Chapter 1 I Told You So #2
For a moment, both women stood frozen in place, slightly breathless from the short chase.
Then they slowly turned to look at each other.
Amara raised an eyebrow.
"See?" she said between breaths. "I told you they wouldn't be this careless."
Juliet winced.
"Now is not the time for an 'I told you so.'"
Amara immediately pointed at her.
"I absolutely think this is the perfect time."
Juliet groaned and buried her face in her hands for a second before forcing herself to straighten.
When she looked up again, a bright smile had magically appeared on her face.
Amara instantly recognized it.
It was the smile Juliet used whenever she was about to charm someone into giving her exactly what she wanted.
Turning toward the guards, Juliet blinked her large eyes innocently.
"Hi, guys."
She even lifted a hand and gave them a small wave.
"My fiancé is inside the club," she explained sweetly. "Can you let us in? I just want to surprise him."
Her smile was warm enough to melt hearts.
Unfortunately, the security guards remained completely expressionless.
Not a single one smiled back.
The tallest guard stepped forward and looked at both women with an unreadable expression.
"We're calling the police."
The words landed like a bucket of ice water.
Juliet's smile vanished.
"What?"
The guard had already pulled out his phone.
Without sparing them another glance, he looked toward one of the other guards.
"Keep them in the waiting room until the police arrive."
Juliet's eyes widened in horror.
"No, wait!"
She hurried forward so quickly she nearly tripped over her heels.
"There's no need to call the police. We were leaving anyway."
But the guard had already turned away. His attention was entirely focused on dialing the number.
For the first time that night, genuine panic flashed across Juliet's face.
Beside her, Amara closed her eyes. Then she pinched the bridge of her nose. This was exactly how she imagined the evening would end.
Juliet stopped in her tracks. Her jaw slowly dropped as the reality of the situation finally sank in.
Beside her, Amara stared at the guard holding the phone, disbelief written all over her face.
"They're actually doing it," she whispered.
Juliet looked seconds away from fainting.
"Oh my God."
The color drained from her face so quickly that even the security guards seemed mildly concerned.
Amara immediately grabbed her arm.
"What do we do?"
"I don't know!"
Juliet whispered back frantically.
"My future children can't have a mother with a criminal record."
Amara turned to stare at her. For a moment, she was too stunned to speak.
"Your biggest concern right now is your future children?"
Juliet looked horrified.
"What else am I supposed to worry about?"
"We're about to get arrested!"
"Exactly! What if this ends up on a background check someday?"
Amara opened her mouth, then closed it again.
There was absolutely no arguing with that logic.
Before she could think of a response, a woman's voice suddenly drifted across the lobby.
"I think that's a little excessive, don't you?"
The voice was warm, amused, and effortlessly confident.
Everyone turned.
A woman with striking red hair was making her way toward them.
The soft glow from the chandeliers reflected against her curls, turning them almost copper beneath the light.
She was beautiful in a vibrant, eye-catching way that naturally drew attention.
Her little black dress fit perfectly within the luxurious atmosphere of the Blue Orchid Club, and there was something about the way she carried herself that suggested she belonged here.
The click of her heels echoed softly against the marble floor as she approached.
By the time she reached them, a faint smile was playing across her lips.
Her gaze swept over Juliet and Amara before settling on the security guards.
"They're harmless."
Then she looked toward the guard holding the phone.
"I'm sure you don't need to call the police over two women trying to sneak into a club."
"Exactly!"
Juliet immediately latched onto the support.
Her eyes practically sparkled.
At that moment, she looked at the red-haired woman the way a drowning person might look at a rescue boat.
The woman seemed to notice and nearly laughed.
Unfortunately, the security guards remained completely unmoved.
The head guard maintained a professional expression.
"I'm sorry, miss Gibson, but we have procedures to follow. Unauthorized entry isn't permitted. The club's reputation depends on our security standards."
His tone remained respectful but firm.
Clearly, he wasn't interested in bending the rules.
He gave a polite nod and began turning away.
Before he could take another step, the woman spoke again.
"But I know them."
The guard paused.
The woman smiled.
"They're my friends."
Juliet blinked.
Amara blinked.
Then they slowly turned to look at each other.
Neither of them had ever seen this woman before in their lives.
Not once.
The woman continued speaking as though she hadn't just invented an entire friendship.
"You aren't seriously planning to send my friends to jail over something this minor, are you?"
The guards exchanged uncertain glances.
Seeing their hesitation, the woman folded her arms loosely across her chest.
"Come on," she said lightly. "They're leaving anyway."
She tilted her head.
"Surely we can all be reasonable adults."
The head guard hesitated.
The woman immediately noticed. Her smile widened ever so slightly.
"You know..."
She tucked a loose curl behind her ear.
"I could make a few calls myself."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Several guards visibly stiffened.
The woman acted as though she hadn't noticed.
"Mr. Nightingale knows me. There’s Mr. Cage, Mr. Stark…"
The guards exchanged another look.
"And I'm sure a few other people inside would be happy to help me sort out this misunderstanding."
Her voice remained pleasant. Almost playful. Yet there was something beneath it that made even Amara straighten slightly.
Confidence.
The kind that came from knowing exactly how much influence you possessed.
"If you'd prefer," she continued smoothly, "I can call them right now."
Silence settled over the lobby.
For several long seconds, nobody spoke.
The guards exchanged one final look.
Then the head guard released a tired sigh.
"Let them go."
Immediately, the men stepped back.
The hands gripping Juliet and Amara disappeared.
Juliet looked so relieved she appeared moments away from throwing herself at the woman and proposing marriage instead of thanking her.
The head guard turned toward the redhead.
"Miss Stella, because you've personally intervened, we're willing to let this go. However, I still cannot allow them inside without an access card. They don't have authorization."
His expression softened apologetically.
"That rule applies to everyone."
Stella nodded without argument.
"That's fair."
Then she turned toward Juliet.
The smile returned to her face.
"You wanted to surprise your fiancée, right?"
Juliet nodded so quickly that her curls bounced around her shoulders.
"Yes."
Stella opened her purse and pulled out a sleek black access card.
The card looked ordinary enough, but the moment it appeared, several security guards glanced at it instinctively.
Holding it between two fingers, Stella smiled.
"Then I might have a solution."