Leona’s POV
“You stayed too long.”
I didn’t raise my voice. There was no need. The words hung on the line quietly but firmly, not asking to be obeyed—it expected it.
There was a pause.
“Madam, we were ensuring…”
“I don’t pay you to ensure,” I interrupted smoothly. “I pay you to follow instructions. When I say step back, you do it before anyone notices.”
“We were not…”
“You were felt,” I corrected, my tone softening a little, which somehow made it worse. “And that’s a more dangerous mistake.”
Silence. Good.
I shifted slightly, my fingers brushing the table as I passed it slowly. Outside the window, the city stretched out, restless and unaware.
“Tell me, did she react?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Aware. Careful. But she didn’t panic.”
That stopped me for a
