The silence didn't last long. It never does in a room full of people who all think they know better. Collis was the one who broke it, leaning forward with his elbows on the table, fingers laced together like he was about to deliver a sermon nobody asked for.
"Lord, before Seris starts drafting a hundred polite refusals, let me play the part nobody wants to play here."
"And what part is that?"
"The one who tells you saying no to everyone isn't free. It feels clean. It feels strong. But strength without thought just looks like stubbornness to the people watching from outside this room."
I raised an eyebrow at him, letting him continue. Collis wasn't wrong often, even when his delivery made you want to throw something at him.
