Chapter 7 - The Gilded Invitation
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The stitches healed, but the unspoken tension between us remained a living, breathing entity in the house.
Three days later, Victor summoned me to his study.
He was standing behind his desk, looking impossibly sharp in a tailored charcoal suit. Resting on the mahogany surface was a thick, gold-embossed envelope.
"The Falcone family is hosting their annual charity gala this Saturday," Victor announced, his tone strictly business. "It is a neutral ground event. All the major syndicate heads in Chicago will be there. It is a mandatory appearance if I want to maintain the illusion of strength after their stunt at my gates."
"Okay," I said slowly, unsure why I was being informed of his social calendar. "I will make sure Finn has a quiet night. We can watch movies."
"Finn will be staying at the secure compound upstate with my most trusted guards," Victor corrected. He picked up the gold envelope. "You are coming with me to the gala."
I stared at him, completely thrown off balance. "Excuse me? I am the nanny, Victor. I don't attend mafia masquerades."
"If I show up alone, they will see a widower who is isolated and vulnerable," Victor explained, his eyes locking onto mine with intense calculation. "If I show up with a woman on my arm—a woman who is entirely unaffiliated with this life—it throws them off balance. It shows I have a life outside their petty wars. It projects confidence."
"You want me to be your human shield for high society?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"I want you to play my partner for exactly four hours," Victor said, stepping around the desk to close the distance between us. "You will be completely safe. I will have twenty men surrounding the ballroom. But I need someone I can trust by my side. I need you, Harper."
The way he said my name—not as a command, but as a genuine, desperate plea—made my heart skip a beat. I thought about the little boy I was protecting, and the man who was desperately trying to keep his empire from crushing his family.
"I don't have anything to wear to a gala," I deflected weakly.
May you like
A slow, devastating smile spread across Victor's face. It was the first time I had seen him truly smile, and it completely transformed his cold features into something breathtaking.
"I have already taken care of that," Victor promised. "Be ready by seven on Saturday."
