'Tell him you refuse to be recorded. You'll prove your sincerity another way.'
'I want the upper hand,' Leo repeated to himself.
This wasn't just about his immediate safety; it was about positioning himself for the future.
His ambitions didn't stop here.
If he was shackled by a Republican recording from the very beginning, it would become a noose around his neck when he tried to climb higher, or even break free from the two-party system to build his own political domain.
He had a long road ahead of him. He couldn't shackle himself at the starting line.
Leo sat up straight.
"Mr. Taylor, I'm not going to repeat those words, and I'm not giving you anything you can use as blackmail."
Leo put it bluntly.
"Leo, are you refusing to establish mutual trust?" Taylor's voice grew cold. "Having the upper hand is important to me. You're in no position to bargain right now."
"Yes, I am."
Leo interrupted him.
