The room went still. Even the soft buzz of the holo-tablet faded.
Vaelira's eyes locked on him.
Kaiden continued without being bothered by the change in the atmosphere. "The cherished A-tier awakened of Nova Circuit peddles drama like a street vendor slinging shit just to juice her stream's engagement numbers. Jack acts like we're in a perpetual dick-measuring contest. And Sasha? If I had a coin for every time she looked at one of my girls like they were beneath her, I'd have enough to buy a private dungeon."
His gaze flicked to Talia's face on the hologram. "And Diaz. Strong or not, he's the sole survivor of a nineteen-man slaughter. I've got doubts about him."
Silence.
No one interrupted him.
Not Talia, whose lips thinned on the other end of the screen. Not Tessa, whose brows furrowed as she realized the negotiation had shifted. And definitely not Vaelira, who sat with her head tilted, eyeing him like she was about to slap him.
Kaiden gave her a wink before continuing.
