Chapter 1 - The Shattered Engagement
The four words hung in the air like a death sentence.
Celeste’s blood-red lips parted in shock, her confident posture wavering as the temperature in the room plummeted. The forty powerful guests—judges, council members, and high-level operatives who usually commanded Chicago—sat frozen, terrified to draw breath.
“Julian, darling...” Celeste took a tentative step toward him, forcing a strained, delicate laugh. “What are you doing? It’s just a filthy stray. It wandered into the kitchen, and this incompetent waitress brought it right into our engagement dinner. I was simply protecting the event—"
“Silence,” Julian said. His voice wasn't raised, but it carried a weight that made the sous chef near the kitchen door drop his tray with a clatter.
Julian didn't look at Celeste. He dropped back down to one knee beside me. His dark eyes, usually cold and unreadable, scanned my body, lingering on where I was clutching my side, gasping through the agony of a cracked rib. Then his gaze shifted to the massive mastiff.
The dog let out a low, ragged sigh and nudged his graying muzzle directly into Julian’s open palm.
“Buster,” Julian whispered softly, his fingers burying into the thick, fawn-colored fur.
My breath hitched. The dog wasn't a stray.
“You’ve been gone for six months, old friend,” Julian murmured, his thumb gently wiping a trace of grime from Buster’s brow. He looked at me, his sharp gaze softening just a fraction. “You held him. You protected him when you could barely lift him.”
“He... he was dying,” I managed to choke out, my voice trembling from pain. “I couldn't leave him in the alley.”
Julian reached out. Before I could process what was happening, his large, warm hand cupped the back of my neck, supporting me as he gently helped me shift away from the hard floor. He looked toward the service corridor, where his head of security, a imposing man named Marcus, stood waiting.
“Get Dr. Evans to the private medical bay at the estate now,” Julian ordered smoothly. “And bring the stretchers.”
“Julian!” Celeste shrieked, her composure breaking completely. “Are you out of your mind?! You’re risking our merger, our families' alliance, over a animal and a common servant?! Look at her! She’s pathetic!”
Julian stood up slowly. Standing at six-foot-three in a bespoke black suit, his presence completely dominated the room. He turned to face Celeste, his face a mask of absolute, terrifying calm.
“Buster belonged to my late brother,” Julian said quietly. “He disappeared the night Samuel was murdered six months ago. The man who stole him thought he could use him to break me. And tonight, my fiancée kicked him while he was dying.”
Celeste’s face drained of all color. “Julian, I didn't know—"
“You didn't care,” Julian interrupted. He stepped toward her, and Celeste instinctively flinched back—the same cruel woman who had kicked me moments ago now looked small and pathetic. “You saw something weak, and you decided to crush it to show your authority. You proved exactly who you are in front of everyone I invited.”
Julian reached into his breast pocket, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped a small smudge of dust from his sleeve.
“The engagement is off,” he stated calmly.
A collective gasp echoed through the room. Celeste’s father, Alderman Vane, slammed his hands onto his table, standing up frantically. “Croft! You can't do this! The contracts are signed! The Vane family controls the harbor permits you need!”
Julian didn't even look at Alderman Vane. He looked at Marcus, who stepped forward with four armed guards.
“Escort the Vanes out,” Julian commanded. “If either of them sets foot on Croft property again, handle it accordingly.”
Julian then looked down at me. Without waiting for my permission, he slid one arm beneath my knees and the other behind my back, effortlessly lifting me into his arms despite my blood-stained server’s uniform.
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“Hold on to me,” he whispered near my ear.
As he carried me past Celeste, she stared at me with pure, unadulterated venom. But as Marcus’s men grabbed her arms to march her out, I knew my life as an invisible waitress in Chicago was over forever.
