From Humiliation To New York Queen

ts that followed was our last; they died in a car crash that night

tart, I took a humiliating job at a high-end nightclub

erence, now engaged to the very woman who destroyed my life. He was even the lawyer fo

ster. He stood by as my world crumbled, choosing

in a desperate attempt at redemption. But it was too late. I had already taken my brother and moved

pte

Cohe

disappear right through the cheap linoleum floor. But I couldn't. Not with Demetri Anderson sitting across from me, hi

trust fund and a future as bright as the California sun. Demetri was my everything, the ambitious law st

ing I' d lost. He was representing the family of a boy my younger broth

dark suit was impeccable, his tie a muted blue, his posture ramrod straight. He exuded an authority that

. "Ms. Cohen, Mr. Anderson." He used formal titles, draw

f papers and glossy photos. My stomach clenche

resenting facts, dates, and injuries with chilling precision. He laid out the case against Bennie, detailing how the vict

heer indignity of facing Demetri like this. I swallowed hard, my voice

or me, were now granite. "Subjective feelings do not obscur

scared. Bennie, slumped in his chair next to me, had his jaw set, his gaze glued

his?" I asked, desperation creeping into my voice

pushed back from the table, his chair scraping loudly

ed into my th

on Demetri. "You want to punish me? Go a

the room. The door slammed behin

after him. I caught his arm in the hallway. "W

Isn't that what you're good at?" He jutted his chin out. "Just like you were good at letting them kic

cked out of my lungs. He was right. Thanks to me, we had nothing. But

I stood frozen, the harsh fluorescent lights of the hallway glaring down on me. When I tur

held no pity, only

ial compensation for Leo's injuries, including medical bills, psychological counseling, and punitive damages for emotional distress. Our current estimate stands at..

rds catching in my throat. "Please, just

If full compensation and a public apology are not received within o

d in horror. "

from the room. He looked up at Demetri, a shy smile on his face. "Thank you, Demet

ing in my gut. Claudia. Demetri's fiancée. My old univers

, a familiar bitterness. I pushed it do

his features. Then his gaze flickered back to me, hardening agai

aimed not just at Bennie, but

mpty. I leaned against the cool wall, the last shred of my co

e ye

reative spirit. And then Demetri came along, a scholarship kid from a working-class background, brilliant and driven. We were

rity and the ease with which I moved through life. She framed me for a sorority hazing incident, a fabricated trauma that painted me as a cruel bully.

the betrayal I'd endured. Distraught, they drove off, still arguing. That night, a drunk driver ran a red light. They wer

moments meant for us alone-and sold them to the tabloids. A desperate, childish act of revenge. I remembered D

treaming down my face. "Because I

arents, distracted and distraught after our fight, gettin

est, trying to get air, trying to break free from the past t

sharp pain was a welcome anchor, pulling me back to the

ne number, a last resort. Caron Wolfe, manager of The Serpent's Kiss, an exclusive Hollywo

hoarse. "I need that job

"Josie. You know the rules here. It's not pretty work

y voice hard. "I need the

f emotion. "Be here tomorrow. And bring