Chapter 1 - The Whispered Threat Under Crystal Lights
The clinking of fine crystal glass and soft piano music drifted through the high-end Manhattan restaurant, but inside Clara’s chest, her heart was beating like a trapped bird.
Tyler leaned across the white tablecloth, his handsome face twisted into an aggressive, terrifying snarl. Dressed in a thousands-dollar dark suit, he pointed his finger straight into her face, his body language oozing pure dominance and cruelty.
"Stop acting weird or you’ll regret it tonight!" Tyler hissed in a low, poisonous whisper that barely carried across the candlelit table.
Clara sat frozen in her elegant backless white silk dress, her hair pinned into a tight low bun. Her pale skin glistened under the warm chandeliers, but her eyes were wide with restrained terror. For two years, Tyler had controlled every single detail of her life—her phone, her bank accounts, her job, and her family connections. She was an heiress locked inside a gilded cage, completely isolated from everyone who loved her.
"I... I didn't do anything, Tyler," Clara whispered back, her voice trembling violently as she tried to keep tears from falling onto her plate.
Underneath the table, hidden behind the high back of her chair, Clara slowly unfolded her left hand. She tucked her thumb into her palm and trapped it beneath her four fingers—the universal silent signal for help.
Directly behind Tyler’s chair, looming like an shadow in the dim light, stood Matteo Romano. The infamous late-30s Mafia Don wore an open dark shirt that revealed intricate dark tattoos crawling up his throat. His cold, dark eyes caught the subtle movement behind Clara’s back.
Matteo didn't hesitate. He took one slow step forward and slammed a heavy, scarred hand onto Tyler’s shoulder with bone-crushing pressure.
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"Take your hand off her," Matteo rumbled in a voice as cold as ice.
👉 Read on to discover what Tyler did when he turned around to face the Mob Boss.
