Chapter 1: The Cake
“Lily!””
My scream disappeared beneath the crash of porcelain.
My three-year-old daughter had slipped from behind my skirt so quickly that I barely saw her move. Her little white sneakers slapped against the polished marble floor as she ran toward the head table, lifted both hands, and knocked the dessert plate from Ethan’s fingers.
The slice of birthday cake hit the floor.
Pink frosting splattered across the marble.
The silver fork bounced twice.
Then everything stopped.
The string quartet beneath the staircase froze in the middle of a note. A waiter holding champagne went perfectly still. Women in expensive dresses covered their mouths.
And every eye in Dominic Moretti’s Manhattan mansion turned toward my daughter.
Because the man slowly rising from the head of the table was Dominic Moretti.
In newspapers, Dominic was a billionaire real-estate investor, shipping executive, and philanthropist.
In whispered conversations, he was something else.
A man whose phone calls were answered before the first ring ended.
A man judges remembered.
A man politicians smiled at even when they hated him.
And tonight was his sixty-fifth birthday.
I was only there because I worked for the event company hired to coordinate the gala.
Lily was never supposed to be there.
My babysitter had canceled forty minutes before my shift, and my supervisor, Claire, had reluctantly allowed Lily to sit quietly in the staff room.
Then Lily heard me outside.
She came looking for me.
Now she stood six feet from Dominic Moretti.
Beside the ruined cake.
“Mommy,” she whispered.
I rushed forward.
“I’m so sorry.””
Claire appeared behind me, white-faced.
“Mr. Moretti, I assure you—”
Dominic raised one hand.
Claire stopped speaking.
His gaze remained on Lily.
“Come here,” I whispered, reaching for her.
But Lily stepped backward.
“No.””
My stomach dropped.
“Lily.””
“No, Mommy.””
Dominic walked around the table.
People moved aside without being asked.
His dark suit was immaculate, silver hair swept neatly back. He looked less angry than I expected.
That frightened me more.
“What’s your name?”” Dominic asked.
Lily stared at him.
“Lily.””
“Lily,” he repeated.
“Why did you knock down Ethan’s cake?””
I glanced at the young man sitting beside Dominic.
Ethan Moretti.
Dominic’s thirty-two-year-old nephew and presumed heir.
Ethan looked furious.
“It’s a child,” Ethan snapped.
“Who cares why?””
He reached for another slice from the centerpiece.
Lily screamed.
“DON’T!””
Her tiny voice cracked through the ballroom.
Ethan froze.
Lily ran to me and wrapped both arms around my leg.
“Baby, what is it?””
She pointed toward Ethan’s plate.
Her hand was shaking.
“He put something in it.””
A murmur traveled through the room.
Ethan laughed.
“That’s ridiculous.””
Dominic’s expression changed.
“What did you see?”” he asked Lily.
She buried her face against my dress.
I crouched.
“Lily, look at me.””
Her brown eyes were wet.
“What did you see?””
“The man.””
“What man?””
She pointed at Ethan.
“He opened his ring.””
I looked at Ethan’s hands.
A heavy gold signet ring sat on his right index finger.
Ethan immediately lowered that hand beneath the table.
Dominic noticed.
So did I.
“What did he do with the ring?”” Dominic asked.
Lily whispered, “White stuff.””
The room seemed to shrink.
Ethan stood abruptly.
“This is insane. You’re interrogating a toddler because she knocked over dessert?””
“Sit down,” Dominic said.
“I’m not—”
“Sit.””
Ethan sat.
Dominic turned toward a broad-shouldered man near the doorway.
“Marco.””
The man approached.
“Sir?””
“Take the plate.””
Ethan’s face drained.
“There’s nothing on it.””
Dominic looked at him.
“I didn't ask.””
Marco carefully lifted the ruined porcelain plate from the marble, frosting and all, using a clean serving cloth.
Ethan pushed his chair back.
“Uncle Dominic, this is humiliating.””
Dominic’s eyes followed him.
“For whom?””
Nobody moved.
Then Ethan laughed nervously.
“You seriously believe her?””
“I believe she saw something.””
“She’s three.””
“Exactly.””
Dominic looked toward Lily.
“She has no reason to lie.””
Ethan glanced at me.
For the first time, he seemed to truly see me.
His eyes narrowed.
“What company do you work for?””
I hesitated.
“Bellmont Events.””
“And you brought your kid here?””
“My sitter canceled.””
“How convenient.””
“What are you implying?””
“That maybe this little performance wasn’t an accident.””
Claire stepped forward.
“Ethan, Rachel has worked for us for four years. She didn't even know which family members would attend tonight.””
Ethan ignored her.
He stared at me.
Then at Lily.
“Search her.””
My blood went cold.
Dominic turned slowly.
“What?””
Ethan pointed at me.
“Search her bag. Her pockets. Everything. If we’re turning a child’s tantrum into an investigation, let's investigate everybody.””
I pulled Lily closer.
“No one is touching my daughter.””
Dominic studied Ethan for several long seconds.
Then he smiled.
It was not a pleasant smile.
“Interesting.””
“What?””
“You’re very eager to search the mother.””
Dominic stepped closer to his nephew.
“But you haven't offered to open your ring.””
Ethan stopped breathing.
Dominic held out his hand.
“Give it to me.””
The ballroom went silent again.
Ethan stared at the outstretched palm.
May you like
Then suddenly—
he ran.
