Audra stood on the sidewalk outside the revolving glass doors of The Plaza. She looked down at the tips of her shoes, caked in wet mud from the rose bushes.
She sucked in a sharp breath of freezing air. A group of wealthy socialites in floor-length gowns approached the entrance, flashing their gold-embossed invitations at the security guards.
Audra lowered her head, pulling the collar of her trench coat up to hide her scratched face. She pressed herself closely against the group, slipping through the heavy glass doors while the guards were distracted by the women's loud laughter.
She walked quickly down the opulent, gold-leafed corridor. She reached the massive, carved wooden doors of the main ballroom and pushed them open with both hands.
The heat and noise of the room hit her instantly. Beneath a sprawling crystal chandelier, a live orchestra played a smooth waltz. Waiters carried towering trays of champagne. The light reflected off the diamonds on the guests' necks, a blinding contrast to the dirt and blood on Audra's hands.
Her eyes scanned the crowded room with frantic, desperate speed.
Then, she stopped breathing.
In the center of the room, surrounded by a circle of admiring investors, stood a man in a custom Tom Ford tuxedo. He was facing away from her, his posture rigid and commanding as he raised a glass.
Audra shoved her way through the crowd. She didn't care who she hit. Her shoulder slammed hard into a waiter.
The silver tray flipped. Crystal champagne flutes crashed against the marble floor, shattering into hundreds of pieces. The sharp noise cut through the music.
The man in the tuxedo paused. Slowly, he turned around.
The moment their eyes met, Audra's lungs stopped working. Hot tears instantly spilled over her lower lashes, blurring her vision.
It was him. The exact way the corner of his mouth tightened, and the faint, almost invisible old scar just behind his left ear. It was the face that had haunted her every waking moment.
"Kendall..." she choked out. Her voice was a broken rasp.
She stumbled forward, her muddy shoes slipping on the spilled champagne. She reached out her bleeding hand, desperate to grab the dark fabric of his sleeve.
Before her fingers could brush his suit, a massive bodyguard materialized from the shadows. He grabbed Audra by the shoulder and shoved her backward with brutal force.
Audra lost her footing. She crashed hard onto the marble floor. The jagged shards of broken champagne glasses sliced deep into the palms of her hands.
She ignored the blood pooling beneath her fingers. She looked up at him.
The man stared down at her. His amber eyes were completely devoid of warmth. He looked at her the way one might look at a rotting animal on the side of the road. There was no recognition. No flicker of the past.
"Ma'am, you have the wrong person," he said. His voice was deep, smooth, and entirely foreign. It held only cold annoyance.
A woman in a stunning, backless emerald gown stepped into view. Corie Burke wrapped her slender arm intimately around the man's waist. She looked down at Audra with a mixture of pity and disgust.
"Eben, what is going on? Who is this?" Corie asked, her voice sweet and concerned.
Eben placed his large hand over Corie's waist, pulling her closer. The corner of his mouth twitched upward in a cruel, mocking smirk.
"Just some crazy woman whose mind has snapped. Ignore her," he stated loudly, ensuring the surrounding guests heard every word.
The words sliced through Audra's chest like a rusty blade. She shook her head frantically, her tears dripping onto the marble. "No... you're Kendall. I know it's you..."
Gus Nowak, the hotel's head of security, rushed over with three large men in suits. They grabbed Audra by the arms, hauling her roughly to her feet.
"Throw her out. Don't let her ruin the evening," Eben commanded, his tone absolute ice.
Audra kicked and struggled against the guards. She kept her eyes locked on his face, but Eben had already turned away. He was gently tucking a stray piece of hair behind Corie's ear, completely ignoring Audra's screams.
The guards dragged her backward through the ballroom, down the long corridor, and out the back service exit.
They threw her onto the freezing asphalt of the dark alley behind the hotel.
Audra's knees slammed into the hard ground, tearing the skin. Blood trickled down her shins. She lay there on the cold pavement, her body shaking uncontrollably from the cold and the devastating heartbreak.
Suddenly, the low purr of a heavy engine filled the alley. A black stretch Lincoln limousine rolled silently through the shadows and stopped inches from where she lay.
The rear door swung open.
Two massive men stepped out. Before Audra could scream, they grabbed her by the armpits, lifting her off the ground.
They shoved her violently into the dark, cavernous backseat of the limousine.
Audra tumbled onto the plush carpet. The heavy door slammed shut behind her, instantly cutting off the sounds of the city.
The air inside the car was thick. It smelled sharply of cedarwood and cold mint.
Audra scrambled backward against the leather seat, her heart pounding in her throat. She looked up.
Sitting across from her in the dim light was Eben. His long legs were crossed casually. In his right hand, he slowly flipped open and closed a heavy silver lighter.
The tiny flame illuminated his face. The mask of the polite stranger was gone. His eyes were burning with a raw, bloodthirsty hatred.
