Chapter 5
The opulent dining hall was suffocatingly quiet. The ivory candles burning in their gilded candelabras seemed to cast harsh, judgmental shadows over Odette’s luxurious emerald gown. The polished, reassuring smile that usually charmed the syndicate members felt entirely out of place against the sheer, vibrating tension rolling off Grayson’s broad shoulders.
"I am your fiancée!" Odette shrieked, backing away until her spine hit the edge of the carved walnut table. "I am the daughter of the Shaw syndicate! You cannot treat me like a common criminal in front of your capos! I demand respect, Grayson!"
"Respect is earned," Grayson replied, his voice a low, dangerous rumble that echoed off the cream marble columns. "And you have earned nothing but my absolute disgust."
He did not raise his voice, but the command that followed was absolute. He shifted his dark, intense gaze from the ruined woman to the fifty elite guests seated around the massive banquet table. The warm fairy lights from the towering Christmas tree twinkled in the background, a stark contrast to the violence promised in his eyes.
"This dinner is concluded," Grayson stated. "Everyone who does not carry the Vale name, or work in my personal security detail, will vacate this hall immediately."
Chairs scraped frantically against the polished marble floors. Men and women with fair, rosy skin paled in terror as they abandoned their fine wine, gold-rimmed porcelain, and festive cheer. They rushed toward the massive double doors, eager to escape the impending explosion of violence before they were forced to take a side in a mafia war.
"Grayson, you are making a catastrophic mistake," Odette hissed, attempting to salvage her dignity as the room rapidly emptied. "My father will hear of this. The Shaw family will not tolerate this level of public disrespect. You need our shipping routes."
"I would burn every ship in the harbor before I let you sleep under my roof again," Grayson replied coldly.
Within ninety seconds, the sprawling dining hall was completely empty, save for Grayson, Odette, Nina, Luca, and the heavy security detail standing silently by the walls. The bright, airy luminosity of the room now illuminated only the raw, ugly truth of the betrayal.
Grayson looked down at Nina. The gentle maid was still clutching his son, her delicate features pale with shock, yet she had stood her ground.
"Nina," Grayson said, his tone softening only marginally as he addressed her. "Take Luca upstairs to my private quarters. Lock the doors. Allow no one inside but my personal guard."
"Yes, Mr. Vale," Nina whispered, her voice shaking with adrenaline. She gently took the six-year-old boy’s hand, offering him a small, watery smile. "Come along, Luca. Let's go upstairs."
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Luca looked up at his father, then at Odette, before clinging tightly to Nina's hand. As the maid and the child hurried out of the room, their footsteps echoing softly, Grayson turned his full, terrifying attention back to the woman in the emerald gown.
"Now," Grayson said, taking a slow, predatory step toward her. "You are going to tell me exactly how many times you laid your hands on her."
