The maid paused beside the head chair, hands folding in front of her apron. Do I clear it? No — better not. The table looked like a masterpiece crafted for a feast, yet the silence of the dining room made it feel eerie. She'd inform the mayor first, just in case he had different instructions.
Inside the study, the mayor sat behind his heavy mahogany desk, his dark eyes narrowed and drilling into the two guards standing before him. The guards looked like schoolboys caught skipping class — stiff, eyes downcast, clearly uncomfortable. The soft light from the desk lamp barely reached their faces, leaving shadows that deepened their nervous expressions.
"I can't believe I'm paying you for incompetence," the mayor spat, his voice clipped and cold, each word slicing through the air like a blade.
The guards stiffened further but didn't speak, their jaws tightening.
