The Drop Into the Water
Water surged over the stone coping as the young server broke the surface of the pool, her uniform soaking through instantly.
Shattered champagne flutes rattled across the wet tile deck, scattering broken glass between the polished shoes of the partygoers.
A blonde woman in a silk green dress stepped forward to the pool’s edge, folded her arms tightly against her chest, and tilted her head back with a sharp smirk.
Around the patio, tuxedo-clad guests lifted cocktail glasses to their lips, glancing sideways and murmuring behind manicured hands.
The server pushed her wet dark hair away from her eyes and dug her palms into the slick stone coping.
Her leather flats lost their grip on the underwater tiles before she hoisted her torso up onto the pool deck.
Water streamed from her dark skirt and white button-down shirt, forming wide puddles around the shattered glass.
A Phone Call by the Edge
She did not look up at the woman standing over her, nor did she glance toward the clustered guests.
Her hand reached straight inside her soaked maroon vest, fingers closing around a waterproof phone slipped into an interior pocket.
She pressed the screen against her ear, keeping her voice completely level against the background murmur of the party.
“I’m ready to speak now,” she stated into the receiver. “I understand. I will be ready.”
She lowered the phone, slid it back into her vest, and wrung the water from her ponytail with a single, measured twist.
Before she took two steps along the wet perimeter, three men in dark tailored suits cut across the stone terrace.
They stopped directly in front of her, their shoulders squared and their hands clasped firmly in front of their belts.
The guest in the emerald gown smirked, shifting her weight as if awaiting an escort off the property.
An Abrupt Change in Position
The lead security officer dipped his head toward the drenched server, his posture stiffening into a formal bow.
The woman in green took a half-step back, her smirk dropping as her eyes darted between the security guards and the wet server.
Her hands unclenched from her arms and fluttered downward as her knees struck the damp stone pavers.
She pressed her palms together beneath her chin, tilting her face upward in an open plea.
The server paused, looking down at the hands folded in supplication, but offered no response.
She pulled the damp fabric of her vest flat against her waist, turned toward the illuminated villa, and walked away from the pool edge.
Walking Through the Main Dining Room
Morning light washed across the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the penthouse dining room overlooking the waterfront skyline.
The dark-haired woman walked through the double doors wearing a tailored burgundy blazer and crisp slacks, carrying a leather-bound folder under her arm.
Her stride was steady across the polished hardwood as staff members adjusted white linen tablecloths around her.
Near the centerpiece table, a server in an apron and white shirt kept her head bowed as she carefully arranged crystal stemware onto a silver tray.
The server looked up, revealing the face of the blonde woman from the poolside party, her hands trembling slightly against the tray rim.
The woman in the blazer paused for a brief second, glanced at the tray of glasses, and continued past toward the executive office.
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