Umera was supposed to arrive half an hour later — to be more accurate, twenty-five minutes and two seconds later. But why the hell did she come so early, and on top of that, all unannounced?
"When you are meeting someone for business purposes, you should be punctual," she said, brushing off a speck of lint from her coat. "But when you're meeting someone to check their personality, you should meet them at the most unpredictable time because that's when we can see their real personality."
"It's not like that, ma'am—" Maria began, her voice tinged with urgency, but Umera swiftly raised her hand, commanding silence.
In the tense pause that followed, Maria's eyes widened with frustration, her lips parting as if to protest. Yet, Umera's gesture held firm, a barrier against any further words.
