Chapter 1 - The Silent Insult
The luxury American steakhouse in downtown Chicago was completely hushed, wrapped in the dim, warm ambient lighting of expensive crystal chandeliers. Outside the large glass windows, a heavy snowstorm blanketed the city streets. Inside, the heavy scent of seared steak and expensive bourbon lingered in the air.
At the absolute best mahogany table in the center of the room sat Dominic Vale.
He was a terrifyingly imposing man in his sixties with slicked-back silver hair, wearing a sharp grey pinstripe suit. Heavy gold rings gleamed on his fingers. Dominic was the undisputed king of the Chicago criminal underworld. Behind his table stood four towering, heavily muscled bodyguards in dark suits, their eyes scanning the restaurant like hawks.
Sitting directly across from the ruthless crime boss was his son, Caleb.
Caleb was a fiercely handsome man in his thirties, wearing a perfectly tailored black suit. But unlike his loud, arrogant father, Caleb was completely silent. He was profoundly deaf. His face was an unreadable, guarded mask of absolute stoicism.
A young waitress in her late twenties, wearing a black vest, a white shirt, and a crisp white apron, approached the table with her order pad. Her messy brown hair was pinned in a bun.
Before she could even ask for their order, Dominic aggressively waved his gold-ringed hand toward his son, rolling his eyes in pure, unadulterated disgust.
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"Ask him if he wants steak, chicken, or crayons," Dominic mocked loudly, completely humiliating his thirty-year-old son in front of the entire restaurant staff.
👉 What impossible, secret move is the waitress about to make right in front of the crime boss?
