Claire blinked rapidly, clearly flustered. “I… I don’t think that’s something I can do, sir,” she stammered, shaking her head slightly. “I mean… I can’t just give a stranger a full tour of the office when our boss isn’t here. I’m sorry, but—”
I cut her off with a cold smile.
“I am Alex Jones,” I said, enunciating every word, “a potential investor in this company. And I can only imagine how your boss would feel if she found out I decided to pull out of the deal… because her employee not only called me a stranger but also refused to show me around.”
Claire froze mid-breath, her cheeks flushing scarlet.
“I… I’m sorry!” she blurted out in a rush, clearly panicked now. She stretched out a shaky hand toward the hallway. “Of course, sir. Right this way, please.”
Satisfied, I gave her a faint
