Chapter 12 - The Public Humiliation
Luca held Julian suspended for three agonizing seconds, letting the entire underworld watch the head of the Vance family dangle like a helpless child. Then, with a look of utter disgust, Luca dropped him.
Julian collapsed onto the marble floor, coughing and gasping for air, clutching his bruised throat.
Security guards belonging to the Vance family rushed forward, but Luca’s men materialized from the shadows in an instant, their hands resting menacingly on the concealed weapons beneath their jackets. The entire ballroom held its breath, hovering on the precipice of an absolute bloodbath.
“You are making a mistake, Morretti,” Julian wheezed from the floor. “You signed a treaty.”
“A treaty based on fraudulent goods,” Luca replied coldly, casually adjusting his cuffs. “You told me you were giving me a spoiled princess. You didn't tell me you were handing over a survivor who endured decades of your cowardly abuse.”
The whispers in the room escalated into a frantic, unavoidable buzz. The elite of Boston were finally hearing the dirty secret of the Vance household spoken out loud. I saw the shock on the faces of politicians and wives who had smiled at me for years, never knowing the horror behind my polished veneer.
Luca turned back to me, offering his arm as if he hadn't just humiliated a rival boss. His eyes were entirely focused on my well-being, completely shutting out the chaos he had just caused.
“Have you seen enough of this trash, mia regina?” he asked softly.
May you like
“Yes,” I said, my voice ringing clear and steady in the silent hall. I looked down at Julian one last time. “Take me home, Luca.”
We turned our backs on Julian, walking out of the ballroom through the parted sea of guests. I felt the sheer, intoxicating rush of power. For the first time in my life, I had not cowered. I had walked away.
