Chapter:00003

Skye’s POV

Ring. Ring.

I reached for my phone blindly, my eyes still shut, and swiped the screen before bringing it to my ear.

"Hello?" My voice was thick with sleep.

"Don't tell me you're still sleeping, Skye."

My eyes flew open.

I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at the screen.

Uncle Loid.

I sat upright instantly. "Good morning, Uncle," I said quickly.

"It's not morning" he replied. "It's 3:30 p.m. Have you forgotten we're attending a birthday celebration at the De Luca mansion today?"

My grip on the phone tightened.

Right. The party, the day I had been circling on my calendar for a month.

Before I could respond, he continued,

"You have thirty minutes to get ready and be at the mansion."

"Uncle.." I started.

"No excuses," he cut in. "Don't be late."

The call ended.

I stared at the dark screen, my chest feeling oddly tight.

I didn't want to go.

I am sure Serena and her mother wouldn't want me there either. They never did.

A week ago, I was excited. I thought tonight was the night Alex would finally stop keeping me a secret. I thought I’d finally belong somewhere. Now, the thought of the De Luca mansion made me want to throw up

But I couldn't say no to Uncle Loid. He was the only person who looked at me without seeing a street child.

Enough thinking, Skye.

I pushed myself off the bed but the moment I stood up, memories from the night before crashed into me.

The parking lot.

Celeste on her knees.

That man's cold eyes.

His cigarette smoke.

His voice.

You're not qualified, woman.

I sank back onto the bed.

"Fuck" I muttered.

I buried my face in the pillow and screamed, letting everything out.

When I finally lifted my head, my chest felt lighter.

I forced myself up and got ready.

When I stood in front of the mirror, I barely recognized the girl staring back at me.

There was nothing special about my outfit, just a simple red dress and cheap matching heels. I let my long hair fall freely and didn't bother with makeup.

****^*******

The moment I arrived at the party, no one looked my way. Just as I expected, they probably thought I was just another servant.

I had come straight to the event, leaving the Vaughn family behind.

"You actually showed up?”

I turned. Serena stood a few feet away, polished and radiant in a gown that probably cost more than my scooter. Alex was beside her, his hand resting possessively at the small of her back…the way I once believed was meant for me.

I didn't answer. Just as I tried to brush past them, my body jerked to a stop.

Serena had planted her designer heel firmly on the hem of my dress.

"Go on," she taunted softly "Move, Skye. I want to see how well that cheap fabric holds up”

I stood frozen, my jaw tight enough to crack. If I moved, the dress would tear, and I’d be standing half naked in the middle of the De Luca ballroom.

"What's going on here?"

I looked up to see Uncle Loid standing in front of us, his gaze darting between Serena’s foot and my face.

Serena quickly lifted her foot and smiled sweetly."Nothing, Dad. Just, caught a loose thread"

I caught a flicker of displeasure in his eyes, but before he could press her, Serena turned to Alex.

"You were going to introduce me to your grandmother, weren't you?" she asked

"We'll take our leave, uncle" Alex said. He gave Uncle Loid a polite nod and led Serena away without so much as a glance in my direction.

"Are you okay?" he asked, turning back to me.

I forced a smile. "Yes, Uncle."

Before he could say anything else, two suited men approached and began discussing something urgently. I stepped aside, feeling invisible again.

I turned away and let my gaze drift across the room.

Alex and Serena standing before the matriarch of the De Luca family. They called her Rowena—Alex's grandmother. They looked perfectly at ease, smiling as though nothing in the world could touch them.

A waiter passed by. I grabbed a glass from his tray and drained it in one swallow.

It still hurts, watching them stand there, happy and unbothered. I wished, desperately, that there was a way to wipe that smile off their faces.

Then, a murmur swept through the hall. Whispers and quick glances followed a tall man as he entered, dressed impeccably in a black suit.

His presence alone commanded attention.

I didn't need to look twice.

I will never forget him.

It was him, the man from the club yesterday.

I watched as women flushed and leaned toward one another, whispering excitedly. Even some of the men couldn't hide their stares.

He walked straight to the matriarch of the De Luca family and bent to kiss her cheek. Rowena smiled warmly and pulled him into a brief embrace.

"That's him. Dante De Luca, Madam Rowena's only son," a woman beside me whispered to her friend.

"He barely attends any gatherings... I can't believe I'm seeing him in person," the friend replied.

It clicked.

I had seen him before, in those magazine covers I usually tossed aside while waiting for Serena.

I quickly pulled out my phone and searched for his name.

The screen flooded with images.

Dante De Luca.

CEO of Vante Entertainment Group.

Head of the De Luca conglomerate.

A billionaire who lived an intensely private life.

And..

Alex's uncle.

The realization struck hard.

I looked up again. Dante was already moving toward the exit, several men trailing after him.

Then, suddenly, his gaze lifted.

For a brief moment, his eyes met mine.

Fear. Panic. Anxiety. Every emotion collided at once.

Did he recognize me?

"Dante De Luca," I repeated silently, committing his name to memory.

He was the architect of Celeste’s career. He was the man who could make or break a dynasty with a phone call. If he could turn a girl into a global icon, he could turn a street child like me into a force that would make Serena Vaughn look like a footnote.

If I wanted to destroy Alex, I didn't need to cry. I needed to climb higher. To be with the one man Alex feared. The one man he could never hope to compete with.

But his words from yesterday echoed in my mind

Do not appear in front of me.

I watched his broad shoulders disappear through the double doors. I knew what I wanted. But I also knew the price.

But the thought that tightened my chest was the most dangerous of all;

What would I have to do... to be qualified to stand by Dante De Luca's side?