The service elevator doors rattled open.

The Plaza Hotel's underground parking garage was brilliantly illuminated. Soft, high-end LED lights cascaded evenly across the polished concrete, reflecting off the hoods of parked luxury vehicles. The air smelled of exhaust fumes and damp concrete.

Nia stepped out. She held a metal clipboard and a stack of delivery invoices for Northbrook Cellars.

She walked toward her branded delivery van. Her practical boots clicked against the concrete floor.

A shadow detached from the thick concrete pillar directly in her path.

Coby stepped into the light. He wore a tailored tuxedo. He smelled strongly of expensive bourbon and heavy designer cologne.

Nia stopped abruptly. Her grip tightened on the edges of her metal clipboard. Her knuckles turned white.

Coby smirked. His eyes scanned her plain black trousers and branded polo shirt.

"Look how far you've fallen, Nia," Coby slurred. "A delivery girl. It's pathetic."

Nia kept her expression entirely blank.

"Move out of my way," she said.

Coby stepped closer. He aggressively invaded her personal space. The smell of alcohol grew suffocating.

He grabbed her left wrist. His fingers dug into her skin. "We need to talk about what happened five years ago. You ruined my life with that video."

Nia forcefully yanks her arm back. She broke his weak, alcohol-fueled grip in a second.

She reached into her jacket pocket. Her fingers wrapped around the cold plastic of a pepper spray canister.

"One more step gets you maced," Nia warned. Her voice did not shake.

Coby laughed dismissively. He reached out again, his hand moving toward her cheek. "Come on, baby."

Nia raised her clipboard. She shifted her weight to her back foot, preparing to strike his face with the metal edge.

Tires screeched on the concrete.

A sleek black Maybach pulled up violently. The heavy vehicle stopped just inches from Coby's legs.

The heavy rear door swung open. A tall figure stepped out into the harsh fluorescent light.

Axel Sterling adjusted his rimless glasses with a single finger. His cold blue eyes locked instantly onto Coby.

Coby froze mid-reach. His hand dropped immediately. The color drained from his face at the sight of the tech billionaire.

Axel walked slowly toward them. His expensive leather shoes made no sound on the concrete. The atmosphere in the garage turned suffocatingly tense. The air pressure seemed to drop.

He stopped two feet away.

"Is there a problem here?" Axel asked. His voice was dangerously quiet.

Coby stammered. He took a massive step away from Nia. He tried to force a nervous laugh. "No. No problem, Mr. Sterling. Just catching up with an old friend."

Axel stepped smoothly between them. His broad shoulders completely shielded Nia from Coby's view.

Axel glanced over his shoulder. His eyes swept over Nia. The coldness in his gaze vanished for a fraction of a second, replaced by an imperceptible softness as he checked her for injuries.

Nia stared at his broad back. She rubbed her wrist. She had no idea who this man was or why he was intervening.

The passenger door of the Maybach opened. Andrae stepped out, holding a digital tablet.

Andrae paused. His eyes widened slightly as he looked at Nia. He recognized her face instantly from Axel's extensive and meticulously compiled private dossier.

Andrae quickly masked his shock with a professional, tight smile. He walked over to stand beside Axel.

Axel turned his attention back to Coby.

"Return to your engagement party upstairs," Axel ordered coldly. "Before I have security drag you out by your neck."

Coby glared resentfully at Nia's hidden figure. He swallowed hard. He turned and hurried toward the VIP elevators, his footsteps echoing wildly.

Axel turned fully to face Nia.

The air between them instantly shifted. A quiet, heavy gravitational pull settled in the empty garage.

Axel looked down at Nia.

"Are you hurt?" Axel asked. His voice was low and carefully controlled.

Nia shook her head. She took a polite but firm step back. She maintained her personal space.

"I'm fine," Nia said. "Thank you for the intervention." Her tone was strictly professional.

Axel's jaw tightened slightly. A sharp pang of disappointment hit his chest at her deliberate distance. He gave a curt nod.

Before Axel could speak again, the sharp clacking of heels echoed through the garage.

Cortney stormed out of the VIP elevator. Her eyes scanned the concrete pillars frantically.

Cortney spotted Axel. She immediately put on a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Axel!" Cortney called out, her voice dripping with a cloying, artificial sweetness. "My dear half-brother. I didn't expect to see you slumming it down here. What are you doing in the garage?"

Axel did not even look at Cortney. His jaw clenched in visible disgust. He kept his eyes on Nia.

Cortney's smile faltered. Her gaze shifted. It finally landed on Nia.

Cortney's face twisted into an ugly sneer.

"You," Cortney spat. "Are you stalking Coby? You pathetic, obsessed stalker."

Nia rolled her eyes. She lifted her clipboard.

"I am here for a commercial delivery," Nia stated.

Nia turned away. She walked toward the service elevator. She had no interest in this toxic environment.

Cortney's face flushed red. Enraged by being ignored, she followed Nia closely.

"You don't walk away from me!" Cortney shouted.

Axel signaled Andrae with a single, sharp look. Andrae nodded. He discreetly followed the two women to ensure Nia's safety.

Nia stepped out of the service hallway. She entered the opulent main lobby of The Plaza Hotel. The crystal chandeliers cast a warm, golden glow over the marble floor.

Cortney trailed right behind her.

"Security!" Cortney demanded loudly. "Throw this trash out of the hotel!"

Geraldine Sinclair stood near the concierge desk. She held a glass of champagne, schmoozing with three older socialites.

Geraldine heard the commotion. She turned her head. Her eyes locked onto Nia.

Geraldine's expression shifted instantly. The cold calculation vanished. A mask of fake, tragic maternal concern fell over her features.

Geraldine rushed over. She reached out to grab Nia's hands.

"Nia! My poor, misguided stepdaughter," Geraldine cried out.

Nia violently snatched her hands away. She stepped back as if burned by fire.

The surrounding hotel guests stopped talking. The socialites turned their heads. The lobby fell into a hushed silence to watch the drama.

Geraldine forced a single tear to fall.

"How could you abandon the family during our bankruptcy?" Geraldine lamented loudly. "We needed you."

Nia let out a cold, sharp laugh. The sound cut through the lobby's silence like a blade.

Nia raised her voice. She ensured every socialite in a twenty-foot radius could hear her perfectly.

"I didn't abandon the family," Nia said clearly. "I left because you stole my father's assets."

Geraldine's fake tears stopped instantly. Her face flushed a deep, angry red.

"You drained the trust fund into your Cayman Islands offshore account," Nia stated. "Account ending in 4409."

The socialites gasped. They began whispering furiously. Several pulled out their phones to text the gossip.

Geraldine glared at Nia. The maternal mask slipped completely. Pure, unadulterated hatred burned in her eyes.