Leo jumped out of his chair at the sight of his aunt. In his innocent, five-year-old heart, he still thought Aunt Vanessa loved him. “Aunt Vanny!” he chirped, eager to show her his toy car.
In his excitement, he tripped over the heavy leg of a nearby banquet chair. The glass of water in his hand flew into the air.
Time seemed to slow down. The water made a perfect, crystal-clear arc before splashing across the front of Vanessa’s white silk dress.
There was silence in the ballroom.
Chapter 2: Impact
There was a deathly silence, broken only by the soft clatter of Leo’s plastic cup against the floor.
Vanessa looked down at her dress. The white silk was now sheer and clung to her skin, the hem heavy with water. There was no shock on her face; only pure, unadulterated vanity that was offended.
“You… you little monster!” Vanessa screamed.
Leo’s lower lip quivered. “I’m sorry, Aunt Vanny. It was an accident.”
But Vanessa wasn’t listening. She didn’t see the baby. She saw the missed photo opportunity. She saw a blemish on her perfect evening.
The impact was so loud it echoed off the marble walls. The force was so great that Leo threw his head back. He didn’t even have time to scream. He fell hard to the ground, his small body slumped against the cold stone.
“Leo!” I shouted, lunging forward.
I was there in a flash and pulled him onto my lap. He was pale, a dark bruise was already forming on his cheek, and his eyes were rolled back in his head. He’d hit his head when he fell. He was unconscious.
“My dress!” Vanessa shouted, pointing to the wet side. “That dress is worth tens of thousands of euros, Marcus! And that clumsy brat ruined it!” Why did you let her bring it here?”
My parents came running. My mother didn’t look at Leo. She didn’t check if her grandson was still breathing. She reached out and touched the wet fabric of Vanessa’s dress.
“Oh, Vanessa, honey, she’s ruined,” my mother whispered in surprise. Then she looked at me, a terrifying coldness filling her eyes. She stepped forward and lightly kicked Leo in the leg. “Get up, Isabella. Stop pretending to be sorry. He’s a clumsy profiteer, just like you. Look what you’ve done to your sister’s evening.”
“He’s unconscious,” I said in a hoarse, unrecognizable voice. My hands shook as I held Leo’s head. “She hit him.” She hit a five-year-old.
“He had to learn a lesson,” my father said, standing over us like a judge. “He’s been a burden to me since the day he was born. Now take him and get out of my sight before security throws you out onto the street.”
I looked at them. I saw all three of them—Vanessa, Marcus, and Elena—standing in a row. They looked like the perfect family. They looked like winners.
Inside me, the mother, the protector, screamed in pain. But another part of me—the CEO, the woman who built a billion-dollar empire in a studio apartment with a laptop, while they thought I was “searching for meaning”—froze.
I sensed a presence behind me. A shadow fell across the floor.
“Is he okay, ma’am?” a quiet voice asked.
This was Elias, my head of security. To my family, he was just a man in a black suit they suspected of working at the hotel. To the rest of the world, he was the most important person in Aurora Holdings’ personal security detail.
“Elias,” I said, my voice as cold as the marble beneath me. “Take Leo to a private room upstairs. Have Dr. Aris examine him immediately. Stay with him at all times.”
Elias knelt down and gently lifted Leo from my arms. My family watched in amazement as the “hotel security guard” treated me with a respect they had never seen before.
“Isabella, what are you doing?” Marcus asked. “I told you to leave.”
I stood up. I smoothed my simple black dress. I wiped a tear from my cheek and stood up. I was taller than Vanessa, and in that moment I felt taller than the entire building.
“Sorry,” I said.
Vanessa laughed, her voice high and unpleasant. “Excuse me?”
“Apologize to my son,” I said, stepping closer. “Apologize for hitting me. Apologize now, and I might even feel sorry for you.”
“Have mercy?” Vanessa snorted, looking around at the guests who were now whispering. “Who do you think you are, ra lệnh cho tao?” I am the savior of this company. Thanks to me, you have a roof over your heads. You are just a stain on our reputation. Security!” she shouted, searching for Marcus’s team. “Get that woman out of here!”
