Chapter 2 - The Dementia Lie
The cinematic tension in the elegant dining room spiked to an apocalyptic level.
Victoria physically staggered backward, her expensive burgundy gown catching the candlelight as she desperately tried to salvage her flawless high-society facade. She plastered a fake, pitying smile onto her face and reached out to touch Dante’s broad shoulder.
"Dante, darling, don't listen to her," Victoria laughed nervously, her voice shrill and echoing off the crystal chandeliers. "Her dementia is acting up again. The doctor said she would have these paranoid episodes! She’s just confused. We were only going to escort her to her bedroom so she could rest."
Dante didn't even blink. He didn't look at his fiancée. His dark, piercing eyes remained locked on his mother's terrified, pale face.
Eleanor wasn't just confused; she was entirely paralyzed by a very real, suffocating fear. She clutched Dante’s black suit jacket as if letting go would mean her immediate death.
"I don't have dementia," Eleanor sobbed quietly, tears finally spilling down her wrinkled cheeks.
"She's completely delusional!" Victoria shrieked, completely abandoning her elegant persona. She snapped her fingers at the massive security guards standing near the double doors. "Guards! Remove this lying maid from my house right now, and escort Eleanor to the upstairs wing!"
Two towering guards stepped forward, reaching for Clara.
Dante didn't raise his voice. He didn't stand up. He simply raised one tattooed hand.
"If anyone touches the maid or my mother," Dante commanded softly, his voice devoid of any human mercy, "I will break their legs."
The guards instantly froze, backing away in sheer terror. They knew exactly who truly ruled the empire.
Dante slowly turned his head to look at the young maid in the black and white uniform.
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"Clara," Dante said, his intense gaze probing her soul. "Tell me exactly what is happening in my house."
👉 Clara took a deep breath, and the horrific secret she pulled from her apron would shatter Dante's entire reality.
