Chapter 2 - THE TRIPLE STARE
Holding the crystal tray balanced across her left palm, carrying four crystal water goblets and a bottle of sparkling mineral water, she began her walk across the polished marble floor. Her non-slip shoes made quiet, measured sounds against the stone.
As she closed the distance to Table One, the geometry of the booth came into clear focus. Arranged along the outer curve of the velvet booth were three identical high chairs made of dark oak and brass. Sitting inside them were three small children, roughly two to three years old—triplets—wearing matching dark blue velvet outfits.
Ten feet away, she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.
The three children, who had been quietly playing with silver spoons, turned their heads simultaneously. Six bright, identical blue eyes locked directly onto her face. The atmosphere around the table shifted instantly; the quiet ambient noise of the room seemed to drop away.
The crystal glasses on the tray began to rattle against one another. A sharp tremor ran down her left arm, radiating through her fingers as she stared at the three tiny faces.
At the center of the booth, Adrienne Sterling slowly raised his head. His dark eyes, cold and calculating, shifted from his children to the yellow-uniformed woman frozen on the marble aisle.
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"Keep moving," Adrienne commanded flatly.
His voice was a low, resonant rumble that carried an unyielding expectation of immediate compliance.
