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“I checked tonight’s ticket sales,” says Quint. “I know you’re having funds routed directly to your own bank account.”

There’s a gasp around us, and I realize we’ve become the center of attention. Everyone has gone silent. Everyone is watching. Even the music has stopped.

“But… Shauna has been with us for more than a decade,” says Rosa. “I would have…” She trails off, and I know she’s wondering whether she would have noticed if Shauna was stealing from her. She’s always so busy, but her roles at the center are managing the people and caring for the animals, not the finances. When it comes to money, all she does is sign where she’s told to sign.

Where Shauna tells her to sign.

She looks at Shauna, dismayed. “Is this true?”

“Of course not,” Shauna spits, and it’s easily the worst lie she’s ever told. Her face has gone red, her breathing short, her eyes ablaze. “This girl”—she points a finger at me—“this girl has been nothing but trouble since day one.” She takes a step closer. I hold my ground, relatively certain that she wouldn’t try to hit me, not surrounded by this many people. Even so, I see Quint tense out of the corner of my eye, and I brace myself for whatever horrible thing she’ll say next, knowing that this time, at least, I’m in the right. I haven’t done anything wrong, butshehas, and her lies are piling up, mounting by the second. She deserves to be punished. “And now she’s spreading these awful rumors, trying to turn you against me to save her own—”

I clench my fist.

Her heel hits the puddle of spilled wine and she yelps. Her arms flail. One of her hands catches my arm, yanking me forward.

Then we’re both falling.

She doesn’t let go.

I can’t brace for the fall.

My head strikes the corner of the auction table and, for the second time this summer, my world goes black.

FORTY-SEVEN

I open my eyes to twinkling lights and yellow streamers. Quint is hovering over me, one hand cradling my head. His lips curl in relief when my eyes meet his.

“Déjà vu,” he mutters.

I respond with a groan. The throbbing in my head is every bit as terrible as it was when I fell at Encanto, and the worried chatter around me isn’t helping.

“Give her space,” says Quint, gesturing for everyone to move back.

I slowly sit up, pressing my fingers to my temple in an effort to stop the pounding.

“There, see?” says a shrill voice. Shauna is sitting in a chair nearby, holding a bottle of cold water to her shoulder. “She’s fine. And for the record, I did not assault her. It was an accident. You all saw.”

“That’s enough, Shauna,” says Rosa, her voice sharp. “Besides, this isn’t the lawsuit you should be worried about.”

Shauna gapes at her, astounded. “You wouldn’t… after all I’ve done for this organization?”

Rosa’s chest puffs out and I know it’s taking all her willpower not to scream some mighty harsh things at Shauna right now, but she manages to hold her tongue in front of so many guests. “I’m not making any decisions tonight, but I will be meeting with an attorney. In the meantime, just in case there was any confusion… you’re fired.”

Shauna holds her glare for a heartbeat, before snorting. She drops the water bottle on the counter and grabs one of the champagne glasses that’s been left there, half-drunk. “Fine. See how long your precious charity stays open without me.”

“Oh, I think we’ll do okay,” says Rosa. “We might finally be able to flourish, without you draining the funds every chance you get.”

Shauna ignores her, downs the champagne, then stands up and storms off through the crowd.

I try one more time before she goes, squeezing my fist.

Nothing happens.

Not only does nothing happen, but my grip feels weak. My chest feels strangely hollow.

I look down at my hand, dread whirling through my thoughts. Could it be…?

“Here,” says Morgan, throwing a white linen napkin onto the spilled drink and mopping it up. “Don’t need anyone else getting hurt.”