"Mr. President, you're here."
Claire greeted him with a bright, poised smile—one that was polished to perfection yet dripping with insincerity.
Julian: "..."
Great. The formal "you" again.
He took his seat, his gaze flickering to the ostentatious gift box glaring on the table. "What's this? For me?"
Claire hurried to explain, her voice honeyed with forced gratitude. "Just a small token of my appreciation. I can't thank you enough for your help this time. I wasn’t sure how else to express it, so I decided to give you this bottle from my personal collection. Consider it a humble gesture—I hope you like it."
Julian's expression turned even frostier.
Silence stretched between them as he refused to acknowledge her words.
Claire clasped her hands on the table, her smile
