Chapter 1
Cascading crystal chandeliers cast a warm, golden light across the ivory-paneled walls and gilded mirrors of Evander Cole’s sprawling mansion. The engagement dinner was a crowded, opulent affair, vibrating with the quiet danger of the city’s elite. Carved walnut furniture gleamed beneath the glow of tall ivory candles, their flames flickering gracefully in heavy silver candelabras nestled among white roses, crystal stemware, and fine porcelain. Champagne velvet chairs surrounded the long dining table, seating the most powerful and ruthless figures in the syndicate.
Evander stood beside his chair at the head of the table. He was a movie-star-handsome Mafia boss, radiating a lethal, silent authority. He wore a tailored dark three-piece suit that accentuated his powerful, broad shoulders. His thick, slightly wavy hair was naturally swept back, though a few loose strands fell over his forehead, softening the sharp, defined angles of his jaw and his high-bridged nose.
Opposite him stood his fiancée, Marceline Shaw. She was breathtaking in a sculpted garnet silk evening gown, diamond earrings catching the chandelier’s light as she surveyed the room with immense pride. The heavy engagement ring on her finger felt less like a promise of love and more like a hard-won crown.
Daisy Sutton, a beautiful housemaid with a softly tapered face and delicate cheekbones, moved with quiet, practiced grace around the table. Her hair was pinned into an elegant low twist, complementing her sophisticated black maid dress. The short A-line skirt, cinched waist, and neatly tied white apron marked her station, but her expressive brows carried a subtle, lingering tension. Marceline had threatened to dismiss her only hours earlier for supposedly interfering with the dinner arrangements, demanding she stay away from the head of the table.
Daisy finished placing a folded linen napkin beside Evander’s intricately patterned plate. As Evander rested his hand on the back of his chair, preparing to sit, Daisy’s sharp eyes caught something out of place. A faint, pulsing light blinked from the shadows beneath the chair's padded armrest.
Her fingers paused against the polished walnut table. Evander, whose cold, perceptive eyes missed absolutely nothing, immediately noticed her attention shift toward his seat.
Before he could lower his weight into the chair, Daisy pulled the champagne velvet seat back. She reached beneath the expensive fabric and retrieved a small, metallic object clipped discreetly to the wood.
Marceline gave a restrained, dismissive smile, though her eyes darted nervously to the object in the maid's hand. "She’s forgotten who pays her," Marceline said, her voice lightly mocking, trying to draw the table's attention away. After speaking, her eyes moved immediately back to the object.
Daisy looked directly at Evander. He held her gaze, a tempest of calculation hiding behind his striking, stoic features. His hands, adorned with refined artistic tattoos spaced generously across his fingers, rested casually at his sides. The small neck tattoo peeked just above his crisp white collar.
"What did you find, Daisy?" Evander asked, his voice deep, low, and deliberate.
Every guest at the long table stopped eating. Conversations died instantly. The room turned toward him.
Daisy swallowed hard, holding the small device close to her white apron. Her inner brows lifted anxiously, but she did not look away. "A microphone. Under your chair."
She lifted the device just enough for him to see it. Her fingers trembled slightly, but she kept her grip firm. She briefly glanced at Marceline, then back to the man who controlled all their fates.
May you like
Marceline met Evander’s eyes, aggressively restoring her reassuring smile. "I was only protecting you." Her voice stayed smooth, but her eyes desperately searched his face for acceptance.
Evander shifted into the foreground, smoothly placing his broad shoulders directly between his fiancée and the maid. Marceline’s smile began to tighten into a thin, brittle line.
