Chapter 11: Glass Heels
Florida stood near the tall glass columns, watching strangers swirl in conversation and crystal light.
The music played softly — something classical, distant, hollow.
Her fingers twisted around the small emerald clutch she held.
The air was too cold. Or maybe she was just too alone.
People walked past without speaking.
Her heels — unfamiliar and too high — were already biting at her skin. She shifted her weight slightly, trying to ignore the sting at the back of her ankle.
A waiter passed by with champagne. She took a glass just to keep her hands busy.
Across the hall, she spotted Bryant.
He was speaking to two men in tailored suits. His face unreadable, sharp. Confident. Untouchable.
And next to him — Liza.
She stood close, smiling, laughing at something he said. Her fingers brushed his sleeve lightly.
Florida looked away.
She wasn't supposed to feel anything.
This wasn't love.
It was a contract.
Her heel wobbled.
She stepped back slightly, but the pressure shifted wrong — a quick pop echoed beneath her feet.
The thin heel snapped sideways.
Florida stumbled.
The glass slipped from her hand and shattered.
Heads turned.
Silence bloomed around her like a bruise.
She crouched instantly, face flushed, trembling hands reaching for shards she couldn't touch.
A voice whispered from behind.
"Careful. You'll cut yourself."
She paused.
Bryant was beside her, kneeling — one knee down on the marble floor, eyes sharp but calm.
He didn't look angry. Just... calculated.
He picked up the biggest shard, then took her hand and pulled her gently to her feet.
Someone gasped.
"Is she okay?"
"She fell."
"Those heels weren't even her size."
Florida stared at the floor.
Bryant wrapped his arm around her waist, shielding her from the stares.
"She's fine," he said, firm and cool. "But we'll be leaving early."
He guided her away — slowly, like she was fragile crystal.
But his grip on her arm was tight.
—
In the car, silence throbbed.
Florida kept her eyes on the road.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly.
Bryant didn't reply.
Not until they were almost home.
Then he muttered, "Next time, walk slower."
She nodded once, folding her hands in her lap.
> Even when he helped her… he never really saw her.
She was a shadow next to his name.
And glass breaks quietly.
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End of Chapter 11
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