Inside the VIP restaurant room, the air felt heavy, thick with unspoken tension. The quiet hum of the air conditioner was the only sound that dared intrude on the silence between the two men. William sat relaxed or at least, he looked it. His back rested against the plush leather seat, his arms folded firmly across his chest. His sharp gaze, however, betrayed his outward calm, locking onto the man standing opposite him with the intensity of a predator assessing its prey.
James, seated a few feet away, shifted slightly. Outwardly, he projected ease his posture casual, his hands loosely hanging by his sides but deep down, his nerves were coiling tighter with each passing second. He could feel the weight of William's stare, sharp enough to cut through the facade he was trying so hard to maintain.
Then William's voice finally broke the silence.
