Chapter 2 - THE STUNNED LOBBY
The icy whisper lingered in the air like a death sentence. Evelyn Sterling stepped back, her royal blue satin gown rustling against the pristine marble floor of the luxury hotel lobby.
Officer Wright stood frozen beside the marble pillar, his hand trembling slightly over his leather holster. He had worked security at the Grand Regency for five years, but he had never seen anyone look at Evelyn Sterling with such terrifying, unblinking authority.
"Get this trash out of my sight immediately!" Evelyn barked, her voice cracking as she tried to regain her composure. She smoothed down her silk gown, her silver statement necklace catching the brilliant light of the crystal chandeliers overhead.
Maya did not flinch as the security guard stepped forward. She slowly adjusted her burgundy cropped bomber jacket, her red hair pulled into a high bun that revealed every severe bruise on her pale face.
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"I suggest you do not touch me, Officer Wright," Maya said softly, her voice carrying a calm power that stopped the guard in his tracks. She wiped a thin smear of blood from her lip, tossing a metallic black security card directly onto the marble floor emblem between them.
Officer Wright glanced down at the card, his eyes widening in sudden, paralyzing shock. The gold seal of the United States Department of Justice gleamed against the dark polished floor.
