Chapter 1 - The Gilded CageThe Texas sun hung over the private country club like a white-hot spotlight.
Under enormous cabanas, wealthy guests laughed over chilled champagne and expensive brunch. Linen curtains moved beneath artificial mist, while luxury vehicles filled the VIP parking area beyond the terrace.
Everything looked flawless.
Twenty-two-year-old Leo Carter stood in the middle of it all, invisible.
A college student buried beneath tuition bills, Leo worked long shifts as a waiter just to stay enrolled. His white shirt was immaculate, his black bow tie perfectly tightened, and his exhausted smile carefully rehearsed.
To Event Manager Brenda Wallace, that smile was part of the uniform.
“VIP table near the valet,” she ordered. “Fresh champagne. Now.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
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Leo lifted a silver tray and stepped into the blazing afternoon.
He had no idea that within minutes, his job, his future, and his understanding of right and wrong would collide.
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