Samantha's gaze darted around the room, her face aflame with embarrassment. She stood frozen, Russell's proposition still lingering in the air.
Suddenly, a hand reached out and snatched the business card from her fingers. The card tore, the sound sharp in the silence.
Samantha's eyes widened, following the movement to meet Michael's calm, brown gaze.
"This isn't why you were hired," Michael said, his voice firm but controlled.
Samantha's face flushed, her eyes blazing, "You again?" she spat, her voice rising as she took a step forward.
Her hands clenched into a fist, her words tumbling out in a furious rush. "Who do you think you are, making promises to my kids, poking your nose into my business?"
Michael's eyebrows didn't flinch, his lips didn't twitch. His eyes held steady, boring
