Chapter 4 - The Strike Back
Julian did not react with loud threats; he moved with surgical precision.
The next morning, he had his stylists bring racks of tailored silk dresses, high-end jewelry, and shoes to my suite.
“What is all this?” I asked, staring at a stunning midnight-blue silk gown laid out on the bed.
Julian walked in, looking immaculate in a tailored grey suit. “Tonight is the Annual Commerce Gala at the Drake Hotel. The Vanes think they’ve backed me into a corner. Alderman Vane plans to announce his new port partnership tonight with our rivals, the Moretti family.”
“And what are we going to do?”
“We are going to walk in together,” Julian said, meeting my eyes in the mirror. “You saved Buster, Sadie. Tonight, you walk by my side not as a waitress, but as the only woman who holds my trust.”
My heart hammered against my ribs. “I’m scared, Julian. I don't know how to act around those people.”
Julian stepped up behind me, placing his hands gently on my shoulders. “You don't need to act. Those people act every day of their lives to cover up their rot. You have more courage in your little finger than Celeste Vane has in her entire lineage. Just hold my arm, look them in the eye, and let me handle the rest.”
Three hours later, the heavy oak doors of the Drake Hotel ballroom swung open.
The gala was packed with Chicago’s elite. Celeste Vane stood near the center stage beside her father and Dominic Moretti—a rival mob boss with a cruel smile. Celeste was wearing white, holding a glass of champagne, basking in the sympathetic glances of the crowd.
Then the announcer’s voice echoed through the microphone:
“Announcing Mr. Julian Croft and Miss Sadie Miller.”
The entire ballroom went dead silent.
May you like
I held my head high, my hand resting firmly on Julian’s arm. The midnight-blue gown draped over my frame perfectly, and diamonds sparkled at my throat. I wasn't the broken girl in a blood-stained server uniform anymore.
Celeste dropped her champagne glass. It shattered against the marble floor, sparkling wine splashing over her designer shoes.
