The grand banquet hall was filled with soft music and warm light from sparkling chandeliers.
Billionaire Marco Moretti stood near the front stage, greeting every guest who walked through the heavy wooden doors.
He smiled warmly at his oldest friends who came to celebrate his son’s seventh birthday party.
His young son Leo walked slowly across the polished marble floor while holding a small two-tiered white cake.
Leo looked proud as he carried the dessert toward the main dining table in the center of the room.
Suddenly, a little girl named Lily ran straight across the room in her bright yellow dress.
She sprinted with all her strength and reached out her small hands toward the white cake.
With a quick motion, Lily hit the plate and knocked the entire cake out of Leo’s hands.
The dessert crashed loudly onto the floor, splattering frosting and sponge cake across the gleaming white marble tiles.
Every conversation in the massive room stopped instantly as people turned to see what happened.
Leo stared down at the ruined birthday cake and began to cry quietly from shock.
The family maid rushed forward immediately to pull Lily away from the mess on the floor.
Marco stepped over with a firm expression, his eyes fixed entirely on the trembling young girl.
Maid: Mr. Moretti, please forgive her!
Lily: I could not let him eat it!
Marco crouched down to eye level with Lily while the crowd gathered in a tight circle around them.
Marco: Lily... why did you do that?
Tears rolled down Lily’s cheeks as she raised her hand to point toward the back hallway.
Lily: The man in the cold room... he put white powder in the cake!
A sudden hush fell over the entire banquet room as Marco frowned in utter confusion.
He looked at his house manager and motioned for him to call the security team right away.
A forensic specialist who was attending the party as a guest stepped out from the main crowd.
He put on thin latex gloves and knelt beside the ruined cake sitting on the floor.
The specialist scraped a tiny bit of white powder off the top layer onto his gloved finger.
He examined the substance carefully under the bright overhead lights with a serious face.
Specialist: It is concentrated poison!
Gasps echoed across the room as Marco lifted his son into his arms to keep him safe.
He realized that someone inside his house had just tried to harm his only heir.