And then, I saw Chloe.

She was standing near the champagne tower, wearing a gold silk gown. She saw me, and her eyes lit up with malicious joy.

She walked over, holding our mother’s gold compact mirror to check her lipstick before snapping it shut.

“Did you sneak in through the kitchen, Rachel?” she asked.

“We were invited, Chloe,” I said.

“By who? The cleaning staff?” she sneered. “You really shouldn’t be here.

Charles is the guest of honor tonight. His company is signing a 10,000,000 dollar contract with the primary investor.”

I stood there and said nothing. I let her talk.

Just then, Charles walked over. He was holding a glass of champagne, a smug smile on his face.

But when he saw Mark, his smile evaporated. His face turned gray, and his hand began to shake. The champagne glass slipped from his fingers and shattered on the marble floor.

“Mr. Miller?” Charles stammered, his voice cracking.

“Hello, Charles,” Mark said, his voice perfectly calm.

Chloe frowned, looking between them. “Charles, what are you doing? Why are you calling this welder Mr. Miller?”

Charles looked at his wife, his eyes wide with absolute terror.

“Chloe, shut up,” Charles hissed, sweat breaking out on his forehead. “This is Mark Miller. He is the owner of Miller Advanced Fabrication. He just bought out Vanguard’s debt yesterday.”

The silence in that corner of the room was absolute.

Charles’s company, Vanguard Industries, had been failing for months. They had defaulted on their bank loans, and the board had secretly sold their entire debt and assets to Mark’s corporation to avoid a public collapse.

Charles was no longer the guest of honor. He was an employee standing in front of the man who held his entire career in his hands.

Mark looked at Charles. “We will discuss your contract on Monday morning, Charles. But for now, please step aside. My wife and I are going to sit down.”