The Horizon Lounge occupied the entire forty-seventh floor.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked Manhattan, their reflections turning the city into a sea of scattered lights.
Vanessa’s divorce party was already loud by the time Erick stepped out of the elevator.
His eyes found Dominique first.
She stood beside Martin Clarke near the bar, laughing at something he whispered.
One hand rested comfortably on Martin’s sleeve.
She didn’t notice Erick.
Or pretended not to.
Michel appeared almost immediately, slipping a whiskey glass into Erick’s hand.
“There you are.” He grinned.
“Thought you’d chicken out.”
“I said I’d come.”
“Try smiling tonight.
You look like you’re attending a funeral.”
Erick accepted the drink without taking a sip.
Across the room, Vanessa caught sight of him.
Her crimson dress shimmered beneath the chandeliers as she crossed the lounge with two women following behind.
“Erick!” she called, throwing her arms around him before he could react.
“You actually came.”
She kissed his cheek.
The smell of expensive perfume mixed with champagne.
“Dominique said you might stay home after that embarrassing video.” Vanessa smiled sweetly.
“Glad you’re not that sensitive.”
“I’m here.”
She laughed, letting her fingers brush across his chest before stepping away.
“Such a waste.
If I had a husband who looked like you, I wouldn’t leave him unattended.”
Michel snorted.
“See?
I keep telling you women have terrible judgment.”
Erick ignored him.
Instead, he studied the room.
Way more phones than drinks.
Too many people just pointing their cameras at the same corner.
Martin checked his watch.
Anya Volkov was standing nearby, acting like she was scrolling through her phone but actually watching him over the top of it.
Interesting.
Remi hurried through the crowd, still wearing her office blazer.
The moment she reached Erick, she lowered her voice.
“Don’t drink anything.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
She glanced at the glass in his hand anyway.
“They’ve been whispering all evening.
Martin told everyone to keep recording.
Michel’s been moving people into position.”
Erick’s expression didn’t change.
“So that’s the plan.”
“You knew?”
“I suspected.”
“Then leave.”
He looked across the room at Dominique.
“No.”
Before Remi could argue, Vanessa clapped her hands.
“Everyone!”
The conversations gradually faded.
“I have an idea.”
Several guests cheered.
“Let’s play Truth or Drink!”
More phones appeared.
Michel swung his camera over to Erick.
Vanessa gave a little innocent smile.
A couple of people laughed.
Anya stepped up next to her.
“I’ll handle the questions,” Anya said, staring right at Erick.
“And if you don’t answer…” She pointed to the whiskey glass in his hand.
“…you drink.”
Everything went quiet.
Erick looked around the room.
Martin.
Michel.
Three other people already filming.
Dominique was just standing there, frozen.
Everyone was waiting.
It didn’t even feel like a party anymore—it felt like a show.
He held out the glass.
“If that’s how we’re playing this.”
Vanessa took it with a smirk.
“See?
I knew you’d play along.”
But instead of giving it back, she held it up.
“Let me show you how it works.”
She took a sip.
Then, out of nowhere, she leaned in and kissed him.
Cameras started flashing everywhere.
It was the exact shot someone had been waiting for.
Erick pulled away slowly.
“Done?”
Vanessa smiled, but then her face just… froze.
She blinked a couple of times.
Her grip on the glass tightened.
“…What…”
The glass slipped out of her hand and smashed on the marble floor.
She stumbled to the side, grabbing the bar to keep from falling.
The music cut off.
People scrambled back.
Martin’s smug look vanished.
“Vanessa?”
Her legs gave out, and Anya caught her before she hit the ground.
“What was in that drink?” someone yelled.
Michel slowly put his phone down, looking confused.
Erick calmly pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the lipstick from his mouth.
Then he looked at Martin.
“You spiked the glass.”
The whole room went dead silent.
Martin tried to laugh it off.
“Are you crazy?”
“I didn’t drink anything,” Erick answered.
“She did.”
People started looking at each other, feeling awkward.
Someone stopped recording.
Martin looked like he’d seen a ghost.
“Erick…”
He turned to her.
“You knew this was a setup.”
“I thought they were just trying to embarrass you,” she whispered.
“I didn’t know they’d actually do this.”
That was all Erick needed to hear.
He nodded slowly.
“Got it.”
For the first time all night, the room felt way quieter than the city outside.
Vanessa was sitting on one of the velvet sofas now, one hand pressed against her forehead as she cursed under her breath.
Her makeup had smudged, and the confidence she’d walked in with was gone.
The music eventually started again, but the party never recovered.
People still whispered in clusters.
Some pretended to laugh.
Others quietly deleted videos from their phones.
Erick’s attention drifted toward the back of the lounge.
Michel had cornered the young blonde woman near the emergency exit.
He held her arm a little too tightly while speaking into her ear.
She looked frightened.
Erick walked over as if he had nowhere else to be.
“Mind if I borrow your seat?” he asked.
Without waiting for an answer, he settled onto the sofa beside the young woman.
Michel forced a smile.
“We’re in the middle of something.”
“So am I.”
Michel’s smile thinned.
After a long second, he released the girl’s arm.
“I’ll be right back,” he said to her before walking away.
The moment he disappeared into the crowd, Erick spoke quietly.
“How old are you?”
“…Twenty.”
He studied her face.
She looked away first.
“Did Michel tell you what happens after the pictures?”
Her breathing caught.
“He… he said they just wanted photos to make someone jealous.”
“And after that?”
She swallowed.
“I don’t know.”
Erick reached into his pocket and folded several hundred-dollar bills beneath her handbag.
“In two minutes, walk through the kitchen.”
She looked at the money but didn’t touch it.
“Don’t use the main elevator,” Erick continued.
“If Michel stops you, tell him I made you uncomfortable, and you decided to leave.”
“Will he believe me?”
“He’ll want to.”
She frowned.
“If he admits anything else, he’ll have to explain why he brought you here.”
Understanding slowly spread across her face.
She gave a nervous nod.
Exactly two minutes later, she stood.
Michel intercepted her halfway across the room.
She said something Erick couldn’t hear.
Michel frowned immediately.
“What?”
She shook her head, pointed once toward Erick, then hurried through the kitchen doors before Michel could stop her.
Michel took two steps after her before the swinging door slammed shut.
“Damn it.”
He turned around and saw Erick just standing there, raising a glass of water like he was making a toast.
Michel looked pissed.
Over by the window, Dominique was ignoring the view of the city and just staring at Erick.