ke

ough a banquet hall. The cheerful midday chatter dwindled and died as

epared trays of food with an

ter, poking a piece of roasted chicken with her lo

' embroidered on his uniform, remained professio

sted container from her ridiculously expensive B

a small portion of what appeared to

ing a dismissive hand at the food intended for hundreds

ty the entire container of caviar into the

acing a firm hand over the pan, shielding it. His voi

en's voice rose

have outside food, especially potential allergens, mixed with the general service

of food service. A principle I had helped i

you have any conception of what this costs?" she sneered, shaking the tub of caviar. "This li

food line," Austen said, his tone unwavering. He was a pilla

he hissed, her face contorti

tole the breath from my lungs. She produced her telephone and pressed

h the panoramic view of the city. He was in the middle of the pitch. The pitc

instantly transmuting into that of a woun

, softened into one of indulgent concern. "Jaden?

hef and the general disquiet in the cafeteria. "But your staff... they are ganging up on me. This m

ot raised hi

ow furrowed. "Give

rk as she held the device out to Austen.

ive. I could hear Connor's voice, no longe

ice crackled through the small speaker. "Let h

due respect, it is a violation of the h

aced with irritation. "I care about Jaden being happy. Now ap

ublic execution. Employees stood frozen, trays in

ack to Jaden. She was prac

she whisper

the silent, watching employees, finally settling on me. I had followed her

ated sob catching in her throat. "It is as if they all hate me. That girl from the

annoyed; he was furious. Furious that this was interrupting his great moment.

eated across from Connor at the conference table. The investors. He was shaming his own staff, live, in fr

hispers, had been severed by his own hand. The air in the room grew thin, and I could not seem to draw a proper breath. This was not about a spille

hrough the telephone's speaker. "Every single one of you will apologize to Ms. Juarez.

es finding mine. "You. The junior develope

ding in my ears. He was ordering me, the co-founder of his company, his fiancée, to publicly humiliate myself for this woman. He

bated over countless nights, dissolved in my mind like a sketch left in t

held up my red, scalded hand, the skin already beginning to blister. Th

of the other. The sting I felt against my fingertips was nothing to the chill that had settled deep in my bones. "Connor," I