Chapter 4
Phillip's laugh cut through the tense silence, sharp and dismissive. He threw his head back, eyes gleaming with malicious amusement as he addressed the growing crowd.
"This is ridiculous," he announced, his politician's voice carrying effortlessly across the marble floor. "Everyone, I apologize for this... disturbance." He gestured toward Walker as if he were some common nuisance. "My old friend Violet here seems to have hired herself some entertainment."
Brittany stepped forward, her designer heels clicking aggressively against the floor. Her lips curved into a smile that dripped with contempt.
"Is this your new strategy, Violet?" she asked, her voice sweet with venom. "Hiring actors to make yourself look important?" She looked Walker up and down, her expression dismissive. "Though I must say, you could have found someone more convincing. This one looks like he should be working security at a nightclub."
The crowd murmured, some faces showing confusion, others amusement at what they assumed was some elaborate performance.
"Mrs. Snyder?" Phillip repeated, emphasizing the title with mockery. "Please. Who exactly did you marry, Violet? Some janitor with the same last name?" He laughed again, the sound echoing off the high ceilings. "Did you think that would impress anyone?"
I remained perfectly still, my expression neutral despite the burning in my wrist where his fingers had dug into my skin. The Luna's necklace felt heavy against my throat, a reminder of who I truly was—who I had become.
"I'm waiting for an answer," Phillip continued, his voice hardening. "What game are you playing here?"
Brittany's eyes narrowed as she studied my face. "She's always been pathetic," she said to the crowd, her voice carrying. "Even back in D.C., she was nothing but a stepping stone. Phillip was smart enough to recognize that."
Walker's grip on Phillip's wrist tightened almost imperceptibly. I could see the tension in his massive frame, the restraint it took not to simply snap Phillip's arm like a twig.
"Remove your hand," Phillip hissed, suddenly aware of the pain. "Do you have any idea who I am?"
"Perfectly aware, Senator," Walker replied, his voice flat and emotionless.
Phillip's face flushed with rage. He yanked his arm free and straightened his jacket, addressing the crowd with practiced authority.
"I am Senator Meyer's chief aide," he announced, his voice taking on the formal cadence of a politician giving a speech. "And I demand this... thug be removed from the premises immediately."
He turned to the venue's security staff, who had gathered at the periphery of the crowd. "Call your superiors. Have this man arrested for assaulting a government official."
The security team exchanged uncertain glances. I could see recognition in their eyes—they knew who Walker was, even if Phillip didn't.
"I said now!" Phillip shouted, his composure cracking further. "Remove this woman and her thug from the premises!"
The temperature in the room seemed to drop suddenly. A hush fell over the crowd as all eyes turned toward the grand staircase at the far end of the hall.
The heavy double doors at the top of the stairs swung open silently, as if pushed by an invisible force. A figure appeared in the doorway—tall, imposing, radiating power with every inch of his being.
Leonardo.
He didn't shout. He didn't announce himself. He simply walked down the stairs, each step deliberate and measured. The crowd parted instinctively before him, people stepping back without conscious thought, their bodies responding to a primal instinct they couldn't name.
I felt the mate bond between us pulse with his approach—his anger, his protectiveness, his absolute certainty flowing through our connection like liquid fire.
Phillip's words died in his throat as Leonardo reached the bottom of the stairs. His eyes—dark as midnight with flecks of amber that seemed to glow in the dim light—locked onto Phillip with laser focus.
More specifically, they locked onto Phillip's hand, which was still raised from where he had grabbed my wrist.
"Phillip," I said softly, my voice barely audible in the silence. "I'd like you to meet my husband."
Leonardo's expression didn't change. He didn't smile, didn't frown—he simply existed in that moment, and his existence was enough to command the room.
The air around us seemed to vibrate with tension as he took the final steps toward us, his eyes never leaving Phillip's face.
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