat, the venom in her tone slicing through the quiet hum of the lobby. "We don't allow beggars here."
The words hung in the air, heavy and insulting. Most people would have flushed with embarrassment, stammered an apology, or perhaps flared up in defensive anger. Elara did none of those things. Her expression remained a mask of absolute, unwavering calm. She didn't blink. She didn't shift her weight. She simply stood there, letting the silence stretch, forcing Chloe to sit in the awkwardness of her own unprofessional outburst.
"I just want to deposit my ten million dollar check," Elara said. Her voice was smooth, low, and entirely devoid of emotion.
Chloe let out a sharp, mocking laugh. It was a sound completely devoid of humor, meant only to belittle. She watched with a raised eyebrow as the woman in the hoodie unzipped a side pocket of her battered canvas backpack.
Elara retrieved a crisp, sharply printed piece of paper. With the same fluid, unbothered motion she had maintained since entering the building, she slid the document through the narrow metal slot beneath the reinforced glass.