Chapter 6 - The Press Conference
City Hall was a zoo. Over fifty reporters, news cameras, and federal agents in plain clothes packed the press room. Rumors had been swirling all morning that Luca Marchetti was about to be arrested for kidnapping and extortion.
The side door opened.
A collective gasp went through the room.
Ruby Hart walked out first. She wore a tailored burgundy dress that hugged her curves with elegant precision, her dark hair styled in soft waves over her shoulders. She looked regal, calm, and utterly composed. At her side walked Caesar, wearing a sleek black harness, moving with the quiet grace of a panther.
Behind her walked Luca Marchetti, clad in a midnight-blue suit, flanked by Marco and two attorneys. He didn't take the podium. He stepped to the side, folding his hands behind his back, yielding the spotlight completely to Ruby.
The flashbulbs erupted like thunder. Questions were shouted all at once.
Ruby stood at the podium, adjusting the microphone. She looked out over the sea of reporters, felt Caesar press his warm flank against her leg, and drew a deep breath.
"Good afternoon," Ruby’s voice echoed clearly through the room. "My name is Ruby Hart. I am the founder of Harbor Light Animal Care. I am standing here today to address the absurd, slanderous lies circulating about Mr. Luca Marchetti."
The room went dead quiet.
"Last night, my clinic was violently attacked by men wearing tactical gear, claiming to represent Valenti Enterprises," Ruby continued, her voice growing stronger, laced with genuine fury. "They came to kill this dog—a rescue animal under my care—and they attempted to burn my business to the ground. If it were not for the heroics of Mr. Marchetti and his security team, I would not be standing here today."
A senior reporter shouted out, "Miss Hart! The FBI claims you are being held against your will!"
Ruby looked directly into the camera lens recording the live feed. "Does it look like I am being held against my will? I am here voluntarily to demand that the Baltimore Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation stop harassing a law-abiding businessman and start investigating the terrorists working for Don Valenti!"
In the back of the room, a man in a leather jacket reached into his coat.
Caesar’s head snapped toward the back of the room. A low, terrifying growl erupted from the dog's chest.
Luca didn't hesitate. Before the gunman could pull his weapon, Luca moved like lightning, drawing a concealed sidearm and putting a single bullet through the assassin's shoulder before the man could line up his shot.
Pandemonium erupted. Reporters screamed, diving behind chairs.
In the middle of the chaos, Caesar didn't run. He lunged forward, slamming his two-hundred-pound body onto the fallen assassin, pinning his arms to the marble floor with a bone-shattering snarl.
Ruby didn't duck. She stood at the podium, watching Luca step over the fallen chairs, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his dog, holding the room at gunpoint until federal agents tackled the remaining Valenti men.
Luca turned his head, looking back at Ruby through the dust and screaming crowd. His eyes met hers.
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"You held the line," he said quietly over the noise.
"So did you," she replied, her heart racing not from fear, but from an electric, terrifying surge of connection to the man standing in front of her.
