Chapter 5 - The Grand Exit
The ballroom remained frozen in a state of collective shock. Dozens of millionaires, socialites, and corporate executives stood like statues, terrified to breathe, terrified to move, terrified that the slightest twitch might draw the terrifying crime lord's attention toward them.
Victor didn't care about any of them. His entire world had narrowed down to the young woman standing beside him in the stained uniform.
"Your shift is officially over, Dora," Victor said, a faint, rare smile touching the corners of his lips.
"My shift..." Dora looked down at her ruined shirt, then back at him, a mixture of disbelief, exhaustion, and sudden, bubbling relief washing over her. "Kevin is going to fire me."
"Kevin doesn't have a job to fire you from anymore," Victor replied dryly. "And neither do you. Unless, of course, you'd prefer to manage my personal archives and philanthropic foundations starting Monday morning at a salary that will ensure you never have to step foot in a commercial kitchen again."
Dora stared at him, her brown eyes wide. "You're serious."
"I am never unserious about matters of importance, Dora," Victor said softly. He shrugged off his heavy, expensive wool overcoat and draped it gently around her shoulders, completely hiding the gin stain and the cheap polyester uniform. The coat was warm, smelling faintly of expensive cologne, cedarwood, and rain.
"Come," Victor offered his arm to her, exactly as a gentleman would escort a queen at a royal ball. "Let's get you out of this ridiculous building. I know a quiet place down by the harbor that serves the best midnight coffee in Manhattan."
Dora looked around the silent, staring ballroom one last time. She saw the fear in the eyes of the wealthy elites who had looked down on her just minutes ago. She saw the broken glass sparkling on the marble floor where Jessica's cruelty had backfired into total ruin.
A slow, genuine smile broke across Dora's tired face.
She slid her arm through Victor's strong, steady forearm, feeling the solid muscle beneath the cloth.
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"Lead the way, Victor," she said softly.
And together, the former scholarship kid in orthopedic shoes and the most feared shadow ruler in the city walked side-by-side out of the grand ballroom, leaving the glittering, terrified world of billionaires far behind them in the dust.
