Chapter 1: The Lion’s Protection
The silence in the grand ballroom was suffocating. Emma’s hand remained clamped around Victoria Langford’s wrist, her pulse hammering in her ears. Victoria’s face twisted from shock to absolute venom.
"Let go of me, you insolent nobody," Victoria hissed, her voice a poisonous whisper. "Do you have any idea who I am? I will have you fired, blacklisted, and thrown into the street before the night is over."
Emma’s grip trembled, but she didn't let go. She looked down at Isabella Moretti, whose frail hands were shaking against the arms of her wheelchair. "She was just trying to pass by, ma'am," Emma said, her voice remarkably steady despite her terror. "There was no need to push her."
"I don't care about a clumsy old woman blocking the floor!" Victoria snapped, forcefully wrenching her arm free. She raised her hand again, this time aiming a vicious slap directly at Emma's face.
The slap never landed.
A large, heavily tattooed hand caught Victoria’s wrist mid-air with a grip of absolute iron. The air in the room seemed to drop ten degrees instantly. Vincent Moretti stepped out from the shadows of the marble pillar, his towering frame casting a dark shadow over Victoria. His dark eyes were cold, devoid of any humanity as he stared down at the billionaire philanthropist.
"Vincent..." Victoria stammered, her rage instantly evaporating into pure panic. "Vincent, I—I didn't know she was with you. This clumsy waitress—"
"You raised your hand against my mother," Vincent said, his voice terrifyingly quiet, echoing through the silent ballroom. "And then you attempted to strike the only person in this room brave enough to protect her."
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He didn't squeeze, but Victoria whimpered, her knees buckling slightly under the pressure of his gaze. Vincent looked past her, his eyes locking onto Emma's wide, fearful hazel eyes.
"Take my mother to the private lounge, Emma," Vincent commanded softly, knowing her name instantly from the employee badge pinned to her uniform. "My security team will escort you. You are safe now."
