Chapter 4 - The Gala of Golden Vipers
As autumn set in, Damian announced that he was officially transitioning DeLuca Enterprises into entirely legitimate, public logistics and commercial real estate operations—a move meant to permanently insulate Ava from his former life. To celebrate the transition and solidify new corporate partnerships, he was hosting the annual Chicago Commerce Gala at the Drake Hotel.
"I want you there," Damian told Natalie in his study a week before the event.
Natalie blinked. "Damian, I'm Ava's caregiver. I belong here with her."
"Ava will be upstairs in a private, secured suite at the hotel with Viktor and two guards," Damian insisted, reaching across the desk to cover her hand with his. "I want you at my side at the gala. As my guest."
The touch was warm, electric, and unambiguous. Over the past few months, the boundaries between employer and employee had dissolved into an intense, unspoken attraction.
On the night of the gala, Natalie wore a breathtaking emerald-green silk gown—a gift that had arrived at her door that morning with a simple note from Damian: For the woman who changed our world.
When she descended the grand staircase of the hotel, Damian was waiting at the bottom. Dressed in a perfectly fitted black tuxedo, he looked striking. For a moment, he simply stared at her, his dark eyes burning with unreserved admiration.
"You are breathtaking," he murmured, offering her his arm.
"You don't look so bad yourself, Boss," she teased gently.
Inside the ballroom, hundreds of Chicago’s elite—politicians, CEOs, and high-society figures—gathered under crystal chandeliers. Damian led Natalie through the room with absolute confidence, introducing her not as an employee, but as his closest companion.
However, the whispers were relentless.
"Is that the girl who was fired from Bellamy & Stone?" a high-society woman snickered nearby. "From sales clerk to the arm of Damian DeLuca... quite the gold-digger."
Natalie's smile faltered, but before she could shrink back, Damian stopped walking. He turned slowly toward the group of gossiping socialites, his presence immediately silencing the area.
"Miss Carter is an educated, brilliant woman who possesses more grace and integrity in her little finger than this entire room combined," Damian said, his voice echoing clearly over the chamber music. "If anyone has an issue with her presence here, they are welcome to leave my event immediately."
The women turned pale and quickly dispersed.
Natalie looked up at Damian, her heart fluttering. "You didn't have to do that."
"I will always defend you, Natalie," he said softly, leading her toward the balcony overlooking Lake Michigan. The cool night air hit their faces as they stepped out into the privacy of the dark terrace.
"Damian..." Natalie began, turning to him.
"I know the timing is complicated," Damian said, stepping closer, his hands resting gently on her waist. "I know where I come from, and I know the danger my name carries. But every day I watch you with my daughter, every night I talk with you... I fall deeper in love with you."
Natalie's breath caught in her throat. "Damian..."
"Tell me if I'm wrong," he whispered, leaning down. "Tell me to stop, and I will."
"Don't stop," Natalie murmured.
Damian brought his lips down to hers in a deep, passionate kiss that seemed to erase the noise of the city, the gala, and the past. When they finally broke apart, both breathless, Damian rested his forehead against hers.
May you like
Before either could speak, the balcony door burst open. Viktor stood there, his chest heaving, his face deathly pale.
"Boss," Viktor rasped, his voice trembling with a terror Natalie had never heard from the hardened man. "It's Julian Moretti. He bypassed the floor security. Ava is gone."
