Chapter 1 - The Tarnished Locket
Dominic Gallo sat in the suffocating silence of his office.
He stared at the tarnished silver bird locket resting in the palm of his hand.
The cheap metal felt heavy with unanswered questions.
Four months had passed since the masquerade gala, but the memory of the mysterious woman still haunted his every thought.
Matteo stood by the massive mahogany desk with a dark expression on his scarred face.
"You cannot keep obsessing over a ghost, Dominic," Matteo warned softly.
"She was a stranger in a mask who vanished before dawn."
Dominic closed his fist around the cold silver.
"She left this behind, Matteo."
"I need to know who she is."
Matteo sighed and placed a thick file on the polished wood.
"We have a more pressing issue at the South Side medical clinic."
"A debt collector from the Moretti family is harassing the patients in our territory."
Dominic stood up and adjusted his tailored jacket.
"Prepare the car."
"I will handle the Moretti problem myself."
The bitter Chicago wind howled as Dominic stepped out of his armored vehicle.
He walked toward the rundown clinic with Matteo and three armed guards closely behind him.
A loud commotion echoed from the narrow alley beside the building.
Dominic turned the corner and saw a large man aggressively shoving a young woman against the brick wall.
The woman was wearing a thin winter coat that barely offered any protection from the snow.
She was also heavily pregnant.
"I told you I do not have the money yet!" she cried out.
The debt collector grabbed her coat and tore it open with a violent jerk.
Dominic froze.
He recognized the terrified face immediately.
It was Layla Bennett, the clumsy maid he had fired from his penthouse four months ago.
She stumbled backward, trying desperately to shield her swollen abdomen from the freezing wind.
May you like
As she moved, a broken silver chain slipped from beneath her collar and caught the dim street light.
Dangling from the end of the chain was the exact missing half of the silver bird locket.
