Blood and champagne

Chapter 2: 24hours

The gold-plated doors of the ballroom swung open.

Leo stood there, a ghost in a room of gods. He was a mess. The smell of burnt rubber, old gasoline, and dried blood clung to him like a second skin. As he walked across the white marble, a dark, muddy trail followed his boots. The stench was so strong that the wealthy guests choked on their champagne, backing away with looks of pure horror.

In the center of the room, the party was in full swing. The air was thick with something heavy and wrong. In the dark corners of the lounge, couples leaned against each other too closely, their hands wandering under silk and lace in the shadows. Julian stood at the center, his arm wrapped tight around Elena’s waist. His thumb traced the line of her hip in a way that made Leo’s stomach turn. They looked at him not with pity, but with a sick kind of amusement.

"Look at this," Julian shouted, his voice dripping with venom. "The trash has followed us inside."

Elena stepped forward. She looked perfect. Her skin glowed, and she smelled like expensive lilies—a sharp contrast to the smell of death on Leo. She looked at the blood on his forehead and laughed.

"You really went all out tonight, Leo," she said, her eyes scanning his wounds. "Ketchup? Really? You even found a way to make yourself smell like a junkyard. How long did you plan this act?"

"The money, Elena," Leo said. His voice was shaking. He was so frustrated he felt like he was going to explode. "I don't care about your insults. I don't care about him. My mother has twenty hours left. Give me the check. Now!"

"Check?" Julian stepped forward, his chest pressed against Elena’s back, his hands sliding over her shoulders as he stared Leo down. "Money is for people who have dignity. You’re just a dog. And what do dogs do when they want a treat?"

The crowd began to chant. "Beg! Beg! Beg!"

Leo’s face went red. He looked at the laughing faces, the people touching each other in the shadows, the mockery in Elena’s cold eyes. The frustration boiled over.

"I am Leonardo Salvanche!" he screamed, his voice cracking the music. "I will not be ridiculed by people like you! I am a man! My mother is dying!"

The room went silent for a second. Then, Julian burst into a loud, mocking laugh. "Leonardo Salvanche? Who is that? Sounds like a character from a cheap book. You’re Leo, the guy who washes Elena’s car."

"If you want the money," Elena said, stepping closer, her voice a cruel whisper. "Kneel. Beg me like the liar you are. Maybe then I’ll think about it."

Leo’s heart broke. He looked at the clock on the wall. Time was slipping away. He swallowed his pride—it felt like swallowing glass.

Thud.

Leo dropped to his knees in the middle of the filth he had brought in. The crowd gasped, then began to hiss and laugh.

"Please," Leo whispered, his head bowed. "Save her."

Elena looked down at him. For a moment, she looked disgusted. Then, she sneered. "I thought so. You’re so shameless. You’d do anything for a dollar, wouldn't you? Lying about your mother, kneeling in front of my friends... you’re pathetic. I won't give you a single cent. I won't let you use my hard-earned money for your scams."

Leo looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "You... you're really going to let her die?"

"Get out," she said. "We’re done. I want a divorce. I’m not staying tied to a beggar."

"Fine," Leo said, his voice turning deathly quiet. He stood up, his legs shaking with rage. "Divorce me. I don't want your money. I don't want your life. But give me the necklace. The one my mother gave you when we got married. It’s the only thing of hers I have left."

Elena touched the silver locket at her neck. She ripped it off and threw it at his feet, into the mud and blood. "Take it. It’s cheap metal anyway. It doesn't fit my lifestyle anymore. Don't come back, Leo. Not even to beg."

Leo arrived back at the hospital. He felt like a hollow shell. In the hallway, a young woman ran toward him. It was Mia, his twenty-year-old sister. Her eyes were red from crying.

"Leo! Where is the money? Is Mom going to be okay?"

Leo looked at his sister and felt a fresh wave of shame. "I tried, Mia. I tried everything. But she... she wouldn't help."

Mia hugged him, her small frame shaking. "It’s okay, big brother. I’ll go to my friends. I’ll sell my books. I’ll find a way. We won't let her go." She wiped her eyes and ran off, desperate to help.

Leo sat on the floor of the waiting room, clutching the silver necklace. It was covered in grime. He rubbed it with his thumb, crying silently.

Click.

He felt a small movement. The necklace wasn't just a locket. His thumb had pressed a hidden catch. The silver casing slid away, revealing a tiny, high-tech micro-chip and a series of numbers engraved in gold.

Leo stared at the numbers. His breath hitched.

These weren't just numbers. They were the access codes to the Salvanche Private Reserve—an account that had been frozen for decades.

He wasn't just Leonardo, the house-husband. He was the heir to a fortune that made Julian’s "millions" look like pocket change.

Leo looked at the ICU doors, then at the elevator where Elena had sent him away. The countdown on his phone showed 18 hours.

"I'm coming back for everything," he whispered.