Chapter 4

When I left the hospital the next morning and returned to the penthouse, the maid rushed over, her hands trembling as she handed me a cup of chamomile tea.

"Miss Irina, I am so sorry." she stammered, "I had no idea there were crushed walnuts in that cake. Miss Chloe brought it herself. Since she's your best friend, I assumed she knew about your allergy..."

My stomach turned ice-cold. Of course Chole knew.

I marched straight into the master study. My voice was raspy, badly damaged from the swelling. "Did you know Chloe brought that cake? She knows I'm severely allergic to nuts. She did it on purpose."

Lucas didn't even lift his eyes from his tux cufflinks. His reaction wasn't shock, it was instant, defensive irritation.

"Irina, listen to yourself," Lucas scoffed softly, shaking his head with a look of tired disappointment.

"Chloe is as gentle as they come. Why would she ever try to poison you? It was just an unfortunate mistake by the maid, that's all. Stop letting your senseless jealousy turn you into someone so bitter."

Before I could speak, Chloe walked out of the dressing room, wearing a stunning, custom silk gown.

What made my blood freeze was the shimmer around her neck—the Vance family heirloom necklace. A rare black-diamond piece Lucas had sworn to put around my neck on our wedding day.

She stroked the giant diamond with a smirking grin, cooing in fluid, arrogant Italian.

"Look at how gorgeous this looks on me, Lucas. A noble piece like this belongs on a real lady."

"This necklace represents the Vance family," Lucas replied in Italian, his eyes locked on her. "And so do you."

"The marriage registration will have to wait. " He turned to me and switching back to English. "The Moretti family called for a gala tomorrow night, and their princess will be making a personal appearance. She is the crown jewel of the Moretti. I don't have time for personal chores."

"Besides, you’ve just been through so much, Irina. You need to rest. " He glanced at my swollen face and continued. "Chloe will accompany me to the gala, she knows how to handle these high-society events."

His eyes burned with unbridled ambition. "This gala is my one shot at reaching the top of the underworld. The Morettis rule this city with an iron fist, and I won't let anything ruin my chances."

He swept out of the room with Chloe, shutting the heavy door in my face.

Through the fading gap, Chloe’s condescending Italian cut through the air.

"A slum girl like her at a gala like that? She’d only embarrass you in front of the Princess."

I leaned back, feeling no pain, only a terrifying clarity.

Too bad for you both... the princess you're so eager to impress is the very girl you just threw away.

The next evening, the grand ballroom of the Hilton was bathed in blinding crystal light, packed with the city’s underworld elite.

I pushed open the mahogany doors and stepped inside.

Not far away, Lucas stood in a tailored tuxedo, sipping champagne and laughing with several high-profile syndicate bosses. Chloe clutched his arm, preening beside him.

"You've truly outdone yourself, Vance," one of the older bosses boomed, clapping Lucas on the shoulder. "Securing an audience with the Moretti family is no small feat. Don Moretti rules the entire shipping network from coast to coast."

"It's all about strategy, gentlemen," Lucas replied smoothly, his vanity on full display.

"I hear the Don Moretti spoils his daughter," another boss said. "Whoever earns her approval basically holds the keys to the empire."

Chloe chimed in with a sweet, practiced smile. "I hear she's a patron of modern, avant-garde art. As a painter myself, I'm sure we'll become fast friends once I introduce myself tonight."

"Between Chloe's charm and my business proposal, the Morettis won't have any reason to look elsewhere," Lucas boasted softly.

Then, his eyes drifted toward the entrance and caught sight of me. The smooth smile on his face instantly turned to stone.

He set his champagne glass down and walked straight toward me, his brows knitted tight.

"Irina, did you follow me here?" he hissed under his breath, trying to keep his tone hushed and polite. "A place like this isn't where you belong. Don't embarrass me. Go home, and we'll talk later."

Chloe stepped up from behind, pretending to reach for my hand with a fake, sweet smile, but I casually stepped back, avoiding her touch.

She didn't care. Covering her mouth, she giggled behind her hand, whispering to Lucas in Italian. "Look at this poor little thing, following you around like she's homeless. Women from the gutters really think they can hold onto a king."

Lucas replied in soft Italian. "Ignore her. Once I sign the contract with the Morettis tonight, I’ll buy her a designer bag to make things right. Business comes first."

Switching back to English, he patted my shoulder like he was coaxing an pet. "Be a good girl, Irina. Go home and wait for me."

He leaned in slightly. "You have no idea how crucial tonight is. Don Moretti's daughter, the princess of the family will be here. Earning her favor gets us the entire empire. If I secure this deal, our future is set."

He truly believed he was about to conquer the world.

I didn't say a word. I simply brushed past his shoulder, walking straight toward the elevated main stage at the front of the hall—the seat reserved exclusively for the Moretti's family.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Chloe gasped, rushing forward.

As I passed her, she casually stuck out her high heel.

My bandaged knees buckled, and I stumbled hard against a nearby table to catch myself.

I had barely survived the severe allergic reaction, and my knees were nowhere near healed.

"Security." Chloe called out without hesitation. "Get this woman out of here before she offends the Moretti family."

Before I could clear the dizziness from my eyes, two towering Vance guards lunged forward. They seized my arms with brutal force, yanking them behind my back and driving me downward.

The raw, healing flesh beneath my bandages split under the impact as they forced me onto my knees in the center of the grand ballroom.

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Chloe hid a smirk behind her champagne glass.

Lucas leaned down, offering a hypocritical, pitiful sigh. "Please, my love. Just go home and don't embarrass me."

Pain throbbed through my torn knees, but my eyes were darker than death.

I locked eyes with him. "You're dead, Lucas. This game is over."

Lucas frowned, about to tell his guards to drag me out—

The heavy double doors of the ballroom were open.

Dozens of elite, heavily armed Moretti enforcers flooded the room, instantly taking control of every exit.

Through the clearing entrance, a tall, imposing man in a dark tailored suit stepped forward, his eyes burning with terrifying fury as they landed on the scene in the center of the hall.

Don Moretti had arrived. His thunderous voice echoed through the silence,

"How dare you lay your hands on my daughter？"