Chapter 5 - THE COMMISSION MEETING
The Grand Regency Hotel downtown was owned by the Rossi syndicate, and its grand ballroom served as the neutral territory for high-level Commission meetings.
That night, the room was filled with over fifty powerful figures—wealthy business tycoons, political brokers, and syndicate elders dressed in high-end suits.
At the head table sat Salvatore Moretti, flanked by his legal team and a tearful Bianca, who was wearing a black dress to symbolize her alleged "grief and dishonor."
Whispers filled the hall as the heavy oak doors opened.
Dominic Rossi walked in first, radiating an imposing aura of absolute power and dominance. Behind him walked Carmela Rossi, looking regal in a deep purple velvet gown.
And beside Carmela walked Skylar.
She wore an elegant midnight-blue A-line dress that complimented her curves gracefully, her dark hair styled in soft waves over her shoulders. The sapphire necklace glittered brilliantly against her skin, covering the small, faint scar on her cheekbone.
Though her heart was pounding like a hammer against her ribs, Skylar kept her head held high, remembering Carmela's words: Never let small people convince you that taking up space is something to apologize for.
As the Rossi family took their seats at the central table, Salvatore Moretti stood up, slamming his hand onto the wood.
"Don Rossi!" Salvatore boomed, his voice carrying across the ballroom. "You summoned us here under the guise of council business! But you bring a servant into the highest court of our families!"
Bianca pointed a finger at Skylar, her voice trembling with venom. "Look at her! Wearing Rossi family heirlooms! She's nothing but a common maid who manipulated an old woman!"
The room erupted into quiet murmurs and shifting glances.
Dominic slowly raised his eyes, looking at Salvatore with a silence so cold it instantly checked the momentum of the room.
"Salvatore," Dominic spoke, his voice quiet yet carrying through every corner of the hall. "You asked for a review of the broken contract between our houses."
"I did!" Salvatore declared. "You broke a sacred betrothal contract without the council's consent!"
"The contract specified a union built on mutual respect and protection of family honor," Dominic said calmly. He gestured to Matteo, who stepped forward and placed a heavy digital projector onto the podium.
"What is this?" Salvatore demanded, frowning.
"This," Dominic said, "is the security footage from the conservatory of the Rossi estate three nights ago."
Bianca’s face went instantly pale. "Father, no—"
The projector turned on, casting a massive, crisp video stream onto the white wall behind the head table.
The high-definition footage left no room for doubt.
The entire council watched as Bianca screamed at an elderly Carmela Rossi, throwing wine across the room. They saw Bianca raise her heavy diamond-ringed hand to strike Carmela in the face.
And then, they saw Skylar—moving without a second thought, throwing her own body in front of the old woman, taking the full, violent strike across her face and crashing hard onto the marble floor.
Gasps of outrage echoed through the ballroom. The elders at the head table glared at Salvatore and Bianca with open disgust. Striking an elder—especially the widow of a founding Don—was the highest violation of syndicate tradition.
"That video," Dominic stated, standing up and towering over the room, "shows Bianca Moretti committing treason against the Rossi family. And it shows Skylar Gallagher protecting my mother at the cost of her own safety."
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Dominic looked directly at Salvatore. "The contract was not broken by me. It was destroyed by your daughter's dishonor."
Salvatore stood frozen, his face flushed with burning shame, completely unable to refute the video evidence before the entire leadership of the city.
