Chapter 7 - The Treasury Ball
The grand hall of the Federal Reserve was a spectacle of wealth, power, and high society. Crystal chandeliers hung from fifty-foot ceilings, illuminating champagne towers, orchestra musicians, and New York's elite—politicians, judges, corporate tycoons, and corrupt law enforcement officials.
I walked in on Dominic's arm, holding my head high. Every eye in the room turned toward us. Whisper ripples spread through the crowd. Dominic Russo was supposed to be in hiding, hunted by the law, yet here he was, walking into a government building with an breathtaking woman on his arm, acting as if he owned the city.
"Victor Vance is at two o'clock," Dominic whispered, leaning close as if whispering sweet nothings into my ear. "With three federal agents."
I glanced subtly toward the mezzanine balcony. Victor Vance, a sharp-faced man with cold grey eyes, was watching us, his hand subtly resting near his waist inside his jacket.
"And Constantine?" I asked.
"He's in the private VIP lounge upstairs," Dominic replied. "He thinks he's setting a trap for me. He doesn't know you're the real weapon."
"I need access to the basement elevator terminal," I said, slipping my hand into my small clutch where a custom hacking device—engineered from my father's specs—was concealed. "I need three minutes of complete distraction."
Dominic smiled, a wicked, beautiful expression that set my blood on fire. "Distraction is my specialty. Go."
May you like
He gently squeezed my hand before walking directly toward Victor Vance and the circle of high-ranking officials, drawing every camera, guard, and eye in the room toward him with his sheer, overwhelming authority.
I slipped away into the shadows of the marble pillars, moving quietly toward the restricted security corridor that led down into the vaults.
