Chapter 2 - The Barefoot Intruder
The heavy security detail at the double doors had strict orders to keep everyone out. Yet, somehow, the massive oak doors silently clicked open, and a tiny figure slipped inside, unnoticed by the crowd until she was already standing near the center of the marble floor.
It was a little girl, no more than five years old.
She wore an exquisite, elegant blue lace dress that caught the warm lighting of the chandeliers. Her long, curly brown hair framed a face filled with fierce determination. Strangely, she was completely barefoot, her small toes pressing softly against the cold marble.
The wealthy guests murmured in confusion, stepping aside to avoid the unexpected child.
The little girl didn't look at the champagne flutes or the glittering jewelry. Her slow eye movement locked entirely onto the black wheelchair sitting in the center of the room. She marched forward with absolute confidence, planting her tiny hands firmly on her hips.
Dante lowered his gaze, his chest tightening. He looked at the little girl, expecting a security guard to violently grab her and drag her out.
Instead, the little girl stopped inches from his wheelchair, looking up at him with a fearless, knowing smirk.
"Excuse me," the little girl said, her sweet voice carrying effortlessly through the quieted ballroom. "If I make you walk, can I have one special thing?"
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Dante’s breath caught in his throat. The audacity of the child—combined with the impossible words she had just spoken—sent a shockwave through his nervous system.
👉 Dante thought she was just playing an imaginative game, but her next sentence was about to freeze his blood.
