Chapter 5 - Whispers in the Powder Room
Jessica escaped into the women’s restroom, desperate for five minutes of solitude to stop the world from spinning. The cold water running over her wrists helped, but it couldn't stop the furious pounding in her chest. Who said I was lying? What did that even mean? They were strangers who had met three hours ago over a dance and a grudge. Men like Giovanni Fioraldi didn't marry exhausted single mothers from rundown neighborhoods; they married women from dynastic families with political influence.
She dried her hands with a linen towel, staring at her reflection in the gilded mirror. Her dark circles were barely hidden beneath drug-store concealer. Her hair had lost its curl from the damp Chicago humidity. She looked like what she was: a tired woman fighting every single day to keep a roof over her child's head.
The restroom door swung open, and the sharp clatter of high heels echoed against the marble floor. Jessica stepped back into an alcove, not wanting to engage with anyone else.
Two women walked in, adjusting their designer dresses in front of the expansive vanity. Jessica instantly recognized the voices: it was Vanessa and Lauren.
""I'm telling you, it’s a scam,"" Vanessa snapped, aggressively applying crimson lipstick. ""Giovanni Fioraldi wouldn't touch Jessica with a ten-foot pole. Do you know who that man is? Tyler called his father's partners during dinner. Fioraldi runs the biggest underground syndicate in the state. He owns the ports, the gaming houses, the distribution lines. He’s ruthless. He doesn't date pediatric nurses who shop at discount outlets.""
Lauren sighed, checking her diamond tennis bracelet. ""Daniel was terrified of him, Vanessa. He told me to stay completely away from table 12. If Daniel is scared, Fioraldi is the real deal. But how on earth did Jessica land him? She hasn't been on a date since Tyler walked out six years ago!""
Vanessa laughed, a sharp, ugly sound that reverberated off the tiles. ""She probably threw herself at him while he was visiting some sick charity case in her ward. Desperate women know how to use tears to trap wealthy men. But Tyler has a plan.""
Jessica froze behind the corner, her fingers digging into the stone wall.
""What do you mean, a plan?"" Lauren asked, sounding genuinely curious.
""Tyler’s uncle is the presiding judge in Cook County family court,"" Vanessa said smugly, snapping her lipstick shut with a sharp click. ""Tyler is furious that Jessica made a fool out of him tonight. He's going to file for full custody of Lily on Monday morning.""
Jessica's blood turned to liquid ice. The air was violently sucked from her lungs.
""Custody?"" Lauren sounded startled. ""Tyler hasn't seen that kid since she was born! He refused to acknowledge her!""
""It doesn't matter,"" Vanessa smirked, admiring her profile in the glass. ""With his family’s money and connections, we can paint Jessica as an unfit mother. We’ll show the court that she works sixty-hour weeks, leaves the kid with unqualified babysitters, and now she’s associating with a violent mafia boss. No judge will leave a five-year-old girl in an unsafe environment like that. Once Tyler gets custody, Jessica will be broken. She’ll crawl on her knees and beg for visitation. She'll finally learn her place.""
The two women laughed softly, smoothed their gowns, and walked out of the restroom, leaving Jessica standing in the cold marble alcove, shaking with uncontrollable terror.
Her vision blurred. The walls seemed to close in around her. Tyler didn't want Lily; he had never loved their daughter, never sent a single birthday card, never asked if she had shoes that fit. He was doing this purely out of spite. He wanted to punish Jessica for refusing to bow to him, for daring to look happy, for allowing another man to defend her honor.
And in Chicago's corrupt family court system, a powerful law firm could easily crush a broke, exhausted nurse.
Jessica stumbled out of the restroom, her legs barely supporting her weight. She didn't care about the wedding, the cake, or the whispers anymore. She needed to get to Lily. She needed to pack their bags and disappear before Monday morning came.
She pushed through the ballroom doors into the grand foyer, tears finally spilling over her lashes.
""Jessica.""
May you like
A pair of strong, warm arms caught her before she could collapse onto the polished marble. Giovanni stood there, his sharp features immediately hardening into a storm of lethal concern as he saw her tear-streaked face.
""What happened?"" he demanded, his voice low and vibrating with fury. ""Who touched you?""
