Chapter 5

Josie Cohen POV:

My breath hitched. Demetri. Again. I felt his cold gaze on me the moment I stepped into the room, a shiver running down my spine. I gripped the tray tighter, my knuckles white, and forced a smile onto my face, the professional mask firmly in place. This was just a job. He was just a client.

I moved around the table, pouring champagne, my movements practiced and precise. The chatter in the room was boisterous, filled with the self-congratulatory laughter of the ultra-rich.

"Demetri, you truly are a godsend," one of the men slurred, raising his glass. "That legal advice you gave me saved my company a fortune. Your insight is unparalleled."

Demetri offered a polite nod, his expression unchanging. "Just doing my job, Mr. Davies."

"Oh, more than that!" another woman chimed in. "You're brilliant, Demetri. And so principled. A rare gem in this city."

I kept my head down, focusing on the bubbles in the champagne flute. The praise for Demetri felt like a direct insult to me, a painful echo of a past I couldn't escape.

"Hmm, this one has good eyes, Demetri," Mr. Davies chuckled, his gaze lingering on me. "Sharp. What' s your name, sweetheart?"

I flinched, my voice barely a whisper. "Josie."

"Josie," he repeated, savoring the name. "Nice. Come, sit here." He patted the empty seat beside him. "Pour me another, and keep me company."

My heart pounded. Sit? With them? And Demetri? I felt a wave of nausea.

"Someone get this poor girl a chair!" a loud voice boomed. Another man, whose face I couldn't quite place, gestured to the vacant seat directly beside Demetri. "Josie, come keep our legal eagle company! He looks like he could use a little warmth."

My body trembled, a cold sweat breaking out on my skin. This was a nightmare. I couldn't. I just couldn't.

Demetri's voice cut through the tension, cold and sharp as ice. "Thank you, but no. My fiancée is waiting for me. And I prefer not to associate with... certain types of people." His gaze swept over me, lingering for a fraction of a second, heavy with disdain.

The words were a direct hit, a poisoned arrow straight to my heart. My face burned, a furious blush creeping up my neck. He still hated me. He still thought I was beneath him.

Mr. Davies, sensing the shift in atmosphere, chuckled awkwardly. "Oh, Demetri, always the loyal one! A man of integrity! We respect that." He turned back to me, a lecherous grin spreading across his face. "Never mind, Josie. You can stay right here with me. And don't worry about the others. Just for staying by my side tonight, I'll double your usual rate." He peeled off a wad of hundred-dollar bills and pressed them into my hand.

The money felt like a branding iron, hot and painful against my skin. It was the price of my humiliation, the currency of my utter degradation. I forced another professional smile, my voice hoarse. "Thank you, sir. You're very generous."

Mr. Davies chuckled, then pulled me closer, his arm snaking around my waist. His head dipped, his lips brushing my ear. I froze, my muscles locking up, my mind screaming in protest. I closed my eyes, bracing for the inevitable.

"Mr. Davies," Demetri's voice cut through the haze, calm and authoritative. "My flight leaves in thirty minutes. We need to finalize the contract details before then."

Mr. Davies sighed, releasing me with a grunt. "Fine, fine. Always business with you, Demetri." He clapped his hands. "Alright everyone, the party's over! Time to get down to brass tacks!"

A wave of relief, so potent it almost buckled my knees, washed over me. I wanted to laugh, to cry, to scream. I bit my lip, tasting blood. The money in my hand felt heavy, tainted. But it was money. And Bennie needed it.

"It's just money," I whispered to myself, a bitter mantra. "Just money."

I took a shaky breath, trying to compose myself. When I finally stepped out of the VIP room, the corridor was empty. Until Demetri emerged from the shadows, blocking my path once more.

"Impressive, Josie," he said, his voice flat. "You've certainly found your calling. Consorting with men for money. It suits you."

I felt a fresh surge of anger, burning away the last vestiges of my shame. "And what about you, Demetri? Consorting with a woman who built her career on lies? It seems we both have our own ways of... making a living."

His face went rigid, his eyes blazing with fury. "Don't you dare compare Claudia to yourself! She is a good, honest woman. You, on the other hand, refuse to acknowledge your own transgressions, let alone apologize for them."

"Transgressions?" I scoffed. "The ones I didn't commit? Or the ones you so eagerly believed, despite knowing me for years? You chose to condemn me based on 'evidence' that was clearly rigged! You chose to believe her over me!"

He took a step forward, his voice low and dangerous. "There was no rigging, Josie. Only your violent actions and her tears. The facts were clear."

"The facts you chose to see!" I shot back, my voice trembling with suppressed rage. "You never looked deeper. You just swallowed her story whole. And now you're about to marry her. How principled of you, counselor."

The vein in his temple throbbed. "You are beyond redemption, Josie. You cling to your petty grievances, while I strive for justice." He stared at me, his eyes filled with a chilling disappointment. "It's a pity. I truly thought you were better than this."

"Better than what, Demetri?" I asked, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "Better than the woman you abandoned? Better than the woman whose parents died because of your so-called 'justice'?" My chest heaved with emotion. "Go ahead, Demetri. Go marry your saintly Claudia. I hope you both rot in hell."

He flinched, a flicker of pain crossing his face, quickly replaced by a cold fury. "Don't forget, Josie. Your brother's apology is due soon. Make sure he's there. Or I will ensure he faces the full consequences of his actions." He paused, his gaze hardening. "And if you ever mention Claudia in such a vile manner again, you'll regret it."

"Are you jealous, Demetri?" I taunted, a reckless impulse taking over. "Is that why you're still waiting for me in dark alleys? Because you know, deep down, you made a mistake?"

He didn't answer. He just turned and walked away, the click of his expensive shoes fading into the night.

I stood there, trembling, trying to catch my breath. The anger slowly drained away, leaving behind a profound emptiness. Bennie. His apology. The deadline.

My phone vibrated in my hand. It was an unknown number. I answered, my voice hoarse.

"Is this Josie Cohen?" a frantic voice asked. "This is St. Jude's Hospital. Your brother, Bennie Cohen... he's been in an accident."

The world tilted.