Chapter 7 - The Trap in the Dark
The lobby erupted into murmurs of shock and hidden laughter from rival families who hated the Hales.
Ronan looked down at Ivy, his gray eyes burning with pure, unadulterated pride and dark lust. He leaned down, whispering in her ear, "God, woman... you are breathtaking when you take control."
Ivy flushed, a sweet smile gracing her lips as she held her head high.
However, the night was far from over.
Deep inside the VIP lounge of the Empress Hotel, Julian Hale met secretly with Marco Marcone—the ruthless leader of a rival Italian cartel.
"Blackwood humiliated my daughter and brought that Lancaster girl back from the dead!" Julian hissed, pacing back and forth. "If they expose our financial books, we are both going to federal prison!"
Marco Marcone took a slow drag from his cigar, his eyes narrowing. "Ronan Blackwood has a weakness now. Did you see how he looks at that full-figured girl? He guards her like a dragon over gold."
"What are you suggesting?" Vivienne asked eagerly, her cheek still burning from Ivy's slap.
"The gala has a private garden terrace on the fifth floor," Marco sneered. "We lure the girl up there. We capture her, use her as leverage, and force Blackwood to sign over his shipping ports. If he refuses... we drop her off the roof."
Vivienne smiled maliciously. "I’ll make sure she goes up there myself."
An hour into the event, while Ronan was engaged in a high-stakes discussion with foreign ambassadors, a waitress approached Ivy with a silver tray holding a note.
"Miss Lancaster? A young woman named Mia sent this from the lower kitchens. She says it’s urgent regarding your brothers."
Ivy’s maternal instincts flared immediately. She read the note: Miss Ivy, please come to the 5th Floor West Terrace. Some men are asking about your brothers' school records.
Ivy’s eyes narrowed. She wasn't the naive girl she had been three weeks ago. Working alongside Ronan had taught her how the underworld operated. She immediately recognized the trap.
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Instead of running upstairs blindly, Ivy subtly pressed a panic button hidden inside the diamond bracelet Ronan had given her earlier that evening. The button transmitted her live GPS coordinates directly to Ronan’s encrypted watch.
Then, Ivy walked toward the elevator, ready to play the bait.
