Chapter 1: The Silver Serpent

The music resumed, a slow, intoxicating waltz that filled the grand ballroom. Guests stepped back, creating a wide circle around the central marble dance floor, giving Darius and Mireia absolute room.

Darius pulled her close, his right hand resting firm and warm against the small of her back, his left hand holding hers high. They moved together with effortless grace, spinning beneath the crystal chandeliers.

“You were magnificent,” Darius murmured, his dark eyes fixed on hers.

“I was terrified,” Mireia confessed softly, letting herself lean slightly into his broad chest as they turned. “My heart was beating so fast I thought I’d pass out at the podium.”

“No one saw it,” Darius said smoothly. “You stood there like a queen. The syndicate bosses in the balconies are already sending messages to my phone asking for private audiences with the Moretti heir.”

Mireia tilted her head back to look at him. “What happens now, Darius? My father is in custody, Caleb is financially destroyed, and the city knows who I am. Am I really safe?”

Darius’s expression darkened slightly, his grip on her hand tightening into a protective hold.

“You are safe as long as you are with me,” Darius said firmly. “But there are old men in this city who helped orchestrate the fall of the Moretti family twenty years ago. They thought the bloodline was dead. Tomorrow, they will realize that the bloodline has returned—and it’s backed by my army.”

Before Mireia could answer, a sudden commotion occurred near the side entrance of the ballroom.

A tall young woman in a simple white coat pushed past the hotel security guards, her eyes wildly scanning the crowd until she spotted Mireia on the dance floor.

It was Alyssa.

Mireia’s step paused. Darius immediately noticed, bringing them to a smooth stop and stepping slightly in front of Mireia, his hand moving toward his buttoned suit jacket.

“Mireia!” Alyssa called out, her voice filled with panic as she ran toward them.

“It’s fine, Darius. She’s my sister,” Mireia whispered, placing a reassuring hand on his forearm.

Alyssa reached them, breathing heavily, her face pale. She didn't look at Darius, nor did she look at the luxurious crowd surrounding them. Her eyes were fixed entirely on Mireia.

“Mireia... you have to leave right now,” Alyssa gasped out, grabbing Mireia’s sleeve. “Father’s business partner... the man from the Chicago docks... he heard about what happened at the dinner last night. He’s outside!”