His words were laced with mockery, but Hua Jing detected the underlying sharpness in them, a subtle but unmistakable edge that revealed his true intent.
Her eyes flitted once more over the men who surrounded her. Their stances were not that of mere guards, nor even common assassins.
No—these were trained killers. Their patience, their silence, the way they barely shifted even as the Prime Minister spoke—it all pointed to something far more disciplined. A faction, a secret force under his control.
Her lips curled into a smirk, one that did not reach her eyes. "My Lord Prime Minister, I was under the impression that you were a man of dignity, one who engaged in politics with words rather than blades."
She tilted her head slightly. "Yet here I stand, and here you are, surrounding a lone woman with armed men. A rather unsightly image for a man of your stature, don't you think?"
