Chapter 6 - THE BLACK-TIE BETRAYAL
Isabella was celebrating her premature victory at a lavish gala in the heart of the city, assuming Roman had finally perished at the pier. She wore blood-conflict diamonds and a triumphant smile, mingling with the corrupt politicians she now firmly controlled. But the heavy oak doors of the ballroom suddenly locked from the outside. The orchestral music abruptly cut out. Roman and Claire walked down the grand marble staircase, dressed in immaculate, matching black. Panic rippled through the wealthy crowd. Isabella’s bodyguards reached for their weapons, but Roman's remaining loyalists, heavily disguised among the catering staff, had already neutralized them. It was a flawless checkmate. Roman stepped up to his former fiancée, the silence in the room absolutely deafening. "You missed," he whispered, his voice colder than the bitter Chicago winter.
