When the elevator doors opened to the rooftop terrace, the contrast was stark. The warm string lights cast a golden glow over forty executives from the Hollis Group. Laughter drifted over the sound of the soft jazz playlist, and guests were mingling near the stone railing, admiring the view of the Savannah River shipping lanes.
I spotted Derek immediately. He was standing near the center bar, holding a sparkling water, laughing at a joke made by a man in a tailored gray suit—the senior managing partner. Derek looked confident, perfectly tailored, and completely detached from the wreckage he had left down in the dining room.
I caught the eye of the event coordinator, a woman named Sarah who had booked the terrace months in advance. She walked over to me with a clipboard pressed against her jacket.
“Everything is flawless, Maya,” Sarah said, smiling. “The salmon was a massive hit. Thank you for accommodating the last-minute dietary changes.”
“Of course, Sarah,” I said. “I just wanted to do a quick security check. We had a brief issue downstairs with some individuals trying to gain access to the private guest list under the name Lawson. I want to ensure your privacy isn’t being interrupted.”
Sarah looked down at her tablet, her brow furrowing. “The Hollis Group dinner is strictly internal management tonight. No spouses, no family. Derek Lawson is on the list, but he’s a solo attendee. Did someone try to gatecrash?”
“It’s handled,” I reassured her. “I just wanted to make sure no one disturbed your partners. Enjoy the rest of the evening.”
As I turned to leave, Derek caught my eye. The laughter died on his face. He excused himself from the senior partner and walked quickly across the deck, stepping into the quieter corridor near the elevators.
“Maya,” he said, his voice tense. “What are you doing up here? Did you talk to my boss?”
“I talked to the event coordinator,” I said, looking at my brother. He looked so much like our father when he was cornered—the same tight jaw, the same nervous twitch in his right hand. “Your family is downstairs, Derek. They tried to force their way into your corporate dinner, and when that failed, they demanded sixty thousand dollars from me to pay for your new house in Ardsley Park.”
Derek winced, looking back over his shoulder toward the party. “Look, I didn’t ask them to do that. Dad said he was going to take care of it. He said he had connections down here that would make things move faster.”
