Chapter 4 - The Cold Alleyway
The heavy oak service doors slammed shut behind the fleeing staff, cutting off the frantic screams of Victoria Vance and the rising murmur of three hundred bewildered elite guests.
Outside, the cold night air hit the alleyway behind the Grand Sovereign Hotel. Rain was beginning to fall in thin, needle-like sheets, slicking the cobblestones and reflecting the neon red glow of the hotel's rear service entrance.
Elena carried Maya in her arms, pressing the small girl against her chest to share her body heat. Her own gray uniform was damp, but she barely felt the chill; her veins were pulsing with pure adrenaline.
Marcus stepped out into the alley beside her, throwing a heavy woolen coat over Elena's shoulders.
"Where are you going to go, Elena?" Marcus asked, his breath misting in the cool air. "Victoria Vance doesn't just own the catering company. She owns half the real estate management firms in the district. She’s going to call the police."
Elena looked down at Maya, who was trembling violently, her little eyes wide with terror as she clutched the lapels of Marcus's coat around her chin.
"She can call whoever she wants," Elena whispered, her voice dark and steady. "She touched my child. The police are the least of her concerns tonight."
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"Elena, listen to me," Marcus urged, grabbing her arm gently. "You don't know who her husband is. Julian Vance isn't just a corporate figurehead. He runs the private security firm that monitors the entire city harbor. If Victoria files a formal report for assault—"
"Let them try," Elena interrupted, her gray eyes locking onto Marcus with an intensity that made the senior server step back. "I've been running from them for seven years, Marcus. I'm done running."
