Silence settled over the room like a heavy curtain being pulled shut. For a single moment, no one moved.
The men who had been lounging moments ago now stared at Mirena with wide, disbelieving eyes.
Even the background noise of clinking glasses and low music from the restaurant beyond the door seemed to vanish, as though the space itself had decided to hold its breath.
The man standing in front of her was the first to react.
“You—” he started, his face flushing an angry red. “How dare—”
Mirena took another step forward.
Not fast or reckless, but a measured and certain step filled with confidence.
“If you think I’m bluffing,” she said calmly, her voice carrying clearly through the room, “then try me.”
The shift was subtle, but unmistakable.
The bravado drained fr
