"When would you want to do this?" Margaret asked.
"Tomorrow evening. Prime time London, adjusted for optimal viewing across all major markets."
"That's impossible. The coordination alone—"
"Margaret," Noah interrupted gently, his charisma making her listen despite herself. "You're BBC. You covered royal weddings, Olympic ceremonies, global crises. If anyone can coordinate something this ambitious in twenty-four hours, it's you."
She straightened with pride—exactly the reaction his enhanced persuasion had aimed for.
"And the payment terms?" another executive asked.
"Half up front, half after broadcast. Standard BBC contract terms otherwise." Noah's reasonableness on smaller details made his larger demands seem more acceptable.
Margaret muted her microphone and had a hurried conference with her team. Noah watched their body language, seeing how his charm continued to work even through video. They kept glancing back at his image, drawn to something they couldn't quite identify.
