Chapter 4 - The Dinner of WolvesBy evening, the fallout from the data drop had completely paralyzed Damian Vale’s empire. Federal agents had raided three of his downtown casinos, seizing cash reserves and server hardware. My father’s phone had been disconnected after desperate attempts to call me went straight to voicemail.
To celebrate our initial victory—and to draw our enemies out into the open—Luca insisted on attending a high-profile charity gala hosted by the Chicago Art Institute at the Palmer House Hilton.
“If we stay hidden in the penthouse, Damian will think we’re afraid,” Luca explained as I stood before the full-length mirror in the master suite. “We need to walk right into the lion’s den, show them we control the narrative, and watch them squirm.”
When I stepped out of the walk-in closet, Luca’s breath caught in his throat.
Mateo had sourced a stunning, backless emerald-green silk gown that hugged my figure perfectly, paired with diamond-drop earrings that caught the light of the chandelier. My hair was styled in sleek, cascading waves, and my makeup accentuated my hazel eyes with a fierce, untouchable elegance.
“Magnificent,” Luca whispered, stepping up behind me in the mirror. He fastened a delicate diamond tennis bracelet around my wrist. “Damian is going to lose his mind when he sees you walking on my arm.”
“He might try to shoot me,” I pointed out calmly.
“Let him try,” Luca replied, his voice dropping into a dark, lethal promise. “Anyone who so much as looks at you the wrong way tonight will disappear before midnight.”
When we arrived at the grand ballroom of the Palmer House, the effect was instantaneous.
The glittering crowd of politicians, real estate moguls, and high-society socialites parted like the Red Sea as Luca Moretti strode through the double doors. And trailing right beside him, holding his arm with absolute composure, was the runaway bride who had humiliated Damian Vale just forty-eight hours ago.
Whispers rippled through the room like wildfire.
“Isn’t that Victoria Gallagher? The girl who left Damian at the altar?”
“Why is she with Luca Moretti? Has she lost her mind?”
“Did you hear about the SEC raid this morning? Damian’s empire is bleeding out…”
We walked toward the center of the ballroom, stopping near the champagne fountain. Before Luca could fetch us a drink, a towering, furious shadow loomed over us.
Damian Vale.
His custom tuxedo was wrinkled, his hair uncharacteristically disheveled, and his face pale with cold, murderous rage. His eyes locked onto mine, completely ignoring Luca standing beside me.
“You little bitch,” Damian hissed, his voice trembling with suppressed fury. “You think you can destroy me with a few leaked files? I’ll have you hunted down and dragged back to my estate before the week is over!”
Before I could even open my mouth to respond, Luca stepped smoothly in front of me, shielding me from Damian’s view, his expression a mask of absolute chilling indifference.
“Watch your tone when you speak to my guest, Damian,” Luca said softly, his voice cutting through the ambient music like a razor.
Damian sneered, his eyes darting to Luca with unconcealed hatred. “You think you’re smart, Moretti? You’re harboring a fugitive who stole corporate secrets. I’ll ruin you both.”
“You can’t ruin a man who already owns the ground you’re standing on,” Luca replied smoothly, taking a sip of champagne. “And as for Victoria... she didn't steal anything. She simply took back what her father and you stole from her mother.”
Damian’s chest heaved with rage. He took a threatening step forward, his hand twitching toward his jacket pocket—likely reaching for a hidden sidearm.
Instantly, four of Luca’s undercover security men materialized around us, their hands resting ominously inside their jackets, blocking Damian from every angle. Mateo stepped up directly behind Damian, pressing a hard object firmly against his spine.
“Don't do it, Mr. Vale,” Mateo whispered in his ear. “You’re having a bad enough week as it is.”
Damian froze, realizing he was entirely outmatched. He glared at me one last time, pure venom dripping from his expression.
May you like
“This isn't over,” Damian whispered.
“No,” I said, stepping out from behind Luca’s shoulder, my voice steady and ice-cold. “It’s only just beginning.”
Related Stories
