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Hannah stepped into a room which was a stark contrast to the opulent club: minimalist, dominated by a polished ebony desk, a single leather chair and a small leather sofa. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city's glittering skyline, the glass so clear it felt like standing on the edge of the void.

For a moment, Steiner looked out over the city. Then he gestured to the sofa. "Sit down." But he remained standing, silhouetted against the skyline, his domino mask making him look carved from ice. "Shirley understood that persuasion requires more than words. She offered tangible proof of commitment. A gesture."

Hannah remained standing, facing him, her back straight. "My model is tangible. My exposure of Reddy is tangible. Tanaka's survival is tangible."

Steiner removed his domino mask, prompting Hannah to remove her mask too. "Survival is a baseline. Shirley offered more." He stepped closer, the scent of his cologne sharpening. "She understood that trust requires vulnerability. A shared secret. An act that binds."

Hannah didn't retreat. "Name it." Her voice stayed low, stripped of tremor.

Steiner's sharp eyes raked over her body. "I saw your dance earlier."

Hannah didn't flinch. "And?"

"It was entrancing. I could have watched you all night. My only disappointment was that you didn't take your dress off, like the woman who danced before you."

Hannah's fingers tightened at her sides. She understood the price Steiner demanded - the same currency Shirley traded in. The city lights reflected in his eyes like chips of broken glass. "And if I finish what she started? What do I get?"

"Reddy neutralized. Chen's faction secured." Steiner's voice remained glacial. "My vote for your restructuring plan. Tanaka's board under your control." He stepped closer, invading her space. "But first, prove your commitment isn't... theoretical."

Hannah's gaze didn't waver. Shirley's shadow loomed large - the unspoken pact sealed in rooms like this. She reached behind her neck, fingers finding the zipper of her dress. The sound was loud in the silence - a metallic whisper that echoed her resolve. The fabric parted slowly, deliberately, pooling at her feet like shed armor. She stood before him in only her lingerie, the city's lights etching her silhouette against the void-like window. "No more disappointment, Mr. Steiner."

Steiner's sharp eyes darkened with predatory approval and they moved slowly and unhurriedly over her scantily-clad form. The silence stretched as he savored the moment and it took him some time to speak again. "A promising start." He began to circle her, moving slowly, his appraisal clinical. "But Shirley understood nuance. She knew persuasion requires... reciprocity." He completed his circle and stopped before her, close enough that she felt the chill of his presence. "Remove the rest. I want you naked."

Hannah's breath hitched. The air hummed with the weight of the city beyond the glass. This was the threshold Shirley had crossed - the point where ambition bled into surrender. She met Steiner's gaze, her own hardening into flint. Survival, she reminded herself. Leverage. Her fingers moved to the clasp of her bra and unhooked it.

After her bra had been discarded, her panties slid away too, pooling with the dress at her ankles. Cool air kissed her skin. Steiner's stare was a physical thing, tracing the lines of her body as if appraising an asset. She stood there, completely naked and motionless, a statue carved from defiance. "Satisfied?" The words were ice.

"Observation isn't satisfaction, Ms. Hartwell." His voice remained detached, but his eyes lingered on her breasts. He remained quiet for a moment, continuing to appraise her naked form. "Shirley understood that persuasion is a dialogue." He stepped closer, invading the space

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