Unwelcome Reunion

Audrey slowly raised her head from her deep bow, her stiff neck protesting the movement. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the face of the well-dressed woman standing before her. The elegant features were unsettlingly familiar from her past life, though the exact name currently escaped her memory.

The woman, Valerie, let out a sharp laugh. Her smile twisted with a deeply ambiguous, malicious delight as she sized up the ruined hostess.

"It really is you. Why did you not announce your grand release from prison to your old social circle? If I had known you were finally out, I would have picked you up myself," Valerie mocked loudly, ensuring her voice carried through the quiet lobby.

A few feet away, Penelope’s jaw dropped. She stared at Audrey, sheer shock spreading across her face at the sudden, blunt revelation of her coworker's criminal past.

Audrey had anticipated this exact brand of confrontation since her first day on the job. She forced her tense muscles to relax and maintained her plastered, professional smile.

"I do not know you, Miss," Audrey replied softly.

Valerie was not about to let her victim off the hook so easily. She crossed her arms arrogantly, stepping closer to inspect the frail woman.

"What happened to the high and mighty heiress? Was life behind bars a little too rough for you? You look pathetic," Valerie fired a barrage of sarcastic remarks, clearly intending to break her spirit.

Audrey pressed her lips together and maintained a stoic silence, keeping her eyes fixed firmly on the polished marble floor. Her refusal to react or beg only made Valerie lose her patience. The elite woman's voice pitched high and shrill, echoing aggressively off the walls as she began making a massive public scene.

"What is wrong with the management of Apex Club? How could you possibly hire a convicted criminal as a hostess? I demand to see the manager right now! Bring them out!"

"What are you doing, Valerie?"

A deep, commanding voice interrupted the tirade from behind. Audrey froze. She turned around, and a sudden flood of complicated, painful memories rushed back instantly. It was Gideon Langdon. He was the sole person who had ever visited her in the bleak penitentiary, though he had only done so while harboring a deep, festering grudge as Chloe’s older brother.

Valerie immediately dropped her hostile posture and clung to his arm. She pointed eagerly at the hostess.

"Look at the miserable creature we stumbled upon, Deon!" Valerie exclaimed.

Gideon’s amber eyes locked instantly onto Audrey. A heavy, unfathomable energy swirled in his gaze as he took in her cheap uniform and frail posture.

"When were you released?" Gideon asked casually.

"About half a month ago," Audrey replied with a flat affect.

Gideon lowered his gaze, seemingly stunned by her absolute lack of shame or defensiveness. His eyes accidentally caught sight of the faint, ugly scars marring her once-flawless cheek. A complex emotion flickered across his sharp features before he quickly looked away. He stiffened his posture.

"Since you have regained your freedom, you should treasure your second chance," Gideon stated coldly.

"Thank you," Audrey murmured a hollow response.

Valerie frowned, clearly displeased that Gideon wasn't instantly making things difficult for the formerly revered heiress. Eager to maximize the humiliation, she tightened her grip on his arm and smiled coquettishly.

"Should we not invite our old friend to join us inside, Deon? It has been so long."

Gideon did not answer. He simply stared at Audrey in a heavy, judgmental silence.

Audrey’s heart sank to the bottom of her chest. She knew with absolute certainty that she could not escape this. This was exactly why Dominic had orchestrated her employment at Apex Club. He wanted the countless elites she had offended in her past life to bear witness to her miserable, pathetic downfall. If it was not Valerie tearing her apart today, it would inevitably be someone else tomorrow.

Resigning herself entirely to her grim fate, Audrey stiffly stepped toward the VIP elevators with them. The short ride up felt agonizingly long. When the metal doors finally slid open, a strong, suffocating scent of expensive alcohol wafted toward her from outside a private VIP lounge. The hallway was bathed in dim, colorful lighting. Before Audrey could even process her surroundings, Valerie grabbed her shoulder. With a harsh shove, Valerie forced Audrey's stumbling frame inside the room.

"Look who we have got here, everyone!" Valerie announced loudly.