"Patience," I smirked, recalling the first time someone had provoked me this badly. The memory of grabbing Kelvin's collar when he called Selena a "w***e" flickered in my mind. I had been ready to hit him, only stopped by Selena's tearful pleas and my own better judgment. That confrontation had been ugly, but this one with the powerful Minister Antonio promised to be even more volatile.
Antonio's grip on my collar tightened as I spoke, his rage barely contained. I could see the vein pulsing in his forehead, the muscles in his jaw clenching. He was a force to be reckoned with, a man used to getting his way through sheer force of will and authority. But I had come prepared, armed not with physical strength but with a carefully calculated strategy.
"I didn't mean to upset you, Minister," I
