CHAPTER 5

The cold air hit Cecilia and Everly as the remaining security men followed them through the grand hallway, their steps heavy, their face looks like someone that might throw up anytime soon, rough like they were tossing out trash instead of people.

However Cecilia's heart was racing, not from fear, but from a bitter flame rising inside her. The humiliation, the coldness from Lady Willow, the kick Everly had received, it was boiling her blood, and she couldn't just accept that.

When they reached the wide-open lobby where guests still moved about, Cecilia refused to stay quiet any longer.

She suddenly jerked her arm free from one of the guards and spun to face them, her voice sharp and loud.

"You people are thieves! Robbers in suits! Is this how the Giovanni family treats people?!"

Her voice carried through the lobby, catching the attention of a few passersby who stopped to watch. Immediately without wasting anymore time some raised their phones, eager to catch whatever scandal was unfolding.

The guards tried to hush her, but she stepped back and shouted louder.

"Only cowards hide behind uniforms! You think because you're in black suits you can drag people around like animals?!"

Her words stung, and it only made the men angrier.

Without wasting anymore two of them rushed forward, prepared to silence her forcefully when, from the side entrance, more security men appeared, their formation tight, their presence heavier. These weren't the same men, they wore sharp black jackets with a silver emblem pinned to their chests.

At that moment they raised their hands.

"What's going on here?" their leader barked.

Before the others could speak, the men escorting Cecilia pulled badges from their pockets and flashed them with pride.

"Step aside. We're Taskforce Giovanni," one of them said.

"We're under direct family orders to escort this woman and her child off the property."

At that moment The building's main security exchanged looks, hesitating for a moment. Taskforce Giovanni was no joke. They answered only to the Giovanni family.

They almost stepped back, almost when Cecilia suddenly reached into her purse and pulled something out.

Then she raised her hand high for them to see, her eyes burning with defiance.

It was a card. Black, smooth, and marked with a golden crest, the second the head of security laid eyes on it, his face dropped.

His men paused seeing the sudden change in their boss, then confusion started settling in their eyes.

Cecilia's voice was cold when she spoke next.

"You know this card, don't you?"

Her lips curled into a bitter smirk.

"I used it to enter this building. And unless you want to burn with the family, you better remember what it means."

One of the guards whispered, barely breathing,

"That's… the Special Entry Card."

The head of security nodded slowly, his face pale.

"There's only one of that card in the entire Giovanni system."

His voice dropped, heavy with realization.

"Mark Giovanni himself created it. The rule is simple… whoever holds that card whatever they command we obey. Or else…"

The guard didn't even finish the sentence, but everyone knew what "or else" meant.

It meant Mark Giovanni would burn the entire family to the ground.

The security men didn't hesitate. They moved swiftly, forming a tight wall between Cecilia and the taskforce. Their postures changed from formal to fierce, ready to act.

They knew what that card meant disobedience wasn't an option.

At that moment the taskforce men tried to explain, their voices rising in frustration.

"We have direct orders! Lady Willow instructed us!"

But their badges didn't matter anymore. The head of security, eyes sharp and unyielding, snapped back:

"I don't care if Lady Willow herself sent you. This card outranks all of you. If you touch her again, I'll personally bring you down and I'll make sure the Giovanni name watches you fall."

The taskforce men tried again to push forward, but the security team stood their ground, some even pulling out their phones and snapping photos of the taskforce's faces. Their images were captured from every angle—proof for whatever was coming next.

The tension was thick. People around the lobby murmured, their phones recording from a distance. The air was buzzing with scandal.

In the middle of it all, Cecilia cleared her throat softly, but her voice carried.

"I don't want trouble," she said. Her eyes never wavered, her tone even but commanding.

"I just want to be escorted out peacefully. Not through the regular entrance. I want to leave through a secret exit."

The head of security nodded immediately, no hesitation.

"Yes, ma'am," he said firmly.

He waved his hand, signaling a few men to take position.

"This way."

Without looking back at the taskforce, the security team flanked Cecilia and Everly, guiding them quietly through the deeper hallways of the hotel. They avoided the lobby, avoided the crowd, passing through hidden corridors only staff used.

Minutes later, they reached a discreet side door that led to the rear parking lot. The cool evening air brushed against their faces as they stepped outside.

Cecilia didn't waste time. She pulled out her phone and quickly booked a taxi. It didn't take long before a small car pulled up, its engine humming softly in the quiet space.

She helped Everly into the backseat and slipped in beside her.

The driver asked for the destination, but before Cecilia answered, Everly turned her head with sleepy, curious eyes.

"Mom… where are we going?" she asked softly.

At that moment Cecilia looked out the window for a moment, her eyes heavy with thoughts, then turned back to her daughter with a small, knowing smile.

"We're going somewhere your father will find us."

**

Lady Willow sat in the family lounge, her leg crossed, her fingers tapping impatiently on the armrest of her chair. Her phone sat on the small table beside her, the screen lighting up every now and then with messages and updates, but not the one she was waiting for.

She had given the order.

Her trusted hitman should've called by now. She had paid for it, paid well, in fact. The same price as before which was expensive. She didn't want Cecilia breathing the same air as them, not again.

That rat almost ruined her family the first time.

She wasn't about to let history repeat itself, not when Mark was on top, not when everything was finally stable.

But just as the anxiousness was starting to gnaw deeper into her chest, her phone rang.

Without wasting anymore time she snapped it up quickly, expecting to hear her hitman's cold, assured voice.

But when she looked at the screen, her brow tightened.

It was Mark.

She swallowed and answered.

"Mother, I need to see you," Mark's voice came through sharp and hard. "Come to my suite. Now."

The line went dead before she could reply.

Lady Willow's face darkened. A sharp edge flickered in her eyes, and she stood up quickly. She signaled to two family elders nearby.

"Come with me," she ordered, already moving ahead.

Minutes later, they arrived at the presidential suite. The hallway was quiet, but the tension in the air was heavy.

Lady Willow knocked lightly, but the door swung open before she could finish the second knock. Mark stood by the door, his sharp, cold eyes locked on them.

"You two, leave," Mark snapped, not even hiding his irritation. "I want to speak with my mother. Alone."

The elders exchanged uneasy looks but obeyed without question, leaving the room quietly.

Lady Willow stepped in, her chin slightly raised, trying to keep her usual composure, but inside, she was already preparing for whatever Mark had learned.

Mark slammed the damage door shut behind them.

He turned to face her, his eyes like storm clouds.

"Where did Cecilia go?" he asked, his voice heavy with anger. "You threw her out, didn't you?"

Hearing her son wold Lady Willow's expression didn't change, but her mind raced. She smiled faintly, shaking her head.

"I didn't throw her out," she replied smoothly.

"I only went there to ask her a few questions. I was concerned—wanted to be sure she wasn't here causing a mess. If she was in any trouble, I wanted to settle it before the event was interrupted. But before I could even finish, you had already dismissed everyone."

She took a breath and waved her hand dismissively.

"Have you seen what's online?" she asked, her tone trying to shift the focus.

"There's a storm already. People are talking, they're talking about Cecilia. Thank God the cameras didn't catch her face. If they did, your reputation would be crawling through the mud right now."

She watched Mark carefully, waiting to see if he'd soften, but his gaze didn't change.

He adjusted his tie slowly, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I'll ask again," he said, his voice deep, heavy.

"Did you kick her out?"

Lady Willow smiled thinly, shaking her head again.

"No, Mark," she said with the same controlled face.

"I didn't do such a thing."

At that moment, Mark's eyes stayed heavy on his mother. His face remained cold, unreadable.

Then, with a stiff nod, he said, "I need space, Mother. Leave."

Lady Willow's brows pinched slightly. She didn't like being dismissed so easily, not by anyone, not even by Mark. But before she moved, she asked, her voice laced with curiosity and suspicion.

"What about the business meeting? The one you rushed off to? How come you're back so soon?"

She tried to sound casual, but her eyes searched his face for answers.

At that moment Mark adjusted his cuffs, his gaze unchanging.

His reply came flat, heavy, like a rock being thrown in still water.

"I cancelled it."

Immediately Lady Willow blinked, confused. "Cancelled?"

She frowned deeper. "Cancelled what? That was a multi-billion dollar table."

Mark's eyes turned darker, sharper.

"I cancelled the entire thing."

His voice was like steel, slicing any further questions before they could leave her mouth.

Lady Willow stood stunned, frozen in place as if her mind couldn't process what she just heard. She opened her mouth to protest, to argue, but before she could release a single word.

Then Mark turned away.

Without waiting for her to speak, he walked off, his steps sharp, his figure disappearing into his inner chamber, leaving his mother standing in the suite, insulted by the silence he left behind.

Lady Willow's face twisted in frustration.

Her hands balled into fists, her nails digging into her palm as she fought the urge to scream. She turned on her heel, her emerald dress swaying angrily with her as she stormed toward the door.

But just before she could reach the handle, her phone rang in her purse.

She yanked it out, glanced at the screen, and answered sharply.

"What?!"

It was the hitman.

His voice was careful but firm.

"We didn't get her. She didn't use the main exit as expected. She took another way out. By the time we figured it out, she was gone."

Lady Willow's face went dark, her lips tightening.

"Shit!" she cursed under her breath, her voice sharp with anger.

She stepped closer to the wall, her hand pressed to her forehead for a brief second before she snapped back to the phone.

"Listen to me, and listen well," she ordered, her voice now dangerously low.

"I don't care how long it takes. I don't care what you have to do. Search the entire city. Turn every street, every corner upside down if you must, but don't come back until you find her."

Her voice dropped to a chilling whisper.

"I want Cecilia and that little brat found… and I want them dead."