Sterling grinned.
“You think I'm terrible? I think I'm generous.”
He turned toward Imani.
“You probably make less than that in half a year.”
Imani felt her face grow warm.
That part was almost true.
Her wages helped pay the rent on a small Queens apartment, the expenses associated with her mother's medical care, and the school supplies her younger brother always seemed to need at the worst possible time.
Twenty-five thousand dollars could change things.
It could settle overdue bills.
It could repair her mother's car.
It could give her enough financial breathing room to stop calculating every grocery purchase before she reached the checkout counter.
But the money wasn't the reason her attention had settled on the open contract.
Ten minutes earlier, while placing fresh tea beside the documents, she had seen a sentence that made her stomach turn.
It wasn't the first Japanese sentence she'd read that evening.
And it wasn't difficult.
What disturbed her was what it meant.
Sterling pointed toward the agreement.
“Go on. Pick it up.”
Imani remained still.
The billionaire's smile became contemptuous.
“What's wrong? Suddenly shy?”
One man laughed.
Another raised his phone, apparently anticipating a funny video.
Sterling turned toward them.
“Everybody watch. This is what happens when people mistake being near important conversations for understanding them.”
Imani slowly placed her cleaning cloth beside the service tray.
Then she looked directly at him.
“Which page, sir?”
The laughter became louder.
Sterling grinned.
“Oh, she wants to play.”
Julian's smile disappeared.
His eyes moved toward the agreement.
Then toward Imani.
For the first time, he looked genuinely uneasy.
Walter leaned back.
“Page twenty.”
Imani felt a cold sensation in her chest.
Of all the pages he could have chosen, he'd selected the one she had already noticed.
The billionaire pushed the contract toward her.
“Read that. In Japanese. Then explain what it says.”
Imani reached for the folder.
Julian moved suddenly.
“Dad, there's no need to waste time on this.”
Walter turned.
“What?”
“We have signatures to complete. The Japanese delegation is waiting for the final confirmation.”
Sterling waved one hand.
“Relax, Julian. A little entertainment won't kill us.”
His son looked toward Imani again.
She could see him deciding whether to intervene.
Then he stepped closer.
“Miss, you should return to your duties.”
The billionaire laughed.
“Since when did you become the defender of waitresses?”
Julian forced a smile.
“I'm defending the schedule.”
Imani looked toward the document.
Then asked quietly, “Are you withdrawing the wager?”
The table went silent.
Walter stared.
For a moment, he seemed unable to believe she'd challenged him.