Chapter 2: The Woman Who Knew Too Much
The broken champagne glass glittered across the marble.
Nobody laughed.
Nobody spoke.
Dante stood between Victoria and Elena, holding the untouched glass of water in one hand.
“Everybody out,” he said.
Victoria blinked.
“What?””
Dante didn't look at her.
“You heard me.””
A few guests exchanged nervous glances.
One of Dante's men, Marcus, appeared near the ballroom entrance almost immediately.
“Boss?””
“Clear the room.””
Marcus nodded.
“Everybody?””
“Everybody.””
Within seconds, the atmosphere changed.
Guests gathered their coats and purses. Chairs scraped against marble. Whispered questions traveled through the ballroom.
“Is somebody hurt?””
“What happened?””
“Why is Dante clearing the room?””
Victoria's mother started toward her daughter.
“Victoria—”
Dante raised one hand.
“Not you.””
She stopped.
“Dante, I'm her mother.””
“And right now, I'm asking you to leave.””
Her eyes hardened.
“You're humiliating my daughter.””
Dante finally looked at her.
“No.””
His voice was quiet.
“Someone tried to kill me at my engagement party. Humiliation is not the problem.””
The woman's face went still.
Victoria stared at him.
“You don't know that.””
Dante lifted the glass slightly.
“Then tell me what this is.””
Victoria didn't answer.
Dante looked at Marcus.
“Close the doors.””
The ballroom doors swung shut.
The last guests disappeared behind them.
Now only a handful of people remained.
Dante.
Victoria.
Elena.
Marcus.
And two silent security men.
Elena stood near the engagement table, still trembling.
Victoria pointed at her.
“She lied.””
Elena recoiled.
“She is lying,” Victoria repeated.
“She's trying to ruin us.””
Dante's eyes stayed on Elena.
“Elena.””
“Yes, sir?””
“How long have you worked here?””
“Eight months.””
“Who hired you?””
“The event company.””
“Who gave you the drink?””
Elena looked at Victoria.
Victoria stepped forward.
“Be careful.””
Dante turned.
“Was that a threat?””
“No.””
“It sounded like one.””
Victoria's voice softened.
“Dante, please.””
He stared at her.
She walked closer.
“I love you.””
Dante didn't move.
“You know I do.””
She touched the front of his jacket.
“I would never hurt you.””
Dante looked at her hand.
Then at the glass.
“Then explain the residue.””
Victoria pulled her hand away.
“I don't know.””
“Explain why you grabbed my wrist.””
“I thought it was contaminated.””
“Explain why you told me to leave it alone before I even touched it.””
Victoria said nothing.
Dante waited.
The silence became unbearable.
Finally, Elena spoke.
“She told me not to let anyone else touch it.””
Victoria spun around.
“Shut up!””
Elena stepped backward.
Dante's expression changed.
“Victoria.””
“She is lying!””
“You just told her to shut up.””
“Because she's lying!””
Dante walked toward Elena.
“Why did you agree to carry the drink?””
Elena wiped her tears.
“She told me it was important.””
“What did she say?””
Elena hesitated.
“She said you liked lemon water before speeches.””
Dante frowned.
“I haven't asked for lemon water in years.””
Victoria's eyes flickered.
Elena noticed.
“So I asked her why she didn't just give it to your assistant,” Elena continued.
“She said you wanted it privately.””
Dante's jaw tightened.
“Where did you get the glass?””
“The service kitchen.””
“Who prepared it?””
“I don't know.””
Dante looked at Marcus.
“Get the kitchen staff.””
Marcus nodded.
Before he could move, Elena suddenly grabbed Dante's sleeve.
“Wait.””
Dante looked down.
Elena's fingers were trembling.
“There was a note.””
Victoria's face went blank.
Dante's eyes narrowed.
“What note?””
“In the kitchen.””
“What did it say?””
“I couldn't read all of it.””
“What could you read?””
Elena swallowed.
“Your name.””
Victoria stepped backward.
Dante noticed.
“Elena,” he said, “where is the note?””
“I don't know.””
“You saw it?””
“Yes.””
“Then what happened?””
“I heard someone coming.””
“Who?””
Elena looked toward the closed ballroom doors.
“I don't know.””
Dante's voice became colder.
“What did you do?””
“I hid.””
“Where?””
“In the pantry.””
“And?””
Elena looked at Victoria.
“And I heard her talking to someone.””
Victoria's face had gone completely white.
Dante slowly turned toward his fiancée.
“Who were you talking to?””
“I wasn't talking to anyone.””
Elena shook her head.
“You were.””
Victoria's voice sharpened.
“You don't know what you heard.””
“I heard your voice.””
“You're confused.””
“I heard you say his name.””
Dante's eyes narrowed.
“Whose name?””
Elena looked at him.
“Your brother's.””
The room went silent.
Marcus stared at Dante.
Victoria's mouth opened.
Dante's expression didn't change.
But the glass in his hand cracked slightly under his grip.
“My brother is dead,” he said.
Elena nodded.
“I know.””
Dante's voice dropped.
“Then why did you hear Victoria say his name?””
Elena's eyes filled again.
“Because she wasn't talking to a dead man.””
A phone began vibrating on the engagement table.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Everyone looked at it.
The screen displayed one name.
*ANTHONY.*
Dante stared at the phone.
His dead brother's name.
Then Victoria whispered the words that made his blood run cold.
“No.””
The phone stopped vibrating.
A second later, it started again.
Dante reached for it.
Victoria lunged toward him.
“Don't answer.””
Dante caught her wrist.
“Why?””
Victoria stared at him.
Her eyes were wet now.
“Because if that's really him…”
She stopped.
Dante waited.
May you like
“If that's really Anthony,” she whispered, “then we're all in danger.””
The phone kept ringing.
