Chapter 2 - The Trembling Glass|
A young server wearing a crisp black vest paused beside Elena with a tray of silver-rimmed flutes.
"Sparkling, ma’am?" the waiter asked. His voice carried a faint, nervous edge.
"Nonalcoholic?" Elena checked, double-checking the arrangement she had pre-approved with the hotel’s catering director.
"Yes, ma'am. Nonalcoholic."
Elena reached out and plucked the slender flute from the silver tray. As she did, she caught the slight tremor in the young man's hand. The glass stems chimed softly against one another.
Elena watched him quickly vanish into the sea of tuxedos and evening gowns.
"Rich crowd, high pressure," she thought to herself, dismissing the hesitation. "People shake for ordinary reasons."
"Elena, darling!" a voice called out.
It was Vivienne Sterling, floating over in a sweeping crimson dress paired with heavy pearls. In her fifties, Vivienne was a fixture on Manhattan’s high-society arts boards and chaired tonight's gala planning committee. She was famous for two things: her social charm and her terrifying appetite for invasive gossip.
Vivienne didn't look at Elena’s gown. Her eyes locked directly onto Elena's face, cold and calculating.
"You look rather pale tonight," Vivienne murmured, raising her own glass in a mock toast. "Are you feeling quite all right?"
A sudden chill ran straight down Elena’s spine.
"I'm fine, Vivienne," Elena replied smoothly. "Just haven't had much time to eat."
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"Ah," Vivienne smiled, her red lips curving into something that looked less like warmth and more like satisfaction. "You really should take care of yourself. Especially now."
Before Elena could decipher the veiled comment, Vivienne turned gracefully and melted into the crowd.
