Chapter 3 - The Boardroom and The Mailroom
By Thursday, the initial shockwave of the gala had settled into a hard, unforgiving reality. My belongings had been seamlessly transported to Nico’s penthouse and arranged in a massive walk-in closet that was larger than my entire old apartment. My bank accounts, previously tied to Liam’s firm, had been severed, and Nico had established a private trust in my name—something I fought him on fiercely until he calmly explained that a Rossi partner never relies on a checking account.
I needed to see it for myself. I needed to see that the monster who had broken my heart was truly defeated.
"I want to go to the office," I told Nico over breakfast.
He paused, lowering his espresso cup. His dark eyes evaluated me. "The Rossi Tower is a shark tank today, Luna. The press is camped outside."
"I didn't wear a white dress into a ballroom full of your enemies to hide in a penthouse three days later," I challenged him.
A dangerous, proud smile touched his lips. "Very well. Dress accordingly."
An hour later, we stepped out of the black SUV in front of the towering glass monolith of Rossi Enterprises. The flashbulbs erupted instantly. Reporters shouted our names, demanding statements. Nico didn't rush. He placed a heavy, protective arm around my waist, keeping me perfectly anchored to his side as his security detail parted the sea of journalists. I wore a tailored crimson power suit—a visual statement that I was no longer the soft, predictable girl Liam had discarded.
We rode the private elevator up to the executive floors. The atmosphere was incredibly tense. Executives and assistants stopped and stared as we passed, whispering furiously. I was the woman who had brought down the heir apparent.
"I have a strategy meeting in ten minutes," Nico said, stopping outside a massive glass boardroom. "You have free rein of the building. My security chief, Marcus, will accompany you wherever you wish to go."
"I want to see the sub-basement," I said quietly.
Nico’s eyes darkened with understanding. "Do not let him make you feel pity, Luna. He earned his cage."
Marcus, a stoic giant of a man, escorted me to the service elevators. We descended fifty floors beneath the glittering skyline into the sterile, fluorescent-lit mailroom. It was loud, chaotic, and smelled of cardboard and industrial cleaner.
At a sorting table in the corner stood Liam.
He was wearing a cheap pair of slacks and a wrinkled button-down shirt. His dark hair was messy, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He was arguing with a supervisor who was half his age.
"I am a Vice President!" Liam yelled, throwing a stack of envelopes onto the floor. "I am Nico Rossi's son! You can't speak to me this way!"
"You're a level-one clerk," the supervisor shot back, unimpressed. "Pick up the mail, Harrington, or I'm writing you up."
"Liam."
My voice cut through the noise of the machinery. Liam spun around. When he saw me, standing there in a pristine designer suit, flanked by his father's head of security, all the color drained from his face.
"Luna..." he choked out, taking a step forward. Marcus instantly placed a massive hand on Liam's chest, shoving him back.
"I just wanted to see if Amber's exciting lifestyle was treating you well down here," I said, my voice ice-cold.
Liam looked pathetic. "Luna, please. He cut off my trust. Amber left me yesterday when she realized I didn't have the black card anymore. She packed her things and blocked my number. I have nothing. Please, talk to my dad. Tell him you forgive me."
The last lingering shred of pain I had for this man vanished, replaced by sheer disgust. My sister had abandoned him the second the money ran out, proving exactly what they both were.
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"I don't forgive you, Liam," I said clearly, letting every syllable ring through the noisy room. "And I don't speak for your father. I speak for myself. You thought humiliating me was the end of my story. You were wrong. It was just the prologue."
I turned on my heel and walked back to the elevator, leaving Liam shouting my name into the fluorescent void. The chapter with Liam was permanently closed. Now, I only had to deal with the sister who had tried to steal my life.
