Chapter 2 - The Powder
Claire recovered faster than anyone expected.
“It was a supplement,” she snapped. “He’s been exhausted for weeks.”
Her voice was sharp, but too quick. Too ready. Daniel noticed.
“A supplement?” he repeated. “Without telling me?”
Claire lowered her voice, trying to sound calm now. “You’ve barely slept. You were anxious. You were spiraling. I wanted you relaxed before the reception.”
Maya almost laughed through her tears. Rich people always found soft words for control. Relaxed. Protected. Managed. Never drugged. Never tricked.
Daniel wiped at the orange stain on his shirt and looked at Maya again. “How did you get that video?”
Claire answered before Maya could. “By following me. By snooping. By acting exactly the way staff act when they want attention.”
A few guests shifted awkwardly. There it was—the class line, drawn in perfect public view. If Maya had been wearing silk instead of an apron, she would have been called brave. In a maid’s dress, she became unstable.
Maya lifted her chin. “I recorded it because I heard you say the drink had to be finished before he signed.”
Daniel went still.
“Signed what?”
Claire’s expression tightened.
“Nothing important.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
Maya swallowed hard. “I heard her in the bridal suite. She said after the toast, you’d be calm enough to sign the proxy.”
The word hit harder than the splash had.
Daniel turned slowly toward Claire.
“What proxy?”
May you like
Claire didn’t answer.
And the silence around her sounded more guilty than any confession.
