Regina had just set her phone down when it buzzed again.
She glanced at the screen, then lazily slid it across the table toward Valerie without even checking the name this time. "He's persistent," she murmured, already reaching for another bite of her pastry.
Valerie hesitated for a brief second, then picked it up.
"…Hello?"
There was no preamble this time.
"Don't do anything until I get there."
His voice was low, controlled, but there was a firmness to it that made her sit up straighter without realizing it.
Valerie blinked, thrown off by the command. She stared ahead for a moment, her fingers tightening slightly around the phone.
"…What if I want to sue her?" she asked after a short pause, her tone quieter but pointed.
For a second, there was silence.
Then she heard it.
A soft chuckle.
Not amused.
Not dismissive.
Something in between.
"If you do that," he said, voice calm now, almost conversational, "you'll get petty pennies in compensation."
