The Changed Color

“Alright, Mr. Joke. You have exactly five minutes to explain everything to me before I decide just how severe your punishment should be this time.”

Though her voice remained sweet and pleasant as ever, it carried a sharp undertone of unmistakable anger. Joke started to sweat. Facing the underground’s elite hadn’t made him feel this pressured.

“Look, it’s really not as bad as it sounds. Calm down, okay?”

“I am calm—about as calm as I can be. Otherwise, this conversation would already be happening face-to-face. Trust me, you wouldn’t want it that way.”

It wasn’t an empty threat. Joke knew all too well that this woman could and would travel across continents in an instant if she felt like it.

“Aw, scared of his wife.”