Chapter 12 - Bleeding on the Marble
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Isabella didn't just slap her. She grabbed a heavy brass candlestick from a nearby table and swung it with vicious force.
The heavy metal struck Adeline across the temple. The world spun into blinding white pain, and she collapsed hard onto the shattered glass of the bourbon tumbler. A jagged shard sliced deep into her side.
Warm blood instantly poured out, staining her white apron and pooling on the pristine marble floor.
"Throw this trash in the alley," Isabella sneered, looking down at Adeline with absolute disgust. "She has embarrassed my family for the last time."
Isabella’s guards stepped forward to drag Adeline away, but a voice colder than a Chicago winter froze them in their tracks.
"Take one more step, and I will paint this room with your brains."
Enzo Marchetti stepped into the center of the chaos. The charming, diplomatic mask he wore for the gala had completely vanished. The monster the underworld whispered about in terrified tones had finally woken up.
He didn't look at Isabella. He looked at the floor. He saw the strange, chemical bubbling where the spilled bourbon had touched the floral centerpieces, instantly wilting the roses.
He realized immediately what had almost happened.
Enzo dropped to his knees, heedless of the shattered glass. He violently shrugged off his custom three-piece suit jacket and pressed the expensive, thick wool directly against Adeline’s bleeding side to staunch the flow.
"Enzo, what are you doing?" Isabella demanded, crossing her arms. "She is just a maid. She ruined your drink!"
Enzo slowly lifted his head. His dark eyes locked onto Isabella, burning with a hellfire that made the arrogant heiress take a physical step backward.
"She didn't ruin my drink, Isabella," Enzo whispered, his voice carrying through the deadly silent room. "She saved my life."
He easily scooped Adeline into his arms, lifting her against his chest as if she weighed nothing. Her blood soaked through his crisp white dress shirt, but he didn't care.
"The engagement is over," Enzo announced to the room, staring directly at Isabella’s father, the head of the Commission.
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"You cannot break a mafia blood pact over a servant!" the older Rossi roared, his face purple with rage. "This means war, Marchetti!"
"Then let it be war," Enzo replied softly. "I'll see you all in hell."
