The canteen was loud and bright, filled with chatter, the clatter of trays, and the smell of strong coffee mixed with fried food. Bella followed Jeffrey in, her steps hesitant. The moment she stepped inside, she felt dozens of eyes and voices swirl around her, a room full of men in suits with loud laughter echoing from every table.
She felt like she had just walked into a zoo.
Everywhere she looked there were men — eating, talking, arguing, leaning back with their ties loosened. Disguised as one of them, she felt her nerves tightening. Her shoulders stiffened as she clutched her tray, pretending to be calm while her heart screamed for help.
Jeffrey, meanwhile, was in his element. He waved cheerfully at every second person they passed, laughing, talking, introducing "Isaac" to everyone like a celebrity. "This is the guy! The dangerous hacker! The legend himself!" he said dramatically, slapping Bella's back hard enough to make her almost drop her spoon.
