Chapter 2
The melodic hum of American accents filled the atrium as the elite guests began moving toward the long birthday table. The table was draped in the finest silk, adorned with towering floral arrangements that matched the bright, cinematic colors of the room. The bodyguards, dressed in professional dark suits, stood near the velvet crowd posts, their eyes scanning the crowd with practiced, vigilant intensity.
From the far end of the room, three-year-old Maya skipped joyfully toward the dining area. Xavier’s daughter was utterly adorable, possessing glowing, beautiful bronze skin that radiated health and warmth. She wore a cute blush-pink tulle birthday dress, a white cropped cardigan, and glossy white Mary Jane flats. Her dark curls bounced as she moved, her innocent smile a stark contrast to the hardened criminals occupying the room.
"I sit next to Daddy!" Maya announced happily, her tiny voice cutting through the heavy political conversations of the capos.
She ran toward the head of the table, aiming for the empty chair positioned directly to the right of Xavier’s designated seat of honor. Maya reached out with her small hands, gripping the edge of the heavy wooden chair, preparing to pull herself up onto the plush cushion.
Charlotte, who had been watching the little girl's approach with narrowed eyes, moved with sudden, vicious speed. Her silver stiletto heels struck the marble with lethal intent. Before Maya could even lift her foot, Charlotte’s manicured hands clamped down on the backrest of the chair.
With a sharp, aggressive jerk, Charlotte violently yanked Maya’s chair backward.
The sudden loss of support caught the three-year-old completely off guard. Maya let out a startled gasp as her small hands slipped from the wood. She lost her balance entirely, tumbling backward and falling hard onto the thick, expensive carpet. The impact wasn't severe, but the shock and humiliation were absolute.
"Hey! What was that for?" a younger capo muttered from across the table, taking a step forward.
"Mind your own business, Thomas," Julian snapped instantly, blocking the man's path. "My sister is managing her household."
Without sparing a single glance at the weeping toddler on the floor, Charlotte grabbed Liam by the shoulder of his navy blue blazer. She immediately pulled her eight-year-old son forward and seated him squarely in Maya’s chair, right next to the Boss's empty place.
Maya looked up from the carpet, her big eyes brimming with tears, her blush-pink dress ruffled from the fall. "My chair," she whimpered, her voice trembling. "That's for me and Daddy."
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Charlotte stared down at the little girl, her fair, rosy face twisting into a mask of pure, unadulterated malice. She smoothed the front of her champagne-colored satin gown and leaned forward slightly.
"My son sits with family," Charlotte said coldly, her voice dropping into a harsh, venomous whisper that carried clearly to the surrounding guests. She pointed a manicured finger at the floor. "Beg on the ground."
