I slid my hand into my coat pocket, the silver key card pressed flat against my palm.

“Not at all, Daniel,” I said, my voice steady.

I turned to face him, letting a cold smile touch my lips.

“I was just giving Elias a preview of my terms.”

Daniel’s eyes moved from my face to the desk, then back to Elias.

He stepped fully into the room, his wet trench coat smelling of damp wool and expensive cologne.

Rainwater dripped from the hem of his coat, leaving dark circles on the polished oak floor.

“Terms?” Daniel asked, his eyebrows raising slightly. “I thought we agreed on how to handle this.”

“We did,” I said, stepping toward him. “But Elias needed to understand exactly how little leverage he has left.”

Elias sat perfectly still behind his desk, his hands folded over his chest.

His face was a mask of cold indifference, but I could see the slight tension in his jaw.

“Ava has a habit of making demands she cannot enforce,” Elias said, his voice flat.

“I was just explaining to her that King Enterprises does not bend to empty threats.”