Without hesitation, he yanked the matte black card from Diana Whitman’s fingers and flung it onto the polished marble floor, where his gleaming leather loafer descended with theatrical force, grinding the metal surface beneath his heel as if destroying something disposable rather than extraordinarily rare.

Kelly Adams, the receptionist standing behind the mahogany counter, covered her mouth while letting out a nervous laugh that failed to conceal the discomfort rippling through nearby guests who had gradually turned their attention toward the confrontation unfolding before them.

“I should sanitize the floor afterward,” Kelly murmured uneasily, her eyes flickering between Bradley’s furious posture and Diana’s unsettling calm.

Diana remained perfectly still, her canvas sneakers rooted firmly against the marble, while her simple jeans and plain white blouse appeared to intensify Bradley’s irritation with every passing second, as though her understated appearance itself constituted an offense within his carefully curated environment of luxury and exclusivity.