Chapter 343: The Male Server

Chapter 343: The Male Server
[Sarah]

"Alex, this is between him and me," I said firmly, cutting off whatever Alex was about to interject.

Alex's laugh was bitter, his eyes flashing with something that looked almost like betrayal. "Oh, really? So when Olivia came here like some enraged activist, standing right in front of us and loudly protesting for your sake, should I have just told her the same thing?"

The words hit me like ice water. My hands went cold, and I found myself frozen in place as the reality sank in. Liv had already been here. She'd already tried to explain, to defend me, and they hadn't believed her either.

If they wouldn't believe Liv, what was the point of me saying anything at all?

The fight went out of me all at once, like air leaving a punctured balloon. I straightened my shoulders and looked between Theodore and Alex with what I hoped was dignified resignation.

"You know what? You think the woman in that video is me, then fine. It's me." I turned toward the elevator. "I shouldn't have come here."

Before I could take more than two steps, Theodore's hand shot out and grabbed my arm. His grip was firm but not painful, yet it sent electricity shooting through my entire nervous system.

"Sarah! I didn't say you could leave! I want to hear your explanation!"

Alex stepped forward immediately, his voice sharp with exasperation. "Theo, she just admitted she has no evidence—"

Theodore whirled on him, his eyes blazing with a fury I'd rarely seen directed at his closest friend. "This is between Sarah and me! I don't need anyone reminding me how to handle my own business! Even if my decision is wrong, I'll deal with the consequences myself!"

The air crackled with tension as the two men faced off. Alex's face went through a series of emotions—hurt, anger, disbelief—before settling into cold resignation. Without another word, he strode to the elevator, his footsteps echoing in the sudden silence.

Once Alex was gone, I pulled my arm free from Theodore's grasp, trying to ignore the way my skin tingled where he'd touched me.

"What Liv said is exactly what I would have said," I told him quietly. "Congratulations, Theodore. You've just made me the person who destroyed your relationship with your best friend."

The irony wasn't lost on me. I'd come here to clear the air, and instead, I'd driven a wedge between two people who'd been close for years. My heart felt heavy with the knowledge that even if Theodore chose to believe me, Alex's hostility would always be there, poisoning everything.

Theodore ran a hand through his dark hair, his expression troubled. "Someone tricked you into going to that hotel," he said slowly, as if testing the words. "Then they brought in a woman who looks almost exactly like you and filmed... that. All to frame you."

I couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped me. "Sounds like something out of a conspiracy thriller, doesn't it? Netflix wouldn't dare write a script this ridiculous. Alex doesn't believe me, and that's completely understandable. As for you..." I met his eyes directly. "I never expected you to believe me anyway."

Something flashed across Theodore's face—pain, maybe, or anger. "Sarah, what gives you the right to treat me like this? Regardless of whether that woman in the video was you or not, your attitude toward me is always the same—so damn superior!"

The accusation stung because there was truth in it. But it also lit a fire in my chest that had been smoldering since I'd walked into this penthouse.

"Superior?" I stepped closer to him, my voice rising despite my efforts to stay calm. "Should I get down on my knees and beg you to believe me? You're allowed to demand explanations from your high horse, but I'm not allowed to question why you don't trust me?"

I was breathing hard now, months of frustration and hurt pouring out. "Theodore, I've explained the video situation as clearly as I can. I have other things to deal with, so I'm leaving."

I turned and walked quickly to the elevator before he could respond, jabbing the button with more force than necessary. The doors opened immediately—a small mercy—and I stepped inside without looking back.

---

The autumn air in Manhattan was crisp against my face as I stood on the sidewalk outside Pierce Tower, looking up at the glass and steel monolith stretching toward the gray sky. My thoughts were a chaotic swirl of anger, hurt, and something that might have been relief. At least now I knew where I stood.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Liv's number.

"Sarah?" Her voice was breathless, like she'd been running. "I thought you were still in London. When did you get back?"

"Yesterday," I said, watching the stream of well-dressed New Yorkers hurry past me. "Running away doesn't solve problems, apparently. I already met with them, Liv. I heard you went to bat for me. Thank you for believing in me."

There was a pause, and when Liv spoke again, her voice was thick with guilt. "Sarah, I'm so sorry. This whole thing is my fault. If I hadn't been careless with my phone security, if that hacker hadn't gotten in..."

"Stop," I interrupted gently. "None of this is your fault."

"It is, though. You were targeted because of me, because someone got access to my contacts, my messages..." She sighed heavily. "What did Theodore say? Does he believe you?"

I looked up at the tower again, somewhere up there, Theodore was probably trying to repair the damage I'd just caused to his friendship. "Honestly? When I first saw that video, I almost believed it was me for a split second. I can't really blame anyone else for having doubts."

"He's not just anyone else!" Liv's voice rose with indignation. "He's the father of your child! He should trust you!"

"Maybe," I said quietly. "But that's not how the world works, is it?"

I could practically hear Liv grinding her teeth. "Well, what now? We can't just let whoever did this get away with it."

A thought occurred to me, something that had been nagging at the back of my mind. "It's getting cold. Want to meet me at Saks? I need to buy some fall clothes for the kids."

"Shopping therapy?" Liv sounded skeptical but game. "I can be there in twenty minutes."

---

An hour later, we were seated in a cozy corner of a high-end café inside the department store, surrounded by shopping bags containing tiny sweaters and jackets. Liv had been unusually quiet while we shopped, but now she was studying my face with the intensity of a scientist examining a specimen.

"So really," she said, stirring her latte, "what was Theodore's reaction? Did he seem like he believed you?"

I took a sip of my herbal tea, buying time. "You know, when I saw myself in that video, I almost believed it was really me. I can't expect other people to just take my word for it."

"Other people, maybe. But not him." Liv's eyes flashed with loyalty and anger. "Sarah, he's not just some random person off the street. He's supposed to know you, trust you—"

"Excuse me, are you taking pictures of us?"

I looked up to see Liv standing beside our table, confronting a woman at a nearby table who was holding up her phone in our direction. The woman was middle-aged, well-dressed, with the kind of aggressive confidence that screamed social media influencer.

"You're being dramatic," the woman said dismissively. "I wasn't even photographing you!"

"You were photographing my friend, which is the same as photographing me!" Liv's voice carried clearly across the café, drawing stares. "Apologize to my friend right now, or I'm calling mall security!"

"Liv, it's okay," I said quietly, already gathering my purse. "Let's just go."

But Liv was on a roll. "No, it's not okay! We have every right to enjoy our coffee without being harassed!"

I could feel the eyes of every other patron in the café on us. My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and the familiar weight of public scrutiny settled on my shoulders like a lead blanket. This was exactly what I'd been trying to avoid.

"Liv, please," I said, standing up. "Let's just take our drinks to go."

She turned to me, her expression softening as she saw my discomfort. "Sarah, we didn't do anything wrong. Why should we be the ones to leave?"

"I don't want to be stared at," I admitted quietly. "The feeling isn't... pleasant. And I realized something today. I never cared about proving my innocence before because I thought it didn't matter. But now I have two kids in school. If I don't clear my name, this scandal could affect them."

Liv's anger melted into concern. "Okay, let's get out of here. But we're going to figure this out, right? We're going to find whoever did this?"

As we gathered our bags and headed for the exit, I found myself thinking about that night at the hotel. There had been something that had seemed familiar.

"I remember something," I said as we stepped onto Fifth Avenue. "The night I was tricked into going to that hotel, there was a young male server who led me to the VIP area. The way he looked at me... it was like he'd seen me before, you know? Maybe we should start with him."

Liv's eyes lit up with purpose. "Let's go there right now."

I shook my head. "If I show up asking questions, it'll just tip off whoever's behind this. But if you went..."

"Say no more." Liv was already pulling out her phone. "I'll head over there right now."

"Wait," I said, grabbing her arm. "Once you get inside, let's FaceTime. I want to see what you see, hear what you hear."