Chapter 5 - The Gala of Shadows
Three weeks later.
The annual Winter Gala at the Waldorf Astoria was the premier event of the year for the city's highest socialites, political titans, and underground syndicate leaders.
For years, the Moretti family had dominated this event. But tonight, rumors were flying frantically through the packed ballroom.
The Moretti family had vanished overnight. Their bank accounts were frozen, their docks controlled by Rossi enforcers, and Victor Moretti had officially retired from public life due to "sudden ill health."
At eight o'clock, the heavy gilded doors of the grand ballroom swung open.
The master of ceremonies announced into the microphone: "Presenting Don Dominic Rossi and Miss Skyler Gallagher."
A sudden, collective gasp echoed through the room of five hundred elites.
Dominic walked into the blinding chandeliers wearing a custom midnight-blue tuxedo.
Arm in arm with him was Skyler.
She looked utterly breathtaking. She wore an off-the-shoulder midnight-blue velvet gown designed specifically for her by an Italian haute couture house. The rich fabric draped over her full hips and accentuated her soft, regal hourglass silhouette. Around her neck sat Carmela’s sapphire pendant, sparkling brilliantly against her porcelain skin.
She didn't try to look like the starved, razor-thin socialites who filled the room. She stood tall, her full, beautiful figure radiating immense grace, warmth, and untouchable dignity.
Whispers erupted instantly among the crowd of high-society women.
"Who is she?" "Is that... wait, isn't that the maid from his estate?" "Look at her size... why is Dominic Rossi walking with a woman like that?" "Where is Bianca?"
Dominic didn't miss a single whisper. His jaw tightened slightly, but before he could react, a high-ranking political donor named Harrison Vance stepped forward with a condescending smirk, holding a glass of champagne.
"Dominic, my boy!" Harrison drawled loudly enough for nearby guests to hear. "We heard rumors that your engagement was canceled, but we didn't expect you to bring... the catering staff to the main table."
A few cruel chuckles rippled through the surrounding group of socialites.
Skyler felt a cold pang of anxiety tighten her throat, her fingers instinctively clutching Dominic’s arm a little tighter.
Dominic stopped in his tracks.
He turned his head toward Harrison Vance, his dark eyes locking onto the man with a lethal, suffocating intensity that instantly killed every laugh in the vicinity.
"Harrison," Dominic said softly, his voice carrying clearly over the chamber orchestra. "You are standing in a room built on my family's investments."
Harrison’s smirk faded slightly beneath the sudden, terrifying pressure. "Dominic, I was merely joking—"
"Miss Gallagher is the guest of honor tonight," Dominic interrupted, taking a step closer, his massive frame towering over the politician. "She possesses more courage, integrity, and honor than every person standing in this circle combined. If I hear another disrespectful comment about her background, her appearance, or her presence beside me..."
Dominic leaned down slightly, his voice dropping into a razor-sharp whisper.
"...I will withdraw my funding from your political campaign, seize your commercial mortgages, and ensure you are sitting in a federal cell by Monday morning."
Harrison turned pale as paper, dropping his champagne glass onto the carpet. "I... I apologize, Miss Gallagher! I meant no offense!"
Skyler looked at the trembling politician, then up at Dominic.
She held her head high, her voice clear, calm, and dignified. "Apology accepted, Mr. Vance. Have a pleasant evening."
As Harrison practically ran away into the crowd, Dominic looked down at Skyler, a rare, breathtaking smile appearing on his face.
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"You handled that like a queen," he murmured proudly.
"I had a very protective king standing beside me," Skyler countered softly, her hazel eyes shining with deep affection.
