The silence didn’t break right away. It cracked.
Richard stood frozen, staring at the screen as if it might apologize and disappear. His mouth opened once, then closed again. Around him, the showroom felt smaller, tighter, like all the air had been sucked out at once.
Daniel Harris didn’t rush him.
He stood there, hands relaxed at his sides, hat resting easy on his head. He’d waited his whole life to be underestimated. Waiting never bothered him.
“I’ll need the titles in my company’s name,” Daniel said gently. “And delivery arranged.”
One of the salesmen swallowed hard. Another suddenly remembered how to breathe. The young guy with the green tie quietly put his phone away, his face burning.
Richard finally found his voice.
“Mr. Harris… I… there must’ve been a misunderstanding.”
Daniel looked at him, not angry, not smug. Just honest.
“No misunderstanding. You showed me the cars. I picked them. I paid.”
Richard nodded too fast.
“Of course. Of course. We’ll take care of everything personally.”
That word—personally—hung in the air like a bad joke.