Chapter 5 - The Lion's Den
"The Mayor's Charity Gala is tonight," Enzo announced two weeks later over breakfast. "We have to make an appearance. It solidifies my takeover of your father's remaining legal assets."
Harper dropped her fork. "Will he be there?"
"Yes."
Panic flared in her chest, suffocating and immediate. "Enzo, I can't. If he looks at me... if he gets me alone..."
"He won't." Enzo stood up, crossing the dining room to stand behind her chair. He placed his large, warm hands gently on her shoulders, avoiding her scars. "You are Harper DeLuca now. You wear my name. You wear my protection. Tonight, you will walk in there like a queen, and you will watch the man who broke you realize he has no power over you anymore."
That evening, Harper stood before the mirror. The dress Enzo had chosen for her was a masterpiece—a deep, sapphire blue silk that clung to her curves, with a plunging back.
May you like
She stared at her reflection. "My back," she whispered. "Everyone will see the scars."
Enzo appeared behind her in the mirror, adjusting his black tie. "Let them see. Let them see what he did. You survived, Harper. You have nothing to hide. He does."
