Chapter 1 - The Soup and the Silk
The courtyard of the Crestview Manor was suffocated by a stunned, deafening silence. Thick clam chowder oozed down Victoria Vance’s tailored emerald silk gown, matting her immaculate curls and dripping steadily from her chin onto the polished wet marble floor. Her mouth hung open in an ugly, frozen gasp, the humiliation burning hotter than any insult could ever carry.
Damon Vance did not spare her another glance. His tailored navy suit jacket was already draped over the trembling shoulders of his younger sister, Maya. Maya looked up through tears, her cheek stinging and stained dark red from the vintage Merlot Victoria had poured over her moments earlier.
“Brother?” Maya’s voice was barely a ragged breath, hoarse from hours of kneeling on cold stone, scrubbing pots intended for an army of wealthy guests. “You... you’re back?”
“I’m back, little sister,” Damon said, his tone softening into a quiet promise that only she could hear. He pulled her gently to her feet, ignoring the greasy soup and wine that smeared his crisp white collar.
Around them, the high-society party had halted completely. Diamond-decked socialites, tech venture capitalists, and smirking heirs stood frozen behind the grand glass doors of the ballroom. Whispers exploded like static electricity. Who was this lunatic? Who had dared to attack Victoria Vance, the beloved socialite and heiress of Vance Group, on the night of her twenty-fifth birthday?
Victoria finally found her voice, a piercing screech that shattered the garden night. “Security! Kill him! Grab that filthy scumbag and throw him into the river!”
Four private security guards in sharp black uniforms broke into an aggressive sprint across the lawn, batons drawn, their boots crunching violently against the raked white gravel.
May you like
Damon didn’t flinch. He didn’t even turn around. Instead, he pulled an engraved silver cufflink from his vest pocket, turned it between two calloused fingers, and threw it lightly toward the head of security.
The lead guard caught it reflexively, glared down at the metal crest, and suddenly skidded to a dead halt, his face draining of all color.
