Chapter 3 - The Wolves at the Plaza
The Solstice Gala was not a party; it was a high-stakes battlefield disguised in black velvet, crystal chandeliers, and vintage champagne. When the gilded elevator doors opened onto the grand ballroom of the Plaza Hotel, the sound of hundreds of conversations abruptly choked off.
I took a deep, steadying breath. My reflection in the elevator mirrors showed a woman I barely recognized. The styling team had swept my chestnut hair into an intricate, elegant chignon, leaving soft tendrils framing my neck. I wore an emerald satin gown that swept the floor, cut modestly at the collarbone but clinging perfectly to my silhouette. Around my neck hung the Ravalini family heirloom: a cascade of raw emeralds and diamonds that felt heavy and cold against my collarbone.
Beside me, Lucas stood in a bespoke midnight-black tuxedo, his hand resting firmly, possessively at the small of my back. His touch was warm and steadying, sending strange electric shocks through my spine despite my terror.
""Shoulders back, Hannah,"" he murmured against my ear, his breath tickling my skin. ""You are looking down on them, not the other way around. Smile like you know something they don't.""
We stepped onto the ballroom floor. Immediately, the whispers started, swirling like venom through the crowd.
""Is that her? The nobody from the Bronx?""
""She was an out-of-work schoolteacher. Look at her jewelry—that belongs in the Ravalini vault!""
""Victoria Vance looks ready to slit her throat.""
Indeed, across the room, Victoria Vance stood beside her father, Vincent Vance, a notoriously brutal boss who controlled the shipping ports. Both of them were glaring at us with venomous hatred. Lucas guided me effortlessly through the throng of made men and diamond-draped wives, nodding curtly to lieutenants who bowed their heads in genuine fear.
""Lucas,"" a deep, raspy voice called out.
An elderly man with silver hair and a gold-headed cane stepped into our path, flanked by two towering men in dark suits. This was Don Carmine, the oldest living capo of the High Commission.
""Don Carmine,"" Lucas greeted, his voice respectful but entirely devoid of deference. ""I present my future wife, Hannah Cooper.""
Don Carmine’s pale, rheumy eyes raked over me, assessing every inch of my posture. ""A brave girl,"" the old man wheezed, his fingers tightening on his cane. ""Or a very foolish one. You throw away decades of alliance treaties with the Vance family for a common girl, Lucas? The Commission is not pleased. The port union negotiations are already fracturing.""
""The Commission's opinion on my household ended the day they failed to stop the car bomb that killed Elena,"" Lucas said, his tone turning razor-sharp. The temperature around us seemed to drop twenty degrees. ""I choose who sits at my table. I choose who raises my son. If Vincent Vance has an issue with that, he knows where to find my men.""
Don Carmine turned directly to me, leaning forward until I could smell the stale cigar smoke on his breath. ""And you, Miss Cooper? Do you know what happens to women who marry into this family? They don't die of old age in nursing homes. They die in burning cars or quiet hospital rooms. Are you prepared to bury that boy if you fail to protect him?""
My heart slammed against my ribs, but the memory of Matteo's terrified face in that crowded penthouse flashed behind my eyelids. I thought of the cruel women who had ignored him, ready to sacrifice his childhood for power.
I lifted my chin and looked straight into the old Don's eyes without blinking. ""Matteo won't be buried, Don Carmine. Not while I'm breathing. And as for the Vance family, perhaps if they spent more time raising daughters with compassion rather than price tags, this alliance wouldn't have broken in the first place.""
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A stunned silence fell over the small circle. Lucas's fingers tightened slightly against my waist, not in anger, but in subtle, fierce approval.
Don Carmine stared at me for three long seconds. Then, slowly, a dry, rasping laugh escaped his throat. ""She has teeth, Lucas. Good. You're going to need them tonight.""
