The spilled champagne soaked the carpet, and Tara Lawrence's voice cut through the lounge like a knife.
"On your knees. Clean it up with a napkin, you little bitch."
I stood my ground, my tray balanced perfectly.
I refused, knowing it meant losing my job.
To my shock, Caleb Scott, the casino empire' s heir, didn't fire me.
Instead, he summoned me to a penthouse with a bizarre proposition: "Be my girlfriend."
It made no sense. Why would a man like him want a cocktail waitress, especially after I publicly defied his friend?
My suspicions were confirmed when I overheard Tara: Caleb's offer was a cruel bet.
They planned to shower me with luxury for a year, make me fall in love, then dump me, leaving me utterly broken, ensured I could never reclaim my old life.
They laughed about me throwing myself off a bridge when it was over.
My blood ran cold, but a fierce resolve ignited within me.
They thought they were playing me, but I saw it differently.
This wasn't just a game; it was war, and I was going to play to win.
They saw a low-class waitress; I saw my first investors.
They were funding my launch.