"Jennifer." Vivienne watched him carefully, her voice dropping a fraction. "Jennifer Vanderbilt. Perhaps you've met her?"
The name landed between them like a challenge.
He knew exactly what she was doing. He decided to give her exactly what she wanted.
Alex let something cold move through his chest. He allowed old memories to surface... slick, immediate. The ballroom. The laughter. The phone screens. The scoring. Jennifer's voice, counting him like a lesson.
His eyes flickered. Just for a moment. A micro-expression of pain and humiliation, carefully measured for her benefit.
Then he shook his head slightly, forcing the memories back into their cage, but leaving the door cracked just enough for her to see the darkness inside.
"Jennifer Vanderbilt," he repeated, his voice carefully flat. "The name sounds familiar."
