Chapter 4

The air in the private nook of the event space had grown thick, heavy with the scent of spilled champagne, expensive perfume, and the lingering humidity of a hundred bodies that had recently filled the room. Now, the vast hall was mostly empty, the distant hum of the cleaning crew vacuuming carpets miles away providing a low, rhythmic backdrop to the silence between us. It was 2:17 AM, or maybe 2:30; time had lost its meaning the moment the last guest had shuffled out the double doors, leaving us alone in the dimly lit corner where the velvet drapes pooled on the floor like spilled ink. I sat perched on the edge of a high-backed banquette, my legs crossed at the ankles, wearing a silk slip dress that clung to every curve, a dress I had chosen specifically for the way it made my skin look like liquid gold under the amber chandeliers. Across from me, he occupied a matching chair, his posture relaxed but commanding, one leg crossed over the other, a tumbler of whiskey resting on the small table between us. The ice had melted, diluting the amber liquid, but he hadn’t taken a sip in the last