Chapter 33 Revelations

• "You're even more beautiful in person," Mr. Whitmore said, greating me as I slid into the booth across from him. Smooth, confident, his voice was like honey, his eyes a little too long on my body. The restaurant was an upscale one, full of the murmur of business and tinnings of glassware, yet somehow our table felt like it existed in its own bubble-intimate, exclusive.
• "Thank you," I said, my tone flat, though my stomach was doing acrobatics. His praise didn't rattle me; I was used to it. What I wasn't used to was the kind of proposition he was about to make. The one that could change everything.
• We exchanged pleasantries, and our conversation danced around mundane topics: business, travel, the recent market trends. But the anticipation was building-the drop right before a rollercoaster dive. This was no casual lunch meeting, and we both knew it.