William's POV
The merchant cleared her throat and began, "I have heard great things about you from a mutual contact of ours in Morocco. You see, they mentioned that you were a trusted business partner and someone I could rely on for advice. Is it safe to discuss this in front of Mia?"
I was taken aback by her question.
“Who could our mutual contact be?” My mind raced as I wondered. “It’s clear that she’s interested in more than just my spices. I wonder what kind of information she had heard about me.”
With a deep breath, I nodded, "Of course. Mia is a trusted partner of mine and can be present in any business discussions we'll have."
The merchant took a sip of wine and spoke in a low, serious voice, "I understand that you have moved a lot of illicit cargo for Mallam Abu, including hum
