Elena offered a tiny, chilling smile. "I would never dream of replacing you, Mrs. Sterling. I'm simply... optimizing the partnership. A Sovereign needs a shadow, doesn't she?"
She stepped forward and picked up the silver canister of tea. "I'll refresh this for you. Mr. Sterling prefers it at 180 degrees, as you know. I'll make sure yours is exactly the way you like it."
She walked past me toward the kitchenette. As she passed, the tail of her slate-gray skirt brushed against mine. The friction sounded like a warning.
Reid came up behind me, his hands resting on my shoulders. "Maya, I'll speak to her. I'll tell her the dress code is overstepping. I'll move her to a different floor if you want."
I looked at him in the reflection of the glass.
He was innocent in his ignorance, but his ignorance was the very thing Elena was weaponizing.
