The Predator

The room was thick with tension, the air crackling as Jared's unrelenting gaze bore into Philip. His posture, though relaxed, exuded an aura of controlled danger. Jared leaned back slightly, arms spread across the couch's backrest, as though he owned the room—and everyone in it. The faint smirk on his lips didn't just taunt; it promised devastation.

Philip shifted uneasily, the weight of Jared's presence pressing down on him like a predator stalking its prey.

"You are forgetting that you are in an unfavorable position here, Jared," Philip said, his voice betraying a slight tremor. He cleared his throat, forcing an air of bravado.

Jared tilted his head and glanced at his watch, the movement deliberate. "Oh, really?" he asked, his tone unhurried. "You're losing time here."