Chapter 1 - The Summons
The heavy oak doors of the home office swung open with a quiet click.
Charmian walked into the room with her eyes fixed firmly on the expensive floor.
She still wore the oversized gray hoodie from the kitchen.
Vincent remained seated behind his massive mahogany desk.
He did not offer her a chair.
He let the silence stretch until the tension in the room became unbearable.
Charmian nervously rubbed her bandaged hands against her denim jeans.
"You wanted to see me, Mr. Costa."
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Vincent picked up the manila folder and tossed it onto the center of the desk.
"Your brother is a fool."
Charmian flinched as if he had struck her physically.
"I do not know what you mean."
Vincent leaned forward into the morning sunlight.
"Tommy owes forty thousand dollars to the Petrov syndicate."
Charmian squeezed her eyes shut.
"They cornered you at St. Jude's."
Vincent continued speaking with cold precision.
"They beat you."
He pointed to her swollen cheekbone.
"Then they forced you to scrub a crime scene in the port district."
Charmian began to quietly cry.
"Please do not fire me, sir."
She looked at him with absolute desperation.
"I need this job to pay them off before they find Tommy."
Vincent stood up and walked around the heavy desk.
He stopped inches away from her trembling frame.
"You are not paying them another dime."
Charmian looked up in confusion.
"You belong to my household."
Vincent crossed his arms.
"Nobody puts their hands on my people."
A loud knock suddenly echoed from the heavy office doors.
Aleandro stepped into the room with a grim expression on his face.
"We have a major problem at the front gate, boss."
Vincent did not look away from Charmian.
"What is it."
"Anton Petrov just sent his lead enforcer to the estate."
May you like
Aleandro adjusted his glasses.
"He is demanding that we hand over the maid immediately."
