CHAPTER 2

Evelyn made a quick sign of the cross while she walked to Mr. Garrett's office. She stopped at his door and ran her palms down her uniform, trying to look presentable before she knocked.

"Come in." His voice called from inside.

She pushed open the heavy door and peeked inside. Her boss sat behind his huge desk as he flipped through a magazine. He raised his head when she entered, his eyes following her every move.

Evelyn cleared her dry throat. "Mr. Garrett? About yesterday's conversation..."

"Ah, Evelyn." He tossed the magazine onto his desk and gave her a wide smile. "I've been expecting you. Come in, come in."

She couldn't believe how nice he suddenly seemed. Her feet moved forward slowly as she tried to gather courage. "I was wondering..." She licked her dry lips. "If we could talk about the raise again."

"Of course." Mr. Garrett pushed himself up from his chair. His smile grew wider as he walked around his desk. "I've been thinking about it. I'm sure we can work something out."

Evelyn's eyes grew wide. She hadn't expected him to change his mind so fast. "Really? Thank you so much, I—"

The words were cut short when Mr. Garrett moved closer. His eyes roamed her body, and before she could step back, his fingers were on her arm. "But nothing comes free in this world, sweetheart."

She yanked her arm away, but his desk blocked her escape. Her back hit the wall. "What are you doing?"

"You want that raise, don't you?" His fingers reached for her face and traced her jaw. "This is how you earn it."

Hot anger filled Evelyn's chest. She slapped his hands away from her face and screamed, "How dare you!"

Her hands pushed against his chest hard. Mr. Garrett stumbled back, and his head hit the corner of his desk.

"You little bitch!" He touched the back of his head. "Do this, or you can kiss your job goodbye!"

Evelyn's mind raced very fast. The bills piled up at home flashed through her head. Jake's medicine. The hospital fees. She needed money so badly it hurt, but she'd rather die than let this pig touch her.

"So be it, you disgusting excuse for a human." She spat the words at him. "I quit!"

The door slammed behind her so hard the walls shook. "Fuck," she whispered to herself. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking. How did everything fall apart so fast? She'd just lost her only job. Again.

She pushed through the crowd of drunk customers, their loud voices hammering in her head. Her feet carried her to the employee lockers while she tried to calm down. She just needed to grab her stuff and get out of this hellhole.

The locker creaked open. She reached for her uniform when she heard that voice.

"Attendant! Attendant! Come serve me a drink!"

Evelyn ignored him and yanked off her work shirt. Finally free from this place and these awful customers. The voice got louder, more demanding. She knew he meant her, but she kept stuffing her things into her bag. Just a few more minutes and she'd never have to see this place again.

A strong hand grabbed her shoulder without warning. It spun her around so fast her bag slipped from her fingers. Everything inside scattered across the dirty floor.

"Are you deaf or just stupid?" A tall man stood over her, his expensive suit making him look even more intimidating. "I've been calling for service."

Evelyn dropped to her knees. She didn't even look at him as she gathered her things from the floor. His shiny shoe stepped on her favorite book, and she had to look up.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you." He demanded. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

For the first time, Evelyn really looked at the man. He looked like he was in his late twenties. Her eyes traced over his perfect jawline and well-sculptured face that might have been attractive if not for the cold, entitled look in his eyes.

She mentally slapped herself for even noticing his looks and stood up, clutching her belongings to her chest. "The king of England? The pope?Frankly, I couldn't care less if you were God himself."

As she tried to brush past him, his arm shot out and blocked her path. "Serve me my drink. Now."

That did it. Every attempt to suppress her anger flew away in an instant. She stormed to the bar and snatched up a glass of liquid. When she returned to the man, she didn't hesitate. With one quick move, she turned the glass upside down over his head and watched with satisfaction as the drink soaked his hair and expensive shirt.

"There's your drink, served as requested." She gave him a sweet smile. "Anything else I can help you with, Your Majesty?"

Ethan's face turned boiling red. His eyes dropped to his ruined shirt then shot back to Evelyn's face. "Do you have any idea how much this costs? I'm sure it's worth more than you make in a year!"

Evelyn met his gaze. "And do you have any idea how insufferable you are? I'd rather be broke than be like you."

Ethan stood frozen, shocked by her audacity. No one had ever done this to him, and it was worse coming from this stupid gender. You have no idea who you just crossed, girl," he hissed.

Evelyn threw her head back and laughed. She didn't even flinch at his threat. "Threats from men like you are as empty as your soul." She gave him one last look. "Enjoy your drink... and your dry cleaning bill."

Ethan watched her walk away, drink still dripping from his hair. His eyes caught something on the floor. He bent down and picked up the forgotten book, his wet fingers leaving marks on its cover. Opening it, he read aloud, "Evelyn Martin." A slow, dangerous smile spread across his face. "Interesting."

His fingers were already pulling out his phone, scrolling to David's number. "It's me," he barked into the phone. "I need everything you can find on an Evelyn Martin." He paused, listening to the response on the other end. "No, this is personal." His smile grew colder. "And make it quick. I have plans for Ms. Martin."

**************

Ethan was lost in thought as his secretary rambled about the latest media surrounding that article.

All of David's talking faded into meaningless noise as Ethan's mind wandered back to the encounter at the bar the previous night.

The memory of the feisty bartender, Evelyn, who had so boldly challenged him. The memory of her fiery gaze and sharp tongue sent a new anger through him. How dare she! Ethan was used to people falling over themselves to please him, to cater to his every desire. Yet this nameless bartender had looked him dead in the eye and treated him like he was nothing but a nuisance.

The thought made him boil. He was Ethan Maverick, heir to a billion-dollar empire. He was used to getting his way, no matter the cost. And this... this insignificant woman had the audacity to defy him.

"Sir, are you even listening?" David's voice finally cut through his thoughts.

Ethan snapped back to focus and leaned forward in his chair. "The woman I told you about. What did you find on her?"

David blinked hard. "Evelyn Martin?" He cleared his throat and shuffled through his papers. "Evelyn Martin, age 24. She worked as a bartender at The Rusty Nail, but she's been recently sacked. Her parents passed away in a car accident ten years ago, leaving her to care for her younger brother, Jake."

"Go on."

David continued, "Jake suffers from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. He's currently being treated at St. Mary's Hospital, which, I might add, is under the Maverick Foundation's umbrella."

This time Ethan smiled. This was going to be interesting. "Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, you say? That's an expensive condition to treat."

David nodded and handed over a thick file. "Yes, sir. According to the medical records I was able to access, Jake's treatment has been a significant financial burden for Evelyn."

Ethan snatched the file and scanned the contents. The documents showed Jake's condition, treatment plans, and most importantly, the mounting medical bills. One particular note caught his attention: "Urgent funds required to prevent disease progression and potential kidney involvement."

His smile grew wider as different thoughts raced through his mind. "Interesting. So she's in a tight spot, financially speaking."

David looked at his boss wondering why he was so interested in a mere bartender. "Sir, what do you need this for? We have urgent matters to attend to regarding the press--"

Ethan waved his hand which cut him off. "This might be the key to resolving our little... situation." If he couldn't ruin her life any further than it already was, perhaps this could be the leverage he needed.

He stood up immediately. "Make a call to Jake's doctor. Now."

David fumbled with his phone. "What do I say, sir?"

Ethan's smile turned devilish. "Tell him I'd like to discuss Jake Carter's case... and the possibility of worsening certain tests. Stress the urgency of the situation."

As David dialed, Ethan turned to the mirror and smirked at his reflection. His father wanted him to fix his reputation? Well, he'd do just that. But not without breaking the spirit of a certain defiant bartender in the process.