Chapter 2 - The Man Who Saw What Everyone Else Missed
The ballroom seemed to tilt as Matteo DeLuca crossed it.
Evelyn had spent eleven years learning the language of clothes.
She could tell who was nervous by the way they tugged at cuffs.
Who was rich by the way they ignored wrinkles.
Who had paid too much by the way they spoke about labels.
But there was another language in the room tonight.
Power.
And everyone spoke it fluently except her.
Matteo stopped three feet away.
"Miss Hart."
Evelyn blinked.
He knew her name.
That was impossible.
She glanced at Vanessa.
Vanessa looked like someone had taken the air from her lungs.
"Mr. DeLuca," Evelyn said.
He studied her face.
"You repaired the dress."
Evelyn's pulse jumped.
She almost looked down.
"Excuse me?"
"The left panel."
His voice was low enough that only she and the two men behind him could hear.
"You repaired it."
Evelyn swallowed.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because it was coming apart."
One corner of his mouth moved.
"Not an accident."
It was not a question.
Evelyn looked around.
No one was watching anymore.
Everyone was pretending not to.
She lowered her voice.
"No."
Matteo's eyes shifted toward Vanessa.
Vanessa smiled too quickly.
"Matteo," she said, stepping forward. "It's so good to see you."
He ignored her.
That was somehow worse than a confrontation.
He looked back at Evelyn.
"Who sent the dress?"
"My cousin."
"I see."
Vanessa's face tightened.
"Evelyn is a little shy," she said. "She gets overwhelmed at events like this."
Evelyn felt heat rise in her face.
"I can speak for myself."
Matteo's gaze moved to her.
Something about his expression changed.
Respect.
Tiny.
But unmistakable.
"I know."
Vanessa laughed lightly.
"Of course she can."
Matteo finally looked at her.
"Then perhaps you should let her."
The ballroom went quieter.
Vanessa's cheeks colored.
She recovered quickly.
"I only meant—"
"I know what you meant."
He turned back to Evelyn.
"May I?"
He offered his hand.
Evelyn stared at it.
No one had ever offered her their hand in a room like this.
Not without expecting something.
Not without making her feel like an accessory.
"What for?"
"Dance."
Her mouth fell open slightly.
Vanessa's did too.
Somewhere behind them, someone whispered.
"No way."
Matteo waited.
Evelyn looked at his hand.
Then at his face.
"Why me?"
He answered honestly.
"Because you're the only person in this room who noticed the dress was trying to betray you."
That should not have made her heart pound.
But it did.
She placed her hand in his.
The music changed.
Matteo led her onto the dance floor.
The reaction around them was immediate.
Phones lifted.
Whispers spread.
The shy little seamstress no one had noticed five minutes ago was dancing with Matteo DeLuca in front of two hundred of Chicago's most influential people.
Evelyn barely knew what to do with her feet.
"You can relax," Matteo murmured.
"I'm trying."
"You are thinking too much."
"I usually do."
"I noticed."
She looked up.
There was the faintest hint of amusement in his eyes.
"Do you always study people this closely?" she asked.
"Only when they interest me."
Her heartbeat stumbled.
"You barely know me."
"I know you were willing to wear a dress you didn't trust because you thought being useful was more important than being comfortable."
Evelyn frowned.
"How could you possibly know that?"
He guided her through a turn.
"Because you reinforced the seam instead of leaving."
She stared at him.
"You've been watching me."
"For six minutes."
"That's not reassuring."
"No."
She almost smiled.
Then Matteo's expression became serious.
"Who did this?"
Evelyn hesitated.
"Vanessa."
He did not react.
"You knew."
"I suspected."
"Why?"
"Because your cousin has been trying to get close to my organization for months."
Evelyn's stomach tightened.
"What?"
Matteo's hand remained steady at her waist.
"She has business partners who owe money to people who owe money to me."
Evelyn looked at him.
"Are you saying Vanessa set me up because of you?"
"I'm saying your cousin is not as innocent as she wants everyone to believe."
Before she could respond, a waiter passed.
Matteo leaned closer.
"Do not drink anything tonight."
Evelyn stared.
"Why?"
"Because I don't trust the people serving this room."
Her eyes widened.
"Are we in danger?"
"We are."
Matteo said it so calmly that fear took a moment to arrive.
Then the lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Someone screamed.
The music stopped.
A glass shattered.
Security moved instantly.
Matteo pulled Evelyn behind him.
His entire body changed.
The elegant socialite disappeared.
What remained was the man whose reputation had survived because people learned not to test him.
"Stay behind me."
Evelyn could hear her own breathing.
"What is happening?"
"I don't know yet."
A loud crack sounded from the far side of the ballroom.
People screamed and dropped.
Matteo's men drew weapons.
Evelyn froze.
Matteo pushed her behind a marble column.
"Don't move."
Then he vanished into the chaos.
Evelyn crouched.
She heard shouting.
Footsteps.
A chair overturned.
And then a voice.
A man yelled from across the ballroom.
"DeLuca! You took what belonged to us!"
Matteo's reply was quiet.
"You walked into my city carrying a threat."
A gunshot exploded.
Evelyn flinched.
Someone grabbed her arm from behind.
She turned.
Vanessa.
"We have to go."
"What?"
"Now!"
Vanessa pulled hard.
Evelyn stumbled after her through a side doorway.
They ran down a service corridor.
Evelyn's heart hammered.
"Where are we going?"
"Car."
Vanessa was breathing too fast.
She kept looking behind them.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
They reached a stairwell.
Vanessa shoved the door open.
Evelyn hesitated.
"Wait."
"What?"
"You knew."
Vanessa stared at her.
"Knew what?"
"You knew there would be trouble."
Vanessa's expression changed.
For the first time that night, there was no performance.
There was anger.
"You were always too observant."
The words froze Evelyn.
Vanessa stepped closer.
"I gave you one job."
"What?"
"Wear the dress. Embarrass yourself. Make everyone laugh. Leave quietly."
Evelyn stared.
"You wanted the dress to come apart."
Vanessa smiled.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because people like you need to remember their place."
Evelyn felt something inside her break.
Not her heart.
Something older.
Something she had protected for years.
"Why do you hate me?"
Vanessa laughed softly.
"Because you were always loved without trying."
"I wasn't."
"Don't lie."
Vanessa stepped closer.
"Your father adored you. Your mother adored you. My father was never proud of me unless I looked perfect. Then my aunt died and suddenly everyone loved poor little Evelyn."
"That isn't true."
"It doesn't matter."
Vanessa reached into her purse.
Evelyn took one step backward.
"What are you doing?"
A small bottle appeared.
Matteo's warning flashed in Evelyn's mind.
Do not drink anything.
Vanessa raised the bottle.
"You know what's funny?"
"What?"
"I wasn't planning to hurt you."
She smiled.
"But tonight got complicated."
The stairwell door behind them opened.
Matteo appeared.
His gun was lowered.
His face was terrifyingly calm.
"Step away from her."
Vanessa froze.
Matteo looked at the bottle.
Then at Vanessa.
"Put it down."
Vanessa's hand trembled.
"Evelyn doesn't understand what you're doing."
"I understand enough."
"No," Vanessa whispered. "You don't."
Matteo took one step forward.
"Try me."
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
Not genuine ones, Evelyn suspected.
Fear.
"She has no idea what her father did."
Matteo stopped.
Evelyn's breath caught.
"My father?"
Vanessa smiled bitterly.
"Ask him."
Then she threw the bottle down the stairs.
It shattered.
Matteo moved immediately.
He grabbed Evelyn and pulled her behind him.
There was silence.
Then footsteps thundered overhead.
One of Matteo's men appeared.
"Boss."
Matteo turned.
"What?"
"We found something."
The man looked at Evelyn.
"A file."
Matteo's eyes narrowed.
"Whose?"
The answer was quiet.
"Hart."
May you like
Evelyn felt the world stop.
Her father's name had just become a weapon.
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