Chapter 16
The Chain
By the time the banquet ended, I could still walk in a straight line.
That was my small, professional victory.
The hotel lobby was quieter than the banquet hall, all marble floors, low golden light, and the faint perfume of lilies arranged too carefully in tall glass vases. Outside, cars waited beneath the entrance canopy. Drivers opened doors. Guests exchanged final greetings. Laughter softened as people stepped into the night.
I stood near the side entrance with my coat over one arm, waiting for the dizziness to pass.
It did not.
The alcohol moved through me slowly, warm and poisonous. My stomach had already started to cramp. My fingertips were cold. Still, my reflection in the glass looked calm.
That, too, was practice.
“Mia.”
I did not turn around immedia
