Kinsley stared at the black screen of her phone resting on her lap. She waited for the fake emergency message to light up. Across the narrow table, Julian watched her. He tracked every micro-expression on her face, every shallow breath she took.

The waiter appeared like a ghost, placing a heavy crystal glass of scotch in front of Julian. For a fraction of a second, Julian's dark eyes shifted to the glass.

It was the only break in his visual lock.

Edmon stood up abruptly. He held a tall, expensive bottle of Patrón tequila in his sweaty hand. He slammed it onto the table.

"We must do shots!" Edmon declared, his voice booming with forced enthusiasm. "To honor our esteemed guest. Everyone, glasses up."

Sitting next to Kinsley, Hailey Finch visibly paled. Hailey subtly clutched her stomach under the table. Kinsley knew Hailey was eight weeks pregnant and desperately trying to hide it from the ruthless HR department.

Edmon marched around the table. He slammed a small shot glass directly in front of Hailey. He poured the clear liquid to the brim.

"Drink up, Hailey. Show some dedication to the agency," Edmon demanded aggressively.

Hailey stammers, her eyes wide with panic. "Edmon, I... I really can't tonight. I have a slight medical..."

"Nonsense. One shot won't kill you," Edmon interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Kinsley didn't think. She reacted.

She reached across the table without a second of hesitation. Her hand snatched the shot glass from Hailey's space and pulled it firmly toward herself.

Edmon glared at Kinsley. His face flushed a deep, angry purple at her blatant defiance of his direct order.

"I'll take the shot for her," Kinsley stated calmly. She kept her face completely stoic. She raised the glass toward her lips.

Across the table, Amy snickers loudly. She leaned over and whispered into Brenda Walsh's ear. "Look at her trying to show off in front of the billionaire. Pathetic."

Julian's jaw tightened imperceptibly. A small muscle ticked beneath his skin. His long fingers gripped his scotch glass as he watched Kinsley prepare to swallow the harsh liquor.

Before the rim of the shot glass could even touch Kinsley's lips, Julian moved.

He reached across the narrow table. His large, warm hand wrapped firmly over her wrist.

Kinsley gasped softly. The sudden, burning contact of his skin against hers sent a shockwave up her arm. Her eyes snapped up to meet his dark, dangerous gaze.

Julian easily pried the shot glass from her trembling fingers. His thumb brushed against her pulse point. His touch lingered for a second longer than necessary.

Edmon froze in terror. He mistakenly believed Kinsley had just deeply offended the Montgomery heir.

Julian set the shot glass down on the table with a sharp, final clink. He didn't look at Kinsley anymore. He looked directly at Edmon.

"Forcing employees to consume alcohol against their will is a massive corporate liability, Mr. Justice," Julian remarked. His voice was dangerously low, cold enough to freeze the tequila.

Edmon immediately shrank back. The bottle of Patrón nearly slipped from his sweaty grip. "Of course, Mr. Montgomery. You are absolutely right. Waiter! Clear this away instantly."

Kinsley pulled her hand back sharply. She hid her hands under the table, rubbing her wrist where he had touched her. She tried to erase the phantom heat burning into her skin.

Hailey leaned over and whispered a tearful "Thank you" into Kinsley's ear. Hailey was completely unaware of the silent, violent emotional war raging across the table.

Julian picked up his scotch. He took a slow, deliberate sip. His eyes drifted back to Kinsley, challenging her to acknowledge the favor he just did for her.

Kinsley stubbornly looked away. She focused entirely on the intricate floral pattern of the wallpaper. She refused to give him the satisfaction of her gratitude.

Suddenly, her phone screen lit up in her lap. The fake emergency text finally arrived.

It was the perfect excuse.

Kinsley stood up abruptly. Her chair scraped loudly against the hardwood floor.

"I apologize, Edmon. I have a family emergency. I need to leave immediately," Kinsley announced to the table.

Edmon waved her off dismissively. He was too busy trying to regain Julian's favor to care about a junior creative leaving early. "Fine, fine. Go."

Kinsley grabbed her worn wool coat and her purse. She speed-walked out of the private room. She didn't cast a single backward glance at the billionaire sitting across from her empty chair.

Julian watched her retreating back. The muscle in his jaw ticked again. He calculated his next move.

Kinsley pushed through the heavy front doors of the restaurant. The crisp, freezing night air hit her face. She took a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

She walked swiftly down the damp pavement, wrapping her coat tighter against the chill. She just wanted to disappear into the anonymity of the city.

Inside the private room, Julian abruptly stood up. The leather chair squeaked. He tossed a crisp hundred-dollar bill onto the table. He left Edmon mid-sentence without a word of goodbye.

Julian strode out of the restaurant. The valet rushed forward, but Julian ignored him. His dark eyes locked onto Kinsley's distant figure, hurrying down the block toward the bus stop.

Julian stood on the pavement outside Le Bernardin. The cold wind whipped the edges of his unbuttoned suit jacket. He watched Kinsley's small figure disappear around the corner.

His legs twitched with the urge to chase her down the block. He wanted to grab her arm and demand to know why she looked at him like he was a monster.

But his pride anchored his feet to the concrete. Montgomery men did not chase women down dirty city streets.

Julian turned away from the restaurant entrance. He stepped into the back of his waiting, chauffeured Maybach.

"The club, Leo," Julian ordered his driver. His voice was flat and hard.

The Maybach glided silently through the neon-lit streets of Manhattan. It delivered Julian to an exclusive, members-only club hidden behind an unmarked door on the Upper East Side.

Julian handed his coat to the silent attendant in the foyer. He walked into the dimly lit, mahogany-paneled cigar room. The air smelled of aged leather, expensive tobacco, and old money.

Alton Leon lounged on a massive Chesterfield sofa. He swirled a glass of dark cognac and laughed loudly at a crude joke someone had just told.

Richard Hernandez sat across from Alton. Richard casually shuffled a deck of custom, gold-foil playing cards. His sharp eyes scanned the room for entertainment.

Julian walked over and took a seat in the high-backed armchair. His expression was completely closed off. A waiter materialized instantly, placing a fresh glass of scotch on the table next to him.

Alton immediately noticed Julian's dark mood. "Jesus, Jules. You look like a man who just lost a hostile takeover to a startup."

Julian ignored the jab. He stared down into the amber liquid in his glass. His mind was stuck on a loop, replaying the way Kinsley had defensively crossed her arms to shield herself from him.

Richard leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I saw Kandi Durham earlier today. She was complaining that you've been ignoring her calls for a week."

Julian exhaled a sharp breath of pure annoyance. "Kandi is a childhood nuisance. She is not a priority."

Alton smirked, taking a sip of his cognac. "Careful. Rumor has it your mother is pushing hard for the Montgomery-Durham merger. A wedding ring makes the paperwork a lot easier."

Julian's grip on his scotch glass tightened. His knuckles turned white against the crystal. The suffocating reality of arranged alliances and old money expectations pressed down on his chest like a physical weight.

Richard changed the subject, sensing the rising tension. "So, what kept you busy downtown earlier? You missed the board prep."

Julian hesitated. It was a fraction of a second, an uncharacteristic pause.

Richard's sharp eyes narrowed instantly. He caught the hesitation.

"A minor encounter with a low-tier advertising agency," Julian claimed dismissively. He kept Kinsley's name out of his mouth. It felt too private to share in this room.

Alton scoffs, leaning back into the sofa. "God, I hate dealing with the working class. Always desperate. Let me guess, some nobody employee tried to pitch you a brilliant idea over dinner to get a promotion?"

Julian felt a sudden, irrational spike of hot anger in his chest. He remembered Kinsley's worn but immaculate coat. He remembered her taking the shot for her pregnant coworker.

"Arrogance without merit is a poor look for a trust fund beneficiary, Alton," Julian stated coldly. His voice cut through the room like a blade.

Alton blinked in genuine shock. He raised his hands in mock surrender. He was completely confused by Julian's sudden, aggressive defense of nameless corporate drones.

Richard stopped shuffling the cards. His intuition screamed that Julian was hiding something significant behind his icy facade.

"Did you run into a ghost, Julian?" Richard probed further, his voice quiet. "Specifically, the girl from three years ago?"

Julian's eyes snap up. He glared at Richard with a lethal intensity. The entire room fell dead silent.

Julian forced a cold, harsh laugh from his throat. "Kinsley? She was a cheap distraction. A gold digger who played her part and left. Nothing more." He spoke the lie smoothly, attempting to convince Richard, and more desperately, himself. But her name felt like a jagged thorn lodged deep in his throat, suffocating him. The memory of her defensive posture earlier that night burned in his mind, violently contradicting the careless words he just spat out.

Richard nodded slowly. He pretended to buy the lie. But his eyes dropped to the white-knuckle grip Julian still maintained on his glass.

Alton laughed, breaking the tension. "Exactly. Girls from public schools are always looking for a quick payout from our circles. Good riddance."

Julian stood up abruptly. The heavy leather chair squeaked in protest. He couldn't stomach the conversation for another second. The air in the room felt toxic.

He tossed his drink back in one swallow. The burn of the alcohol masked the sudden, sharp ache blooming in his chest.

"I have an early board meeting," Julian excused himself, his tone leaving no room for questions.

He walked out, leaving his friends exchanging bewildered glances.

Richard watched the door close behind Julian. He pulled his phone from his pocket. He discreetly texted his assistant: Look into Julian's movements downtown tonight. Find out who he saw.

Julian stepped back out into the freezing night. His mind was consumed by a dark, obsessive need. He needed to corner Kinsley. He needed to expose her supposed manipulation to prove to himself that he didn't care.