Chapter 6 - The Viper's Trap
Three weeks passed.
The Costello estate was no longer a prison of silence for Sadi Hayes; it had become a sanctuary.
She had been moved into the opulent east wing master suite—a breathtaking room with silk drapes, a fireplace, and private balconies overlooking the Italian gardens. Her maid uniform was gone, replaced by soft cashmere sweaters, silk dresses, and elegant jewelry that Victor had delivered to her door every morning without comment.
Her hands had healed completely, leaving only faint, soft scars on her knuckles.
Every morning, Victor’s private car took her to the Costello Medical Center, where Sam was making a miraculous recovery. The new immunotherapy treatment was working faster than anyone had dared hope. His blood counts were normalizing, his appetite had returned, and his laugh filled the bright private room every time Sadi visited.
For the first time in her life, Sadi was happy.
And every night, Victor returned from his city operations to eat dinner with her in his private dining room.
He didn't treat her like a maid. He listened to her speak about her love for literature, her dream of finishing her college degree in art history, and her ideas for renovating the estate's neglected library. In return, Victor showed her a side of himself no one else in the city ever saw—a man of fierce loyalty, deep intellect, and an absolute commitment to protecting those he loved.
The attraction between them had grown into a roaring, unspoken fire.
On a rainy Thursday evening, Victor stood by the French doors of his study, wearing a dark navy tuxedo. He was adjusting his cufflinks when Sadi stepped into the room.
She took his breath away.
She wore an emerald green silk gown that clung softly to her curves, cascading down to the floor like liquid velvet. Her dark hair was pinned back in elegant curls, highlighting her long neck and the delicate emerald pendant Victor had given her three days ago.
"You're staring," Sadi said softly, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks.
Victor walked toward her, his dark eyes burning with uninhibited admiration. "I'm staring because you look like you were born to rule this house, Sadi."
He reached out, sliding his hand gently around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. Sadi rested her hands on his broad lapels, looking up into his handsome, razor-sharp face.
"Tonight is the annual Costello Foundation Gala," Victor murmured, his thumb tracing her cheekbone. "Every major family, business leader, and politician in the state will be there. I want you by my side."
Sadi blinked, slightly nervous. "Victor... they know I used to scrub the floors here. What if they—"
"If anyone speaks to you with anything less than absolute devotion," Victor interrupted, his tone turning instantly to iron, "I will ruin them financially before the main course is served. You are with me tonight, Sadi. That is all they need to know."
He kissed her deeply, his tongue sliding against hers, leaving her breathless and trembling in his arms before leading her out to the waiting limousine.
The gala was held in the grand ballroom of the Plaza Hotel downtown. Hundreds of high-society guests moved beneath crystal chandeliers, drinking expensive champagne while a string quartet played softly near the stage.
When Victor entered the room with Sadi on his arm, the whispers started instantly.
"Who is she?" a wealthy woman in diamonds whispered behind her fan.
"She's gorgeous... looks like European nobility," an older senator murmured to his colleague.
Victor paid no attention to the crowd. He kept his hand firmly at the small of Sadi's back, guiding her through the room, introducing her to his top legitimate corporate executives as his personal guest and closest confidante.
For three hours, Sadi felt like she was living in a fairytale.
Then, around 10:30 PM, while Victor was engaged in a quiet conversation with a high-court judge near the balcony, Sadi walked toward the quiet lounge to catch her breath.
She reached for a glass of water from a silver tray when a dark figure stepped out from behind a velvet curtain.
It was a tall, sharp-faced man with cold grey eyes, wearing a grey tuxedo—Don Marco Valenti, the head of the rival Valenti syndicate.
"So you're the little maid who turned Victor Costello soft," Marco Valenti purred softly, blocking her path.
Sadi froze, her instincts immediately heightening. "Excuse me, sir. I don't know you."
"Oh, but I know you, Sadi Hayes," Marco smiled, his teeth sharp and predator-like. "Mick O'Shea was an idiot, but he was my idiot. And Victor crossed a line when he shipped him out of the country."
Sadi stood her ground, forcing her voice to remain calm. "If you have an issue with Mr. Costello, take it up with him."
"I am," Marco whispered.
May you like
Before Sadi could shout for security, Marco pressed a tiny, cold metal syringe into her side through the silk of her dress.
"Don't scream, darling," Marco whispered into her ear as a sudden, heavy dizziness slammed into Sadi's brain like a sledgehammer. "Or the poison in this needle empties completely into your liver. Walk with me out the side exit. Now."
