She did not bend down.
Adrian waited for her to speak. His expression still held the confidence he wore in boardrooms and restaurants where servers knew his name. He had changed into his evening suit before dismissing her, which meant he had considered the appearance of the moment. His white shirt was open at the collar, but nothing else about him seemed informal.
When Claire’s silence lasted longer than he expected, his mouth tightened.
Margaret leaned deeper into the leather chair. “Adrian has already replaced you.”
The cut-crystal glass beside her remained untouched. She had poured bourbon twenty minutes earlier and had been too interested in the coming humiliation to drink it.
Claire’s right hand closed slowly. Her nails pressed into her palm. She felt the edge of her wedding ring against the neighboring finger.
Then she breathed once, reached into the pocket of her black trousers, and removed her phone.
Adrian gave a humorless laugh. “Calling security?”
Claire opened a contact marked NICOLE HALE—ADMINISTRATION.
Nicole answered on the second ring. “Good evening, Claire.”
Claire kept her eyes on Adrian. “Activate the ownership clause. Revoke every Bennett family access code.”