Chapter 5 - The UnravelingBy the time the main course was served, Table Four had become the most toxic, fascinating social disaster in Manhattan.
Nobody dared approach us. High-society elites who normally tripped over themselves to kiss up to the Rossi family were now pretending the airspace above our table was invisible, terrified of catching the fallout from Nico’s public rebellion.
Amber had long since stopped trying to maintain her composure. She sat stiffly beside Liam, dabbing at her eyes with a linen napkin, shooting venomous, murderous glares across the table at me every time Nico leaned in to speak to me in a low, conspiratorial murmur.
“You’re enjoying this far too much,” I whispered behind my wine glass, a genuine smile tugging at my lips.
“Enjoying what?” Nico asked with feigned innocence, taking a sip of his wine. “I’m merely enjoying the company of an intelligent, beautiful woman who knows how to hold a conversation without whining about stock portfolios or country club memberships.”
“You’re playing with fire, Mr. Rossi. People are going to talk.”
“Let them talk,” Nico replied, his dark eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath hitch. “For twenty years, people in this city have whispered about what I want, what I think, and who I control. Tonight, for the first time in a very long time, I’m actually doing something that shocks them. And I have you to thank for it, Luna.”
Across the table, Liam finally snapped. He slammed his fork down onto his plate, the metal clattering loudly against the fine china.
“That’s it! I’ve had enough!” Liam hissed, standing up so abruptly his chair nearly tipped over. He pointed a shaking, accusatory finger at me, then at his father. “This is sick! You’re doing this just to humiliate me, aren't you? Both of you! You think you're so clever, Luna, parading around with my father like a trophy accessory! You’ll never be part of this family!”
Nico didn't even blink. He slowly set his silverware down, wiped his mouth with his napkin, and stood up to match his son’s height.
“She doesn't need to be part of this family, Liam,” Nico said, his voice ringing out clearly across the suddenly hushed vicinity of the ballroom. “Because by the time I’m finished rewriting my estate portfolio this week, you won't even be welcome to use the family name.”
Liam staggered backward as if he had been physically struck. “You… you wouldn't cut me out. I’m your son!”
“You’re a disappointment with a pulse,” Nico corrected coldly. “And as for Miss Amber…” He spared a brief, dismissive glance at my trembling sister. “I suggest you two pack your bags and find a very cheap apartment far away from Manhattan. Because without the Rossi trust fund to bankroll your little romance, you’re about to discover what the real world looks like.”
Without waiting for a reply, Nico turned to me, offering his arm once more.
“Shall we dance, Luna? Or have we tortured my ungrateful offspring enough for one evening?”
I stood up, sliding my hand into the crook of his arm, looking down at the wreckage of the two people who had tried to destroy me.
May you like
“Let’s dance, Nico,” I said softly.
And as we glided out onto the center of the polished dance floor while the orchestra swelled around us, I realized that my story hadn't ended in that dark, lonely apartment two nights ago. It had only just begun.
