[Jake's POV]
The morning sun in Macau didn't rise; it bled through the smog, casting a sickly, pale yellow light over the city. The heat was already oppressive by eight a.m., baking the damp pavement and drawing the smell of stale beer and garbage up from the gutters.
Ethan and I stood in the back office of the Golden Koi, the heavy steel door locked securely behind us. The air conditioning was running at full blast, a stark contrast to the sweltering streets outside.
Madam Bai sat behind her mahogany desk, wearing a pristine white silk blouse that made her dark hair and sharp features stand out with striking intensity. She hadn't offered us a seat. She simply sat there, her manicured fingers resting lightly on the black leather ledger I had placed on her desk ten minutes ago.
She had been reading it in absolute silence.
