The phone buzzed sharply in the woman's hand, the name Clive Fisher flashing across the screen. Her painted nails trembled for the first time that evening. She forced a smile onto her face, lifting the phone to her ear.
"Hello, dear," she said sweetly, loud enough for the crowd to hear. "There are people here… bullying me—"
The crowd erupted in whispers.
"How shameless…"
"Look at her acting."
"She was the one at fault."
But before she could spin more lies, Clive's voice exploded through the speaker, loud enough that everyone nearby could hear.
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!"
The crowd stilled.
Clive's words poured like fire.
"Do you know WHO you are trying to make trouble for? Nobody—nobody—dares mess with Sterling Enterprises in this city. And you? You want to drag the Fisher family name into the dirt over your childish behavior? Do you want to bring us onto the road with your stupidity?"
The woman's face drained of color, her lips trembling.
