SHE KICKED THE MAID IN THE FACE AT THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS GALA OF THE YEAR—AND LAUGHED. SECONDS LATER, THE MAID CAUGHT HER ANKLE AND SLAPPED HER BACK. THEN SHE SAID FOUR WORDS THAT MADE THE HEIRESS GO PALE.

Ten minutes later, I returned with a fresh flute of crystal-cold champagne resting on the silver tray.

Chloe was in the middle of a loud, animated story about how she had recently evicted an elderly couple from a commercial property her family owned, laughing about how the tenants had wept on the sidewalk.

“...and the old man literally fell to his knees!” Chloe shrieked with delight, throwing her head back.

As I stepped forward to offer the glass, Chloe turned abruptly, her stiletto heel catching the hem of her heavy silk gown. She stumbled backward, losing her balance entirely. Instead of catching herself on the mahogany table, she lashed out in a blind panic, swinging her leg straight toward my chest.

“Watch out, you clumsy peasant!” she shrieked.

The heavy stiletto heel struck me right across the cheekbone and jaw, sending my glasses flying across the marble floor. The silver tray flew from my hands, shattering crystal flutes in a violent explosion of glass and champagne across the pristine white rug.

A sharp gasp echoed through the immediate circle of guests. Silence rippled outward as people turned to stare.

I stood frozen for a fraction of a second, feeling the warm trickle of blood blooming across my left cheek where her shoe had connected.

Chloe righted herself, panting heavily, her face flushed with alcohol and anger. Instead of apologizing, her lip curled into a vicious sneer.

“Look what you made me do, you pathetic little rat!” Chloe shouted, pointing a trembling finger at the ruined champagne on her shoes. “Do you have any idea how much this designer dress cost? Your entire miserable agency couldn’t pay for the dry cleaning!”

The guests murmured among themselves. A few security guards near the doorway started pushing through the crowd.