"You own this restaurant?"
"Yes."
He looked toward the American businessman who had recognized her.
The man nodded.
"She's the majority owner and chief executive of the operating company."
The billionaire stared back at the woman.
"Why were you serving us?"
She answered calmly.
"Because I wanted to understand how you treat the people who work here."
His face tightened.
"That's ridiculous."
"Is it?"
"You deliberately deceived me."
She considered that.
"I wore our staff uniform and helped serve dinner. I never claimed to be someone else."
He gestured toward the apron.
"You allowed me to believe you were an ordinary employee."
She looked toward the table.
"Would that have made your behavior acceptable?"
The billionaire opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
One of the American businessmen shifted uncomfortably.
Another lowered his eyes toward his plate.
The woman continued.
"You insulted me in Hindi because you thought I wouldn't understand. Then you threw money at me and ordered me to pick it up."
The billionaire glanced toward the bill.
It still lay beside her feet.
His face reddened.
"This is being exaggerated."
She tilted her head.
"Which part?"
He looked away.
She waited.
Then he said, "Business dinners can be stressful. I was testing the service."
The owner nodded slowly.
"Testing the service."
"Exactly."
"And the test involved humiliating an employee?"
He sighed impatiently.
"You're turning a minor incident into something personal."
She looked around the room.
The four American businessmen sat motionless.
Finally, she said, "It became personal when you decided that the person serving you didn't deserve respect."
The billionaire leaned forward.
"Listen. We are discussing a transaction worth tens of millions of dollars."
"Yes."
"Then perhaps we should conduct ourselves like professionals."
The young woman smiled faintly.
"That would have been an excellent idea before you threw money at my feet."
One of the businessmen looked down.
He was a senior financial adviser, a white American man nearing retirement who had spent thirty years negotiating corporate acquisitions.
He cleared his throat.
"Perhaps we should take a short break."
The billionaire raised one hand.
"No."
The adviser fell silent.
The billionaire turned back to the owner.