Chapter 1 - The Ex-Husband's Warning
Tyler leaned over the linen-covered table, his jaw clenched tight enough to crack a tooth. The heavy silver watch on his wrist caught the dim amber light of the ballroom chandeliers. He smelled of expensive bourbon and sour jealousy. For six years, he had looked right through Jessica as if she were made of cheap glass, but the moment another man pulled out her chair, Tyler looked ready to tear the room apart.
""Who the hell is he, Jessica?"" Tyler demanded, his voice dropping into a harsh hiss so the passing waiters wouldn't overhear. ""Don't sit there and give me that fairytale pediatric ward garbage. I know you. You spend your nights wiping runny noses and scrubbing scrubs in a coin laundry. You don't know guys who wear bespoke Italian silk suits. You never did.""
Jessica kept her spine perfectly straight. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap, fingers trembling slightly beneath the table where he couldn't see. ""His name is Giovanni Fioraldi. And my personal life ceased being any of your concern the day you packed your bags and moved into Vanessa's condo while I was throwing up from morning sickness.""
Tyler sneered, waving a dismissive hand. ""Don't play the saint with me. You think you're smart, bringing an escort to Sophia's wedding just to save face? Did you take out a loan to rent a mobster for three hours? Look at him over there talking to old man Martinelli. The Martinelli family owns half the underground docks in Cook County! You're playing with fire, Jess. If you owe a man like that money, you're going to drag my name into the dirt.""
""Your name?"" Jessica gave a sharp, bitter laugh that cut through the romantic violin music swelling across the dance floor. ""Tyler, you gave up any claim to me years ago. And as far as Lily is concerned, you don't even exist on her birth certificate because you refused to sign it. So don't pretend you care about my reputation or who I dance with.""
""I care about reality,"" Tyler snapped, leaning in closer, his eyes narrowing into cold slits. ""You're a single mother living off hospital overtime in a roach-infested zip code. Men like Giovanni Fioraldi don't look twice at worn-out women like you unless they want something dirty. He's going to use you up, realize you have nothing to offer, and throw you back into the gutter. And when he does, don't you dare come crying to my family for help.""
""She won't need to cry to anyone, Mitchell.""
The deep, resonant voice fell like an iron curtain behind Tyler's back.
Tyler froze. Jessica looked up, her breath catching in her throat. Giovanni had returned faster than either of them expected. He didn't look angry; in fact, his expression was eerily placid, carved from polished granite. But the cold, predatory gleam in his light amber eyes promised violence. He stood towering over Tyler, his broad shoulders blocking out the ballroom lights.
Giovanni placed one heavy, manicured hand casually onto the back of Tyler’s chair. The sheer physical presence of the man made the air between them suddenly thin.
""I believe you are sitting in my seat,"" Giovanni said smoothly, his low Italian baritone carrying a lethal undercurrent.
Tyler swallowed hard, trying to summon the arrogance that usually carried him through country club boardrooms. He slowly pushed himself up from the chair, smoothing his designer tuxedo lapels. ""Just catching up with my ex-wife, Fioraldi. Sharing some friendly family advice.""
""She is not your wife,"" Giovanni murmured, stepping into the space Tyler vacated, forcing Tyler to take an awkward step backward. ""And she certainly does not require advice from a man who abandons his own blood. If you speak to her again tonight without my express permission, Mitchell, I will have the Martinelli security escort you into the alley behind the kitchen. And I assure you, it is raining very hard out there.""
Tyler's face flushed a deep, humiliating crimson. He opened his mouth to deliver a retort, but one look at the faint, jagged scar along Giovanni’s jaw silenced him completely. Tyler turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowded dance floor, practically running toward the safety of his pregnant wife.
Giovanni pulled the chair out, his demeanor instantly softening as his amber eyes locked onto Jessica. ""Did he upset you, bella?""
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Jessica let out a shaky breath, pressing her palms against her cool cheeks. ""He just... he knows how to find every bruise and push on it.""
Giovanni reached across the white tablecloth, his warm fingers lightly brushing over her knuckles with astonishing gentleness. ""Let him push. From this moment on, he will only ever hit steel.""
