CEO Calls The Waitress A Liar About Speaking 9 Languages — Until Three Words Leave Him Silent
Chapter 4
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Liar.He hadn't just doubted her; he had branded her. He saw her as a fraud, a pathetic girl putting on airs."I think," he continued, leaning forward slightly, "that you're trying to be something you're not. It's a common ailment, but ambition without substance is just desperation. And frankly, it's tiresome."Every muscle in her body screamed at her to run, to retreat to the relative safety of the kitchen. But her grandmother's face flashed in her mind—proud, intelligent, and unapologetic. And then she thought of Leo, fighting his own battles with a quiet courage that humbled her daily. She would not crumble for this man."Your opinion is noted, Mr. Sterling," she said, her voice miraculously steady. "Will there be anything else?"She turned to walk away, her dignity a fragile cloak around her trembling shoulders. But his voice, cold and sharp, stopped her."We're not finished. Prove it."The challenge hung in the air, a public gauntlet thrown down. Elara turned back slowly. The entire section of the restaurant was now watching, the diners pretending to be absorbed in their food while their ears strained to catch every word. Dubois was hovering near the service station, his face a mask of pale horror."Prove it," Sterling repeated, his gaze unwavering. "Say something in Russian."Elara took a slow breath, her mind racing. She could refuse. She could walk away and likely lose her job. Or she could play his game. And if she was going to play, she was going to play to win."Ya ne dolzhna nichego vam dokazyvat," she said, her pronunciation perfect, the syllables flowing smoothly.I don't have to prove anything to you.One of the other men at the table, a younger tech executive, was already typing into a translation app on his phone. He looked up, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "She said, 'I don't have to prove anything to you.'"Thorne scoffed. "A lucky guess. A common phrase.""German, then," Sterling commanded, his expression hardening. He was not accustomed to being defied.Elara's eyes flickered past him to a nearby table. A group of four older gentlemen were seated there, speaking quietly amongst themselves in German. She had been subconsciously tracking their conversation all evening—a habit she couldn't turn off. They were investors discussing a deal, and they seemed agitated. She had noticed it earlier: the tense posture of the man facing her, the way he kept tapping his pen against his water glass. Her waitress-honed observation skills, combined with her linguistic ability, painted a picture of a negotiation on the verge of collapse.