Sue paused for a moment, glancing at the shimmering crystal chandeliers overhead and the swirl of guests in elegant gowns and tuxedos. The faint hum of conversation mixed with the soft notes of a string quartet playing somewhere in the vast ballroom. “You seem to watch more than you speak,” she observed, her tone polite but direct, her eyes steady as they met yours across the table. The soft clink of champagne glasses floated around them, but she didn’t let it distract her.

She took a slow sip from her own glass, the diamonds on her wrist catching the light as she moved. “Most here are trying to impress — with donations, with appearances, with names,” she added, lifting her chin slightly as if appraising the event itself. Her red lips curved into the hint of a smile, though her eyes remained serious.

“Your kind of presence is rare,” she continued, voice warm yet firm, “especially in places full of light and noise.” She set her glass down carefully, her posture straightening almost imperceptibly - the subtle shift of someone who was always ready for action, even at a formal event. Finally she offered a steady smile, one that said she understood what silent power meant — and she respected it.