Chapter 1 - The Bruised Maid
The grand gala ballroom was entirely breathtaking. A massive crystal chandelier bathed the long mahogany dining table in warm, luxurious light. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the glittering city skyline stretched out in absolute perfection.
But the atmosphere near the head of the table was suffocating.
I was Julia, a twenty-two-year-old maid wearing a crisp black and white uniform, my dark hair pulled tightly into a bun. I was standing near the table, holding a silver lighter, carefully lighting the tall white candles. My hands were trembling slightly.
Standing right beside me was Victoria, the thirty-something hostess of the mansion. She wore a stunning, fitted red dress, her dark hair styled in an elegant updo. She glared at me, her eyes filled with toxic, unspoken threats.
"Careful, Julia," Victoria warned softly, her tone dripping with hidden malice.
Suddenly, Dante Moretti walked into the room. The towering, late-thirties mafia boss wore an all-black suit that barely concealed the dark, lethal tattoos on his neck. His expression was cold and entirely unreadable.
"Julia," Dante said smoothly, stepping toward the table.
I froze, keeping my face intentionally angled away from him.
Dante didn't sit down. The cinematic realism of his intense scrutiny spiked the tension in the room. He looked closely at the side of my face, noticing the way I had strategically draped a lock of dark hair over my eye.
"Move your hair," Dante commanded, his deep voice leaving absolutely no room for argument.
I swallowed hard, terrified of Victoria's wrath. But I couldn't disobey the boss. Slowly, with shaking fingers, I pulled the lock of hair behind my ear.
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There, glaring under the bright chandelier, was a massive, dark purple bruise completely encircling my left eye.
👉 Victoria immediately panicked and blurted out an excuse, completely unaware she had just stepped into a lethal trap.
