The evening shift ended. Essie stood in front of her metal locker in the cramped changing room, peeling off her scrubs that smelled faintly of bleach and rubbing alcohol.
The head nurse pushed the door open. Her tone left no room for argument. "Essie, tonight is the department dinner. The hospital's primary investor, Mr. Cortez, will be there to discuss next quarter's budget. Everyone must attend to make a good impression."
Essie gripped her locker door. "I really don't feel well," she started to say.
"If you skip team building, I'm docking your monthly bonus," the head nurse snapped, shutting the door.
Essie took the subway from the hospital and walked to a dimly lit, absurdly expensive French restaurant in Midtown Manhattan.
She pushed open the heavy oak door of the private dining room. The space was already packed with her laughing, drinking coworkers.
Essie was wearing a cheap, faded black sweater. She kept her head down and walked straight to the empty chair at the very end of the long dining table.
The second she pulled out her chair and sat down, she heard Maureen and Denise whispering loudly next to her.
"How do you think she affords her brother's medical bills?" Maureen whispered, her voice dripping with malice.
Denise covered her mouth and giggled. "Where does she get the money for his treatments? Look at her clothes, she's not from our world. It's definitely not from a clean source."
Essie's fingers clamped around her glass water goblet. She squeezed it so hard her joints ached, but she kept her eyes glued to the tablecloth, pretending she was deaf.
The oak door was respectfully pushed open by a waiter.
Adelle walked in, her arm looped through Kieran's. She was glowing.
The entire room went silent. Everyone stood up and started clapping.
Kieran handed his cashmere overcoat to the waiter. His dark eyes swept the room and landed with pinpoint accuracy on Essie, huddled in the corner.
He walked to the head of the long table and sat down. Adelle sat pressed against his side. They looked like a king and queen surveying their subjects.
The waiters began serving the food. Tiny, expensive escargot and bottles of vintage red wine were placed on the table.
Adelle raised her crystal wine glass. She elegantly thanked everyone for their wishes and started talking about the massive wedding they were planning in the Hamptons.
Essie kept her head bowed. She mechanically pushed the food around her porcelain plate with her fork. Her stomach was tied in knots; she couldn't swallow a single bite.
Maureen, desperate to kiss up to Adelle, leaned forward and loudly asked Kieran what he thought of the wedding venue.
Kieran leaned back in his chair. He crossed his long legs. He didn't look at Maureen. His eyes stared straight down the length of the table, burning holes into Essie.
Essie felt the crushing weight of his stare. She panicked and jerked her head up, crashing straight into his bottomless, pitch-black eyes.
Kieran's gaze was filled with a lethal warning and a sickening, possessive rage.
Essie's hand jerked violently. The heavy silver fork slipped from her fingers and slammed against the ceramic plate with a loud, piercing clatter.
Every single pair of eyes in the room snapped to Essie. Adelle's perfect eyebrows pulled together in a frown.
Essie frantically snatched the fork off the table. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, her face burning hot.
Kieran let out a sudden, cold laugh. He shoved his chair back and stood up abruptly.
The wooden chair legs scraped harshly against the marble floor. The entire room froze in dead silence.
"I have a cross-border video conference to take," Kieran said coldly. He didn't spare anyone a second glance as he turned and walked toward the door.
Adelle's face stiffened. She reached out to stop him, but Kieran didn't even turn his head. He pulled the door open and walked out.
The atmosphere in the room plummeted below freezing. Suddenly, Essie felt a short, sharp vibration against her thigh. Her phone.
