+25 BONUS
Chapter 194
DEREK
I didn’t stop for the cameras.
They flared like tiny sums as I stepped out of the black SUV, their shutters clicking rapid–fire.
Flashes bounced off the platinum buttons of my coat, off the trim of my collar, illuminating the sidewalk in sharp, artificial bursts. I walked straight through the chaos, ignoring the shouted questions–most about Elena, some about the Summit, one about the bottle of wine I’d ordered last time I was here.
I didn’t break stride.
Inside La Scala, the light changed. Dimmer. Softer. Cooler. The maitre d‘ smiled with studied precision.
“Mr. King,” he said smoothly. “Your table is ready.”
I followed him past tables lit with candlelight, past clinking glasses and murmured conversation. It was the kind of restaurant where powerful people came to be seen pretending they didn’t want to be seen.
I let them see me.
The table was in the back, near the floor–to–ceiling windows and a wall of rare vintages. As I settled into the leather–backed chair, I felt the room shift. A ripple. A pause.
Then she appeared..
Amy.
Her hair was up, a crisp white apron tied around her waist, and her eyes widened the second she saw me.
She froze mid–step.
“Hello, Amy,” I said smoothly. “I don’t think I’ve ever met an ultrasound technician who moonlights as a waitress.”
She swallowed hard.
I picked up the wine list and flicked it closed. “I’ll have a bottle of the 1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild.”
Her eyes went even wider.
I smiled, just barely. “Take your time with it.”
She nodded once, clipped, and vanished into the cellar.
I leaned back in my seat.
She was rattled. Good. That would make this easier.
When she returned, the bottle cradled delicately in her arms, she showed it to me with trembling fingers.
I took my time examining the label. Dusty. Genuine. Immaculate.
A legendary vintage, delicate and earthy, with a reputation for complexity. One of the best bottles on their menu. Difficult to open. Time–consuming to decant.
Exactly what I needed.
I gave a small nod. “That will do.”
She set the bottle on the table and retrieved the corkscrew with practiced hands, but they weren’t as steady as they had been when she greeted other tables.
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Chapter 194
+25 BONUS
I waited until she began cutting the foil before I spoke.
“I’m not here to get you in trouble,” I said. “But while I have you here, I’d like to ask you a few questions.”
Amy nodded, eyes focused on the bottle.
“How do you know Cassandra?”
Her fingers paused just for a breath before continuing. “We went to school together. A long time ago. She… helped me out once, when things were bad.”
“So you owed her a favor.”
She nodded again, keeping her head low.
“And this is your main job?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not an ultrasound technician.”
She peeled back the foil and reached for the corkscrew. “No.”
It took some time and concentration freeing the cork. It was an older bottle and corks like that could be brittle. I studied her as she worked at it.
Finally, she handed me the cork as it came free with a gentle pop.
I ran my thumb over the end, making sure it was damp–properly stored, as expected. I nodded. “Go ahead and pour.”
She poured a taste. Her hand was steadier now, trying to hide how much she was shaking inside.
“Did Cassandra pay you to come that day?”
“No,” she said. “I told you–I owed her a favor.”
I lifted the glass, inhaled the scent. Oak. Blackcurrant. Truffle.
“And the heartbeat on the monitor?” I asked, swirling the wine.
Amy hesitated. “It was… a recording. From someone else’s baby. We played it on the monitor while I faked giving the exam.”
I sipped.
Exquisite.
“And she asked you to do this?”
“She did.”
“With the intention of deceiving me?”
Chapter 195
