Chapter 4
The crackling of the carved marble fireplace seemed deafening in the profound, suffocating silence of the dining hall. Odilia’s face, previously flushed with wine and the triumph of the evening, drained of all color until her rosy skin turned the shade of ash. Her diamond earrings trembled slightly as a subtle, uncontrollable shake took over her body.
Everett did not break eye contact with her. He slowly raised his tattooed hand, resting his knuckles on the polished walnut table. The silence stretched until it became agonizing, the elite guests holding their collective breath.
"Are all of you waiting for a formal invitation to vacate my dining room?" Everett asked, his deep, low voice echoing across the long table. He didn't look at the guests; his cold eyes remained entirely fixed on his fiancée.
The question was a direct command. Instantly, the scraping of velvet dining chairs against the hardwood floor sounded like thunder. Dozens of capos, crime bosses, and politicians scrambled to their feet, abandoning their fine porcelain plates and crystal stemware. They moved with a hurried, terrified silence, practically sprinting toward the heavy silk curtains and the grand double doors of the dining room. No one offered their goodbyes or dared to look back.
Within two minutes, the massive, luxurious room was entirely empty, save for the four of them: Everett, Odilia, Josie, and the frail Arthur. The heavy mahogany doors clicked shut, echoing with a hollow, terrifying finality.
"Everett, you are making a massive mistake," Odilia whispered, her voice shaking violently as she stood up from her chair. She clutched the fabric of her sculpted satin gown. "My family is seated in the parlor. My father will not stand for this humiliation."
"Do you think your father's guns protect you from my judgment?" Everett asked. His slow, controlled pauses carried the weight of an executioner's blade.
"I am your fiancée!" Odilia shrieked, losing her elegant manners entirely. She pointed a trembling finger wrapped in diamonds toward Josie. "You are taking the word of a servant and a lunatic over the woman who is securing your northern borders!"
Josie stood her ground, though her knees felt weak. She stepped closer to Arthur, her slender figure shielding the older man. She placed her hands gently on his trembling shoulders.
"It's okay, Arthur," Josie whispered softly, leaning down so only he could hear her. "You are safe now. He knows the truth."
"Did you believe I would trade my life for a border dispute, Odilia?" Everett inquired, stepping slowly around the edge of the table. His broad shoulders dominated the space, casting a long, terrifying shadow over the woman in satin.
"You need me!" Odilia sobbed, real tears of panic finally spilling over her rosy cheeks as she backed away, her gown catching on a velvet chair. "I am strong enough to stand beside a king! I did what needed to be done to survive before I met you! They were weak men!"
"Is murdering your husbands your definition of survival?" Everett asked, taking another slow, deliberate step toward her.
"They were suffocating me!" Odilia screamed, her true, venomous nature finally bleeding through her polished facade. "They didn't have your ambition! I needed to be free!"
"Do you demand freedom through poison and deceit?" Everett asked, tilting his head slightly, the cold, observant eyes narrowing into dark, lethal slits.
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He didn't wait for her to process the absolute lack of mercy in his gaze. He reached into the inner pocket of his tailored dark suit, his refined artistic tattoos catching the golden light, and withdrew a heavy, encrypted mobile phone.
"Are you waiting in the grand foyer, Marcus?" Everett asked into the receiver.
