Chapter 1 - The Barefoot Victory
Emma’s laughter echoed through the silent ballroom like crystal bells ringing in a cathedral.
She spun across the marble, her bare soles gliding effortlessly over the polished stone. As the violin reached its climax, she leaped—a small, weightless jump that landed with surprising grace—and ended with a deep, solemn bow to her stuffed rabbit sitting on the chair.
For three seconds, no one breathed.
Then, someone near the back began to applaud. Within moments, the entire room erupted into thunderous cheers. Wealthy judges, hardened mobsters, and elite socialites who had come to mock the child were now standing, clapping wildly for the little girl in the cotton dress.
Aleandro Moretti did not applaud. His dark eyes were fixed on Emma’s face—specifically on the small, distinct crescent-shaped birthmark just behind her right ear.
His breath caught in his chest. It couldn't be.
Valentina Romano stood in the center of the floor, her face flushed with humiliation. The laughter that had once been aimed at Emma was now turning into quiet murmurs directed at her. She had challenged a toddler to prove her superiority, only to be completely upstaged by a barefoot child.
"Well, Valentina?" a rival captain called out from the side, a cruel smirk on his face. "Are you going to write the girl her million-dollar check?"
Valentina forced a strained, icy smile. She reached for a silver tray carried by a waiter, picking up two glasses of vintage champagne.
"She was... delightful," Valentina said, her voice dripping with hidden venom as she walked toward Sophia and Emma. "A truly entertaining little beggar. Let us toast to the staff’s surprising talents."
Valentina handed one glass to Sophia, raising her own. "To unexpected performances."
Sophia hesitated, looking at the bubbling yellow liquid. Before she could take a sip, Valentina drank her own glass in one long, aggressive swallow.
Three seconds later, Valentina gasped.
May you like
The crystal glass slipped from her hand, shattering on the marble floor. Valentina clutched her throat, her eyes widening in sheer terror as a dark, purplish color spread across her skin. She collapsed to her knees, blood trickling from her mouth, before crashing face-down onto the floor.
Screams echoed through the ballroom.
