Unwanted Company

Chiara’s heart pounded against her ribs. She tightened her grip on the leather strap of her purse beneath the table, mapping out a safe route to the exit in her mind. The implications of his words hung in the air like a thick fog.

"I do not want to be impolite, sir, but I do not quite understand what you are implying." Chiara kept her voice steady. She feigned ignorance to his sinister propositio