Chapter 1 - Five Words
The woman poisoned his champagne with a smile.
Nora Reed watched from the service doorway as a small vial disappeared into a champagne-colored sleeve.
White powder settled beneath the bubbles.
The woman stirred it with a cocktail pick, wiped the rim, and turned the glass until the clean side faced the empty chair.
Then she looked toward the ballroom entrance.
Waiting.
Nora’s fingers tightened around her tray.
At the table behind her, someone laughed about buying a third vacation home.
Her mother had spent that morning choosing between groceries and a prescription.
Same city.
Different planets.
“Nora.”
Her supervisor snapped his fingers.
“Table twelve needs wine.”
She barely heard him.
The woman at the corner table was beautiful, probably forty, with dark hair pinned low and a diamond bracelet that kept catching on her sleeve.
She didn’t look nervous.
That frightened Nora more than the powder.
A man entered through the ballroom’s double doors.
Conversations softened around him.
Adrian Vale.
Hotel owner.
Foundation chairman.
The kind of rich man who appeared on magazine covers holding oversized checks.
Eight months earlier, his company had sent flowers to Nora’s brother’s funeral.
No explanation.
Just white lilies and a printed card.
Our deepest condolences.
Ben had worked in Vale’s accounting department.
Then his car had gone into the river.
Adrian approached the corner table.
The woman rose.
He shook her hand.
They had apparently never met.
Nora set down her tray.
“I have to do something.”
“What?”
Her supervisor was already turning away.
She grabbed a wine bottle, wrapped it in a clean white cloth, and crossed the room.
The woman smiled up at Adrian.
“I’m Evelyn Shaw. Mrs. Voss said you might spare me a few minutes.”
“Of course.”
He sat.
His fingers closed around the champagne stem.
Nora reached the table.
“Wine, sir?”
“We have champagne,” the woman said.
Nora leaned toward Adrian as if adjusting his place setting.
Her mouth stopped inches from his ear.
“Your drink has been drugged.”
Five words.
His hand went still.
Nothing else changed.
Not his posture.
Not his expression.
But his eyes lifted to hers.
For one awful second, Nora thought he didn’t believe her.
Then he set the glass down.
“Thank you,” he said.
The woman watched them.
“Is something wrong?”
Adrian reached into his jacket and pressed something on his phone.
“No.”
A tall man near the ballroom doors touched his earpiece.
Then both doors closed.
Adrian looked at Nora’s name tag.
His face changed.
Not with surprise.
With recognition.
“Reed,” he said quietly.
Nora’s stomach tightened.
“How do you know my name?”
May you like
He leaned closer.
“Whatever happens next, don’t let my security chief take you out of this room.”
