Alberta placed her stiletto on the stool, then gestured toward the ten glasses of liquor lined up on the table.
"You have two choices."
"One: kneel down, lick my shoe, and admit you're a pathetic fraud."
"Two: down all ten glasses in one go, then slap yourself across the face ten times."
"Pick one and follow through, and I'll cover your forty-thousand-dollar tab. Fair enough?"
Whistles and applause erupted around the room.
They all wanted to watch me crumble—to see me grovel at Alberta's feet like I had four years ago.
I'd intended to let us both walk away with some dignity. But Alberta and these so-called classmates kept pushing, kept prodding.
A kept woman playing socialite, and she thought she could look down on me?
Fine. If words wouldn't get through, I'd flip the whole damn table.
I swept my gaze across the room and let three words drop like ice:
"Ten minutes."
"Ten minutes for what?" Alberta demanded.
I ignored her and turned to Chester.
Chester glanced at his phone, then gave me a slight bow.
"Mr. Finch, I've notified the owner. He says he'll be here in ten minutes with Mr. Pruitt to personally apologize."
"Oh, and he mentioned he's willing to offer that hundred-acre parcel on the city outskirts—in exchange for Ms. Fox's life."
Dead silence.
Then the room exploded into laughter.
"Is this loser so broke he's gone delusional? He actually thinks Alberta's husband is coming to apologize to him—and throw in some land? Who believes this crap?"
"Oh, I believe it! The man's clearly on death's door. Might as well humor him, right?"
"I heard some rich kid messed with Alberta once, and Mr. Pruitt had his hands and feet broken before dumping him outside Harbor City. Wonder how many pieces our delivery boy here will have left after tonight!"
Soaking in the flattery, Alberta's arrogance reached new heights.
"Mike, I strongly suggest you do what I said—quickly. Because once my husband finds out about this little stunt? You're finished."
I pulled out a chair, sat down, and crossed my legs. One corner of my mouth lifted as I regarded her.
"And if your husband finds out? What then?"
"A man who sits in the back row at every business summit in Harbor City—you really think he has the nerve to touch me?"
A ripple of murmurs spread through the room.
Alberta's face twisted with fury at having Francis's status laid bare. She shrieked at me: