Richard sat in complete silence at his own table.
Then Liang asked:
“Do you know what we were discussing before Richard challenged you?”
Danielle's smile faded.
“Yes.”
Liang stopped smiling.
“All of it?”
“Enough.”
Richard looked between them.
“What did he ask?”
Danielle didn't answer.
Liang did.
In English.
“I asked Ms. Brooks whether she understood our earlier conversation.”
Richard's face changed.
“And?”
Liang looked at Danielle.
She answered.
“Yes.”
Richard's fingers stopped against his wineglass.
“How much?”
Danielle stood.
“The five minutes are over.”
Richard glanced at his watch.
Four minutes, fifty-eight seconds.
Nobody cared.
Danielle reached for her apron.
Richard put his hand over the check.
“What did you hear?”
“This isn't my business.”
“What did you hear?”
“Richard,” Liang said.
But Richard was staring only at Danielle.
His arrogance had disappeared.
Something else had replaced it.
Fear.
Danielle noticed.
That frightened her more than his insults had.
“I heard enough to know I shouldn't repeat it.”
Liang leaned forward.
“I am asking you to.”
Danielle looked at him.
Then at Richard.
“No.”
Richard exhaled.
Almost relief.
Then one of Liang's executives said in Mandarin:
“Ask her about the remediation figure.”
Richard didn't understand.
Danielle did.
And the moment he saw her expression, Richard understood that she understood.
His hand tightened over the check.
Liang asked in English.
“Ms. Brooks, did you hear us discussing the environmental remediation budget for Harbor Point?”
Danielle said nothing.
Richard stood.
“This has gone far enough.”
Several diners turned.
Liang remained seated.
“Sit down, Richard.”
“This woman is an employee of the restaurant.”
“And?”
“She has no place in this conversation.”
Liang's voice remained calm.
“You put her in this conversation.”
That stopped him.
Liang turned back to Danielle.
“What did you hear?”
Danielle looked toward her manager.
Thomas gave the smallest shake of his head.
Don't.
She understood.
Richard could make trouble.
For her.
For Thomas.
For the restaurant.
She should walk away.
Then Richard said:
“Take your money and go.”
Danielle looked at him.
Not the check.
Him.
“Why?”
“What?”