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HE SAW THE BRUISE SHE TRIED TO HIDE—AND THE WHOLE EMPIRE KNEW CHASE WAS A DEAD MAN WALKING! / Chapter 8 / 10

Chapter 8 - THE TRAP IS SET: THE MASQUERADE BALL WHERE SECRETS ARE BOUGHT IN BLOOD!

Katarina sat in her room, the USB drive resting on the vanity table in front of her. The temptation to plug it into her laptop was a physical pull, but the fear of what she might find was even stronger.

Vittorio had been nothing but kind to her. He had saved her from Chase, protected her from the Marcones, and treated her with a respect she had never known. But she wasn't naive. She knew he was a mafia boss—a man whose hands were stained with the blood of dozens of men.

Could he have killed my father? she wondered, her heart heavy with a terrifying doubt.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

Vittorio stood in the doorway, wearing a stunning, custom-tailored tuxedo. He held a beautiful black silk masquerade mask in his hand.

"The annual charity gala is tonight, Katarina," he said, his eyes scanning her face, detecting the shadow of doubt that hung over her. "The entire city will be there. The Marcones have called for a truce for the event, but we know it is a lie. I need you by my side tonight. Not as my assistant. As my partner."

Katarina looked at the USB drive, then back at Vittorio. She made her decision. She stood up, smoothing down the front of her stunning, emerald-green gown—a gift from Vittorio that made her look like a modern-day princess.

"I'll go with you, Vittorio," she said, her voice steady. "But we need to talk after tonight. No more secrets."

Vittorio nodded, his expression serious. "I promise you, Katarina. Tonight, all secrets will be laid to rest."

The Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel was a sea of masks, silk, and gold. The wealthy elite of Philadelphia mingled with the city’s most dangerous criminals, all hiding behind the pretense of charity and high society.

Katarina walked arm-in-arm with Vittorio, her heart racing as she felt the eyes of the entire room on them. She wore her black silk mask, but there was no hiding the way she held her head high, her hand resting confidently on Vittorio’s arm.

At the far end of the ballroom, Silvio Marcone sat in a velvet armchair, surrounded by his remaining bodyguards. He raised his champagne glass to Vittorio, his eyes gleaming with a malicious triumph.

"He thinks he has won," Silvio whispered to Dominic, who was standing nearby. "He doesn't know that we have already planted the seed of his destruction."

As the waltz began, Vittorio pulled Katarina onto the dance floor. He moved with a surprising grace, his large hands guiding her smoothly through the crowd.

"You are distracted, Katarina," Vittorio whispered, his face close to hers.

"I'm just thinking about the drive," she admitted, looking into his gray eyes behind his mask. "Did you know my father, Vittorio?"

Vittorio’s grip on her waist tightened slightly, but his gaze remained steady. "I knew of him, Katarina. He was a brave man who stood up for what he believed in. But his death was a tragedy that should have never happened."

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Dr. Mercer looked down at the ultrasound monitor, her fingers moving wit...

The ambulance siren wailed in the distance, a rising shriek that cut through the rainy night like a knife. I didn't wait for them. I held Arianne against my chest, feeling the terrifyingly erratic rhythm of her pulse, and bolted down the grand mahogany staircase.

The ambulance siren wailed in the distance, a rising shriek that cut thr...

The heavy cabin door hissed shut behind me, sealing in the scent of expensive cologne, manufactured corporate harmony, and betrayal. As I stepped back onto the sun-baked tarmac of the private aviation terminal, the stifling afternoon heat hit me like a physical blow. Behind the thick, tinted glass of the jet's windows, I could see Carter’s silhouette—his jaw set in that familiar, arrogant angle of a man who believed he had just successfully disciplined a disobedient pet.

The heavy cabin door hissed shut behind me, sealing in the scent of expe...

"Did you kill him?" she asked, the question hanging between them like a blade.

Before Vittorio could answer, the lights in the ballroom suddenly went completely black.

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