Chapter 10 - The Point of No Return
Winter was closing in when the final blow was struck.
Julian Vance was working the coat check in the grand lobby. It was humiliating work, constantly berated by guests for being too slow or for allegedly wrinkling their mink coats, but it was indoors, away from the freezing wind.
He was hanging a heavy trench coat when a burst of cold air signaled the opening of the main brass doors.
"Julian? Oh my god, it is you!"
Julian froze. He turned around slowly.
Standing in the lobby, dripping in a full-length sable coat and sparkling with diamonds, was Chloe.
Chloe had been Julian’s secret mistress. While he was engaged to Vivian, he had been paying for Chloe’s luxury apartment downtown, showering her with gifts, and keeping her hidden. She was a former model—beautiful, vapid, and entirely motivated by money. When Julian lost his fortune, Chloe had vanished into the wind instantly, blocking his number.
Now, she stood before him, looking wealthier than ever. And her arm was looped through the elbow of a man Julian knew very well.
Marcus Thorne.
Not the security guard, but Marcus Thorne the investment banker—Julian's former protégé, the man Julian had mentored, bullied, and ultimately fired for questioning his authority a year ago.
"Chloe," Julian breathed, his chest tightening.
"I heard the rumors, but I couldn't believe it!" Chloe laughed, a tinkling, melodic sound that drove a spike of pure agony into Julian's brain. "Look at you! You're wearing a name tag!"
Marcus Thorne stepped forward, a wide, predatory smile on his face. He looked at Julian, taking in the cheap uniform and the broken posture. "Hello, Julian. It’s been a while. You’re looking... well, awful, to be honest."
Julian gripped the brass counter of the coat check until his knuckles cracked. "What are you doing here, Marcus?"
"We’re celebrating," Marcus smiled, pulling Chloe closer. "I just closed the deal to purchase Vance Enterprises' remaining assets from the Sterling Group. Oh, and I bought your penthouse at the foreclosure auction. Chloe loves what I've done with the master bedroom."
Chloe giggled, holding up her left hand. A massive, radiant-cut diamond caught the chandelier light. "We’re engaged, Julian! Isn't it wonderful? Marcus took me to Paris to propose. He treats me so much better than you ever did."
Julian felt the room spinning. His companies. His home. His mistress. All taken by the man he used to treat like a doormat.
"Take our coats, Julian," Marcus commanded, sliding out of his cashmere overcoat. "And be careful with Chloe's sable. It cost more than you'll make in a lifetime scrubbing toilets."
Marcus tossed the coat onto the counter. It slid, knocking over a plastic cup of water Julian had been drinking, spilling it all over the floor.
Julian stared at the puddle. The urge to leap over the counter and strangle Marcus was overwhelming. His muscles twitched, his heart pounded violently in his ears. But then he looked up.
Standing on the mezzanine above the lobby, leaning casually against the railing, was Maya Sterling. She was watching the exchange intently, a dark, expectant look in her eyes. She was waiting for him to snap. She wanted him to break the rules so she could send him to a cell.
Julian looked back at Marcus, whose smug face dared him to do something.
Slowly, agonizingly, Julian bent down, picking up a towel, and began to wipe the water off the floor.
"Right away, Mr. Thorne," Julian whispered, his voice broken, entirely defeated. "Congratulations on your engagement."
As Marcus and Chloe walked into the dining room, laughing merrily, Julian hung up the coats. He stared at his reflection in the mirror behind the coat rack. The ruthless billionaire was gone. The arrogant groom was dead.
May you like
There was only Employee 402 left. And as he looked up at Maya Sterling, who gave a slow, satisfied nod before walking away into the shadows, Julian finally accepted the terrifying truth.
The cleaning lady at the wedding hadn't just ruined his life. She had claimed his soul, and Maya Sterling was going to keep it forever.
