Chapter 1
"Take off your apron. You're fired!" My manager humiliated me in front of an entire Chicago restaurant because I spent $12.40 of my own money buying lunch for an elderly woman. Minutes later, I confronted a mysterious stranger watching from the corner, unaware he was Chicago's most feared Mafia boss. But when I challenged him to use his power to help someone, he stood up and gave an order that silenced the entire restaurant.
My name is Sophie Carter, and at twenty-eight, I was barely keeping my life together.
For almost two years, I'd worked at The Linden Room, an upscale Chicago restaurant where wealthy businessmen spent more on appetizers than I earned in an hour. My savings totaled $800, my eleven-year-old Honda needed new brakes, and rent was due in nine days.
My mother's insurance wouldn't cover all her medication, either.
Losing my job wasn't something I could afford.
But that Thursday afternoon, Mrs. Ellis, an eighty-two-year-old regular, discovered she'd left her wallet in a taxi.
Her trembling hands searched her purse repeatedly while nearby customers watched impatiently. When tears filled her eyes, I quietly paid her $12.40 bill.
Unfortunately, my manager, Daniel Mercer, noticed.
"Did you just pay for that woman's meal?"
"Yes, Daniel. She forgot her wallet."
"This is the third time you've done something like this!"
"The first customer was diabetic and needed food. The second woman's card was declined."
"I DON'T CARE!"
The restaurant fell silent.
Mrs. Ellis lowered her head, visibly embarrassed.
"Please," she whispered. "I'll bring the money tomorrow."
I gently squeezed her shoulder.
"You don't owe anyone an apology."
Daniel pointed at my apron.
"Take it off. You're fired."
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
My mother's prescriptions, my overdue bills, and the frighteningly small balance in my bank account flashed through my mind. Then I looked at Mrs. Ellis, whose hands were shaking around her napkin.
Slowly, I untied my apron.
"Okay."
"Oh, sweetheart," she cried. "I'm so sorry."
I crouched beside her chair.
"Mrs. Ellis, last Tuesday I spent twenty minutes searching for my phone while I was talking on it."
She blinked before laughing through her tears.
"See?" I whispered. "You're doing better than me."
Daniel crossed his arms.
"Your final paycheck will be ready Friday."
"Wonderful. I was afraid you'd pay me in leftover breadsticks."
Someone nearby laughed.
"GET OUT!" Daniel shouted.
I grabbed my worn leather purse and headed toward the entrance.
That's when I noticed him.
A tall, broad-shouldered stranger sat alone in a shadowed corner, wearing an expensive black suit and a silver watch. His dark eyes followed me over the rim of his coffee cup.
"Enjoying the show?" I asked.
"No."
"Could've fooled me."
He studied me without smiling.
"Was it worth losing your job over twelve dollars?"
Something inside me snapped.
"That woman is eighty-two years old. She was embarrassed and frightened, and everyone watched her get humiliated over a sandwich."
"And now you're unemployed."
"Yes. But at least I can sleep tonight knowing I didn't make an elderly woman cry."
His expression shifted slightly.
I stepped closer.
"If you've got enough power to help someone and choose to sit there watching instead, what good is your power?"
His coffee cup stopped halfway to his mouth.
Behind me, Daniel suddenly whispered, "Miss Carter, do you have any idea who that is?"
"Someone who needed to hear the truth."
Daniel's face drained of color.
"That's Adrian Voss."
I'd heard that name whispered across Chicago, usually followed by frightened silence.
Adrian slowly rose from his chair.
Then he looked directly at Daniel.
"Lock the front door."
My stomach tightened as the restaurant fell completely silent.
May you like
Adrian turned toward me, his expression unreadable.
"Miss Carter, before you leave, there's something you need to know about the woman whose lunch you just paid for."
