Chapter 5 - The Ripple EffectBy the time Diana returned to the Center City townhouse late that evening, the heavy oak front door felt like a barricade against a world she was no longer sure she understood.
Vanessa was waiting in the living room, sitting under the harsh light of a floor lamp with a glass of red wine, looking like a judge presiding over an execution.
"Where were you?" Vanessa asked, her voice dangerously quiet.
"I went out," Diana said, tossing her keys onto the console table and walking toward the stairs.
"Don't you walk away from me!" Vanessa jumped to her feet, marching across the hardwood floor to block Diana’s path. Her face was twisted with fury and humiliation. "I spent the entire day calling contacts in the financial district and the social registry. Do you know what people are saying, Diana? Word got out about the balcony at the Belmont. And then—to make it worse—one of my gallery contacts mentioned that Carter Battalia walked into your tiny little shop this morning and pulled you out for a private lunch!"
Diana stood her ground, her chin lifting slightly. "He came to the gallery, yes."
"Are you out of your mind?!" Vanessa shrieked, grabbing Diana’s arm with manicured fingernails that dug sharply into her skin. "Do you even know who Carter Battalia is? He isn't some wealthy CEO you can play games with! He's a monster! He runs half the criminal syndicates on the East Coast! He destroys people for breakfast!"
"Let go of my arm, Vanessa," Diana said, her voice chillingly calm.
Vanessa stared at her, shocked by the lack of fear in Diana’s eyes. Slowly, she loosened her grip, stepping back as if touching something toxic. "You think this is a romance, don't you? You think a man like that actually cares about a shy, pathetic little artist from South Philly? He’s using you to get to me, or he’s playing some sick game with the high-society circles. The moment he’s done with you, he’ll toss you aside like garbage."
"Maybe he will," Diana replied evenly, looking her sister straight in the eye. "And maybe, for the first time in my life, taking that risk is better than spending another day standing behind you in a red dress you bought just to make yourself look taller."
Before Vanessa could answer, a sharp, rhythmic pounding echoed from the front door.
Both sisters froze. It wasn't the polite knock of a neighbor or a delivery driver; it was heavy, authoritative, and relentless.
Diana’s heart skipped a beat. She thought of Carter walking out of the restaurant to deal with Marcus Vance’s men. She thought of the dangerous currents swirling around his life.
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Vanessa hurried to the front window, peeking cautiously through the blinds. The color drained entirely from her face.
"There are men outside," Vanessa whispered, her voice trembling with genuine terror. "Four black SUVs. They're surrounding the house."
