Chapter 1: The Glass Terrace
Nathaniel Callaway gently took Rose Bennett's bleeding hands into his own.
For several seconds, the most powerful man in the room simply stared at them.
Blood had soaked through the fabric of her black catering uniform. Tiny fragments of glass glittered beneath her skin. Her fingers trembled uncontrollably, yet she kept trying to pull them away, as though she were embarrassed to inconvenience him.
"Please, sir," Rose whispered.
"I really am sorry about the glasses.""
Nathaniel looked up.
"You're apologizing for broken glasses?""
Rose swallowed.
"They were expensive.""
Behind them, eight hundred guests remained frozen beneath the terrace floodlights. Somewhere, a police siren began wailing in the distance.
Nathaniel's expression changed.
"Marcus!""
The security chief immediately approached.
"Get a medical team up here. Now. And bring a blanket.""
"Already on the way, sir.""
"Not for me. For her.""
Rose blinked.
"I don't need—"
"That's not a request.""
Nathaniel removed his bloodstained white dress shirt cuff and carefully wrapped it around her left palm.
Then he noticed something.
A thin, dark line ran across the inside of Rose's wrist. It wasn't a fresh injury. It was an old surgical scar, partially hidden beneath the cheap silver watch she wore.
He looked at it for barely a second before returning his attention to her wounds.
"What's your name?""
"Rose Bennett.""
"Rose, I'm Nathaniel Callaway.""
She gave a small, bewildered nod.
"I know, sir.""
Despite everything, something almost resembling a smile touched his mouth.
"Of course you do.""
A sudden scream interrupted them.
"Get your hands off her!""
Victoria Sterling Callaway stood near the terrace entrance, her wedding dress dragging through a mixture of champagne and blood.
Her perfect makeup was beginning to run. Her diamond earrings swung violently as she marched toward them.
"She's an employee!"" Victoria shouted.
"She's supposed to serve us, not sit here demanding attention!""
Nathaniel slowly turned his head.
"One more word.""
Victoria stopped.
"You're embarrassing yourself," she said, lowering her voice.
"Think about what you're doing. We have investors here. Foreign dignitaries.
Your entire board of directors. You cannot destroy our marriage because of an accident.""
"An accident?""
"Yes!""
"Then you'll have no problem explaining it to the police.""
Victoria's eyes narrowed.
"You wouldn't dare.""
Nathaniel rose.
"Marcus, take her phone.""
"What?"" Victoria snapped.
"She has been contacting someone since the incident. I want every message preserved.""
Victoria immediately shoved her phone into her bridal bouquet.
"You have no right!""
Marcus stepped forward.
"Mrs. Callaway, please hand it over.""
"Don't touch me!""
Arthur Sterling appeared beside his daughter.
"This is finished, Nathaniel. You're having an emotional breakdown. My attorneys will make certain you regret humiliating Victoria.""
Nathaniel didn't even look at him.
"Your attorneys should be finding you a criminal defense specialist.""
Arthur's face darkened.
"You arrogant little bastard.""
"Careful.""
Nathaniel's voice was quiet.
"Your daughter is standing in front of eight hundred witnesses. Some of them have already recorded what happened. Threatening me won't change what those cameras captured.""
Arthur looked around.
For the first time that evening, he noticed the phones.
Dozens of them.
Perhaps hundreds.
His daughter's face drained of color.
Twenty minutes later, Eleanor Callaway was transported downstairs to the building's private medical facility.
Nathaniel followed the stretcher until the elevator doors closed.
His mother's fingers had remained wrapped around his throughout the journey.
"Don't let her leave," Eleanor whispered.
"I won't.""
"She knew exactly where I would be standing.""
Nathaniel frowned.
"What do you mean?""
Eleanor struggled to breathe.
"She asked me to come outside. Said she had something important to tell me. Something about the family.""
"What did she tell you?""
His mother closed her eyes.
"That I was an obstacle.""
Nathaniel felt something cold settle inside his chest.
Before he could ask another question, the medical team wheeled Eleanor into the trauma room.
The doors shut.
He stood alone in the corridor, staring at his reflection in the polished metal.
He had married Victoria because she understood his world.
She was intelligent, elegant, politically connected, and comfortable among the wealthy families who controlled half the country's financial institutions.
His mother had warned him.
Not once.
Not twice.
For almost a year, Eleanor had told him that Victoria was interested in the Callaway name, not the man carrying it.
Nathaniel had dismissed those warnings as the suspicions of an aging woman who had difficulty accepting that her son was building a life without her.
Now his mother was fighting for her life.
And a waitress had nearly lost both hands trying to save her.
"Mr. Callaway?""
Nathaniel turned.
Dr. Vance, his mother's personal physician, stood in the doorway.
"She's stable for now. We've detected several bruises along her cervical spine, but the immediate concern is her cardiac condition. The fall could have caused serious complications.""
"Will she recover?""
"We're doing everything possible.""
Nathaniel nodded.
"Thank you.""
The doctor hesitated.
"There is something else.""
"What?""
"Your mother was conscious enough to tell the paramedics something before we brought her in.""
Nathaniel stepped closer.
"What did she say?""
Dr. Vance lowered his voice.
"She said the woman who pushed her had already tried to poison her.""
Nathaniel went completely still.
Upstairs, Rose sat in a private security office with a medical blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
A paramedic had cleaned her hands, removed several pieces of glass, and bandaged the worst cuts.
She kept looking at the clock.
11:48 p.m.
Her shift had ended almost three hours ago.
Her phone was dead.
Her landlord would be waiting for the rent.
And somewhere in the chaos, she'd lost the small envelope containing the money she'd been saving for her younger brother's school fees.
She pressed her lips together.
Don't cry.
She had learned that crying rarely changed anything.
A woman wearing a dark navy security uniform entered the room.
"Miss Bennett?""
Rose stood awkwardly.
"Yes?""
"I'm Detective Laura Hayes. I need to ask you some questions about what happened on the terrace.""
Rose nodded.
"Of course.""
"Sit down.""
The detective opened a small notebook.
"Tell me exactly what you saw.""
Rose stared at her bandaged hands.
"I was carrying a tray of champagne toward the eastern seating area. Mrs. Callaway was standing near the glass railing.
Mrs. Sterling approached her.""
"What happened next?""
"They spoke for a few seconds.""
"Could you hear what they said?""
"Not everything.""
"What did you hear?""
Rose hesitated.
"Mrs. Sterling said, 'You should have signed the papers when I gave you the chance.''"
Detective Hayes stopped writing.
"What papers?""
"I don't know.""
"Did Mrs. Callaway respond?""
Rose nodded.
"She said something about Nathaniel. She said he would never agree.""
"And then?""
"Mrs. Sterling grabbed her arm.""
"Grabbed her how?""
"With both hands.""
Rose demonstrated, wincing as the movement pulled at her bandages.
"She turned her toward the railing. Mrs. Callaway tried to step away, but her heel slipped.""
"Then Mrs. Sterling pushed her?""
Rose looked directly at the detective.
"Yes.""
"Are you certain?""
"I saw it.""
The detective studied her face.
"Miss Bennett, making a statement against a member of the Sterling family could have serious consequences. Are you prepared to testify?""
Rose thought about her landlord.
Her brother.
The temporary employment agency that could blacklist her if a wealthy client complained.
Then she remembered Eleanor's frightened eyes.
"Yes," she whispered.
Detective Hayes closed her notebook.
"All right. We'll arrange protection if necessary.""
Rose looked up.
"Protection?""
Before the detective could answer, the office door opened.
Nathaniel entered.
His tuxedo jacket was gone. His shirt was stained with blood, and his expression was darker than anything Rose had seen that evening.
"Detective, I need a moment with Miss Bennett.""
Hayes stood.
"We're not finished.""
"Then I'll wait.""
Rose quickly rose from her chair.
"Sir, you don't have to—"
"Please sit down, Rose.""
He pulled a chair opposite her.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Nathaniel placed something on the table.
A small velvet jewelry box.
Rose frowned.
"What is that?""
"Your employment agency's security deposit. I've instructed my legal department to ensure you receive your full wages and medical expenses.""
Rose pushed it away.
"I don't want money.""
Nathaniel's eyebrows drew together.
"Most people would.""
"I'm not most people.""
The words escaped before she could stop them.
She immediately looked down.
"I'm sorry.""
Nathaniel leaned back.
"Stop apologizing.""
Rose's eyes filled unexpectedly.
"I just don't want anyone thinking I helped your mother because I expected something.""
He studied her.
"You threw yourself across broken glass to save a woman you had never met.""
Rose looked at the table.
"She was falling.""
Something in her answer seemed to affect him.
Nathaniel slowly nodded.
"All right.""
He stood.
"Then there's one thing I would like you to do for me.""
Rose looked up.
"What?""
"Tell me if anyone approaches you about changing your statement.""
"I will.""
"Even if they offer you money?""
"Yes.""
"Even if they threaten you?""
Rose hesitated.
Nathaniel noticed.
"Miss Bennett?""
She looked toward the dark window.
"I've been threatened before, Mr. Callaway.""
"By whom?""
She opened her mouth.
But before she could answer, Marcus appeared in the doorway.
"Sir, we've recovered the terrace footage.""
Nathaniel turned.
"And?""
Marcus held up a tablet.
"The eastern camera captured everything. But there's something you need to see.""
He placed the tablet on the table.
The footage showed Victoria approaching Eleanor.
The argument.
The shove.
Eleanor falling.
Then Rose rushing forward.
But the camera had also captured something else.
Thirty seconds before the incident, a man in a black suit had walked behind Victoria and placed a small folded envelope inside her bouquet.
Marcus enlarged the image.
Nathaniel stared at the man's face.
His blood ran cold.
"That's impossible.""
Rose slowly leaned forward.
The man on the screen was unmistakable.
She had seen him before.
Not at the wedding.
Not at the Callaway estate.
But in a photograph she had kept hidden inside her bedroom drawer for eleven years.
Rose's lips parted.
"That's...""
Nathaniel turned toward her.
"You know him?""
Rose's face had gone completely white.
"His name is Daniel Mercer.""
Nathaniel looked back at the screen.
"Who is he?""
Rose's voice dropped to a whisper.
May you like
"He's the man who was supposed to be dead.""
And suddenly, the attempted murder on the terrace was no longer the only mystery Nathaniel had to solve.
