Maxwell held my gaze, waiting for me to say something, but I simply gave a small shake of my head to signal that the time wasn’t right just yet.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sarah,” Maxwell said with a voice full of hidden meaning. “I imagine that cleaning up after a man like Julian must be a very exhausting full-time job.”
“You have no idea how much trash I have to deal with,” I replied with a sharp smile.
A few minutes later, Julian’s sister, Cynthia, appeared in a tight crimson dress with a glass of red wine and a poisonous smirk.
“I heard the news, Nanny,” she sneered while looking me up and down. “You really do look like high-class domestic help in that ridiculous white dress.”
Julian returned and boasted about his conversation with the CEO, prompting Cynthia to raise her glass for a mock toast. She tilted her wrist with deliberate precision, sending a wave of dark red wine splashing directly across my white silk chest.
“Oh, I am so sorry!” she cried out with fake shock while the red stain spread like a wound over my gown.
“Clean it up quickly, Sarah, before Maxwell sees this embarrassing mess,” Julian hissed while shoving a few napkins into my hand.
“Your sister did that on purpose, Julian,” I said quietly.
“Don’t be dramatic, and since you’re the help tonight, you should probably wipe that wine off the floor too,” Cynthia added while laughing.
Julian pointed at the marble floor and commanded, “Do it now.”
Something inside me snapped as I looked at the napkins and then directly into Julian’s hollow eyes.
“No,” I said firmly while dropping the napkins onto the red-stained floor.
“Sarah! What do you think you’re doing?” Julian hissed, but I ignored him and began walking toward the stage with my head held high.
He tried to stop me by shouting that the stage was only for executives, but the room began to fall silent as I reached the microphone. Maxwell Thorne didn’t look confused at all; he stepped back and bowed his head slightly as I approached.
