Vivian sat on a bench outside the hospital for twenty minutes, just breathing. She had borrowed a pair of sneakers from a sympathetic nurse and washed her face in the public restroom. She looked less like a party casualty and more like a tragedy.
She took a cab to Midtown.
The Blackwood & Partners building was a monolith of black glass and steel, piercing the sky like a jagged shard. It was intimidating, cold, and impenetrable. Just like its owner.
Vivian walked into the lobby. Her head was high, her sunglasses on. She marched to the elevator bank.
"Miss Sterling?" A security guard stepped in front of her. "I can't let you up."
"I have a meeting," she lied.
"Mr. Blackwood left specific instructions," the guard said, looking uncomfortable. "You are on the 'Do Not Admit' list."
Vivian felt a flush of humiliation. Of course she was.
She looked around. A delivery guy with a stack of pizza boxes was heading for the service elevator.
Vivian waited until the guard turned to answer a ringing phone. She slipped off her sneakers, holding them in her hand, and sprinted silently across the marble floor. She wedged herself into the service elevator just as the doors were closing.
The delivery guy stared at her. Vivian put a finger to her lips. "Shh."
She got off on the top floor. The smell of leather and money hit her instantly. The reception area was empty. She could hear voices coming from the conference room at the end of the hall.
She didn't knock. She didn't announce herself. She walked straight to the double mahogany doors and pushed them open.
"The merger is contingent on the SEC ruling, which means-"
Julian stopped talking.
He was sitting at the head of a long table. Five other partners, all older men, turned to look at the intruder.
Julian didn't look surprised. He looked bored. He slowly capped his fountain pen and set it down.
"Gentlemen," Julian said, his eyes never leaving Vivian's face. "Give us a moment."
The partners scrambled to gather their files and leave. They sensed the violence in the air.
When the door clicked shut, the silence was deafening.
"You're persistent," Julian said. He didn't stand up. He leaned back in his leather chair, crossing his legs.
"I want to hire you," Vivian said. She walked to the other end of the table, placing her hands on the polished wood. They were shaking, so she pressed down harder.
"I'm not for sale, remember?"
"This isn't personal," Vivian said, her voice steadying. "My father is in a coma. My stepmother says people are coming out of the woodwork. Illegitimate children. They want the money, Julian. They want to freeze everything. Conrad is trying to take the company. I need... I need a monster. And you're the best one in the city."
Julian raised an eyebrow. "A monster? Is that what I am?"
"You know what I mean."
"My retainer is two million dollars," Julian said flatly. "Upfront."
Vivian swallowed. "I can't access my cash right now. That's why I need you. Once the trust is unfrozen-"
"No credit," Julian interrupted. "Especially not for a Sterling."
He stood up then, unbuttoning his jacket. He walked around the table, his steps silent on the plush carpet. He moved like a predator circling prey.
"Why should I help you, Vivian?" He stopped right in front of her. "You destroyed me. Do you remember? Senior year. The prom."
Vivian felt sick. "Julian, please. That was... that was complicated."
"It was simple," he corrected. "You laughed. You told your friends I was the gardener's son and you were just bored. You humiliated me in front of the entire school."
Vivian bit her tongue. She remembered the fear in her father's eyes when he found out about them. She remembered the threat. But telling Julian now would sound like a cheap excuse. And excuses didn't work on monsters.
"I was young," she whispered, looking down. "I was a brat. I liked the power."
"You were cruel," Julian said. His eyes were dark, swirling with old anger. "And now you want me to save your fortune? The fortune that made you think you were better than me?"
He leaned down, his lips brushing her ear.
"Get out, Vivian. Watching you go bankrupt will be the highlight of my fiscal year."
