The winter tear: Falling for the billionaire's deception

The orchestra at the far end of the ballroom, champagne glasses clicking, the rich sound of laughter—everything seemed to be going fine, just as Damiano had planned it. He took a look at his immediate surroundings. Literally everyone was at his beck and call, from celebrities to athletes, to business moguls—dammit, even royal families were all present at the Romano DiGiovanni annual gala. It was there that the world got to know about all the new pieces in their collection. This time, it was being held on the thirty-first of December. Damiano took a look at the stage and then he only realized that the orchestra was done with their performance. He moved boldly through the well-lit ballroom as he made his way towards the stage. He was immediately the center of attention of all the guests present. He took his place on the stage and his aura filled up the place; it felt like he belonged there. "Signore e signori, benvenuti al galà annuale di ROMANO DIGIOVANNI," Damiano said into the microphone. (Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all to the annual Romano DiGiovanni gala). "Questa notte è speciale, perché è il nostro cinquantesimo anniversario," Damiano said. (Tonight is a very special one because it is our fiftieth anniversary). He paused as the crowd began to cheer thunderously. Damiano could actually speak perfect English, but speaking Italian had become a ritual at their galas. Tonight’s gala was one of the most special yet. Aside from the announcement of the new pieces, there was also an archival show that was said to happen. All of the earliest DiGiovanni pieces were said to be displayed. Pieces that hadn’t been showcased in the last thirty years were now being brought back to the public light. Many pieces were anticipated, but none as much as "La Lacrima d'Inverno", the ice-white necklace encrusted with over a three-hundred-carat diamond. It was getting to the time everybody had been waiting for. Damiano gestured to the men in black tuxedos and shades at the far end of the stage. At the push of a button, the stage opened and a glass platform with a red velvet box levitated from the ground. Damiano stepped forward to open the box. The spotlight shone directly on the gem that buried decades' worth of secrets deep within it. A thunderous uproar erupted from the crowd, just as Damiano had anticipated. He knew this reveal was a risk worth taking. The second the box was open, cameras began to flash nonstop—a good thing Damiano had considered all of this two days ago. The rare gem had been said to have been put permanently in the museum for confidential reasons, even though countless buyers had been willing to drop hundreds of millions on this one-of-a-kind piece of art. Then arose the question: why? So-called internet jewelry specialists had created countless conspiracy theories, but none of them were quite right, to say the least. They were all very far from the truth.