She had just witnessed the destruction of one of Chicago’s most powerful heiresses with a single word.
And now, Vincent Moretti was turning toward her.
“Emma,” a soft, weathered voice called out.
It was Isabella Moretti.
The elderly woman beckoned to her with a frail, gloved hand, her eyes filled with immense warmth and tenderness.
Emma hesitated, looking down at her scuffed black shoes, before taking two cautious steps forward.
She sank slightly, unsure whether she was supposed to bow or simply apologize.
“Ma’am…
Mrs.
Moretti.
I hope you’re unhurt.”
“Come closer, child,” Isabella insisted gently.
Emma stepped forward until she stood right beside the wheelchair.
Isabella reached out and took both of Emma’s hands into her own.
As she did, Isabella’s fingers grazed against the red, inflamed marks on Emma’s right wrist—the bruise forming where Victoria’s diamond bracelet had scraped against her flesh during the scuffle.
“Look at this,” Isabella murmured, turning Emma’s hand over to reveal the calloused palms and the fresh swelling.
She looked up at her son.
“Vincent.
She stepped into the fire to shield an old woman she didn’t know from Adam.
Not a single person in this room moved a finger, but this girl stood between me and a blow.”
Vincent stepped beside his mother.
Up close, his presence was overwhelming.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, radiating an aura of absolute authority that made the air feel thin.
Yet when he looked at Emma’s bruised wrist, his sharp jawline tightened not with arrogance, but with quiet gravity.
“You work for the Drake’s catering division?”
Vincent asked.
“Y-yes, sir,” Emma managed to say, her throat dry.
“I’m on the banquet banquet shift.”
“Why did you do it?”
Vincent asked, studying her face intently.
“You knew who Victoria Sterling was.
You knew what she could do to a waitress in this town.”
Emma met his eyes, finding courage she didn’t know she possessed.
“Because nobody should be hit.
It didn’t matter who she was, or who your mother was.
My mother taught me that if you stand by and watch cruelty happen when you have the power to stop it, you become part of the cruelty.”
Vincent stared at her for several long seconds.
A flicker of something rare and unreadable crossed his dark eyes—respect.
Chapter 4 – The Banquet’s Aftermath
“Mr.
Moretti!
Mr.
Moretti, sir!”
Henderson practically threw himself at Vincent’s feet, wiping his glistening forehead with a silk handkerchief.
“I am so terribly, terribly sorry!
The staff was instructed to assist Mrs.
Moretti at all times!
I assure you, this gross negligence does not reflect the standards of our hotel!”
Vincent looked down at the balding manager as though he were an insect crawling across a marble floor.
“Is that so?”
Vincent asked, his voice dangerously low.
“When my mother arrived ten minutes ago in a simple dress because she wished to view the foundation’s art gallery without the fanfare of bodyguards, where were your staff?
Why was she left unattended near the service entrance?”
Henderson stammered, his eyes darting frantically toward Emma.
Desperate to deflect blame, his face twisted into an ugly scowl.
“It was her!
Emma Carter!
She was assigned to that sector!
She must have abandoned her station or failed to assist Mrs.
Moretti properly!
I will fire her immediately, sir!
She won’t work in this state ever again, I promise you—”
“Silence,” Vincent snapped.
The word was like a gunshot.
Henderson’s mouth snapped shut instantly, his knees shaking.
“If Emma Carter had not been at that station, my mother would have suffered a grievous injury at the hands of a violent guest,” Vincent said, stepping closer until Henderson had to crane his neck backward to meet his gaze.
“The only person who showed true dignity tonight was Miss Carter.
While you, Mr.
Henderson, hid behind champagne towers and catered exclusively to those with platinum credit cards.”
Isabella shook her head in distaste.
“Vincent, I do not wish to spend another minute in this room.”
“Of course, Mother,” Vincent said gently.
He looked back at Henderson.
“Tomorrow morning, the board of the Drake Hotel will receive notice that Moretti Enterprises has divested its twenty percent stake in this property.
Furthermore, my legal team will ensure your immediate termination as general banquet director.”
Henderson gasped, stumbling backward until he collided with a decorative column.
“M-Mr.
Moretti, please!
I have a family!”
“You should have considered your family before you prioritized wealth over human decency,” Vincent said cold-bloodedly.
Vincent then turned back to Emma.
The severe, merciless look on his face softened into genuine consideration.
“Go home for the night, Emma.
Do not return to this kitchen.
Someone will be in touch with you before noon.”
Chapter 5 – Desperation of the Sterlings
