The VIP lounge was dimly lit, smelling of expensive leather and heavy musk. The noise of the party outside was muffled here, replaced by a smooth jazz track playing softly from hidden speakers.
Elayne kept her head lowered, pushing the cart slowly across the plush carpet. Her heart was beating so hard she felt it in her throat.
"Calhoun, stop," a voice giggled from the deep velvet sofa in the corner. It was Bianca Maynard. "Someone will come in."
"The door is locked," Calhoun's voice replied. It was thick, slurred with drink and desire. "Besides, who cares? Your father practically gave us his blessing."
Elayne's hands tightened on the cart handle until her knuckles turned white. She peered through the gap between two wine bottles.
Calhoun was leaning over the sofa. Beneath him, reclining like a queen, was Bianca.
Calhoun's hand was tangled in Bianca's hair-the same way he used to hold Elayne. He kissed her neck.
"We have to wait until the announcement," Bianca whispered, tracing the lapel of his jacket. "Once Father transfers the voting shares to you instead of Conrad, we can go public. We'll be the power couple of the century."
"God, you're smart," Calhoun groaned. "So much better than Elayne. She was always so... intense. So boring."
"She actually thinks you're going to honor your agreement, " Bianca laughed. It was a cruel, glittering sound. "It's pathetic."
Something inside Elayne snapped. It wasn't a thought; it was a physical break.
She shoved the cart forward with all her strength. It slammed into the heavy coffee table. The silver ice bucket tipped over.
CRASH.
Ice cubes and water cascaded onto the carpet. A crystal champagne bottle shattered.
Calhoun jumped back, scrambling to button his jacket. Bianca shrieked, pulling her legs up.
Elayne stood there, chest heaving. She reached up and ripped the waiter's cap off her head. Her hair fell around her face. She stared at them, her eyes burning.
"Elayne?" Calhoun's face went pale. He looked like a deer in headlights. "Elayne... what are you doing here?"
Bianca recovered instantly. She smoothed her dress, a smirk playing on her lips. "Oh, look, Calhoun. My sister-in-law got a job. I told you she was destined for the service industry."
Elayne stepped over the broken glass. The crunching sound was satisfying. She walked right up to Calhoun.
"Business trip?" her eyes asked. Her gaze was deadly calm. "Busy?"
"Elayne, listen," Calhoun stammered, holding up his hands. "It's not what it looks like. She... we were just talking."
"Calhoun, stop," Bianca said lazily. "Be a man. Tell her."
Calhoun looked at Bianca. He looked at the confidence radiating off her, the power of the Maynard name that now rested on her shoulders. Then he looked at Elayne, in her old dress and oversized vest, shivering with rage.
He straightened his spine. His face hardened.
"Be realistic, Elayne," he said. The warmth was gone from his voice. "Look at you. You have nothing. You are nothing without this family. Bianca is the future. I have to think about my career."
The words hit Elayne like physical blows. It wasn't just betrayal; it was a transaction. He had weighed her against a stock portfolio and found her wanting.
She raised her hand. Calhoun flinched, expecting a slap.
Elayne didn't hit him. She reached for her left hand. She twisted the simple platinum band he had given her-the one that symbolized their cold, contractual marriage-and yanked it off her finger.
She didn't hand it to him. She turned and dropped it into the puddle of melting ice and cheap champagne on the floor.
"It's trash," her actions screamed. "Just like you. We're done."
She turned on her heel and marched toward the door.
"You're not walking away from this," Bianca called out. Her voice dropped to a whisper that carried across the room. "The night isn't over, sister. You haven't paid enough yet."
Elayne slammed the door behind her.
She burst into the hallway, gasping for air. The bodyguards stared at her. She ripped off the vest and threw it on the floor.
She needed to get out. She needed to leave.
But at the end of the hallway, blocking her path to the exit, stood Theodore. His face was a mask of thunder.
