Chapter 6
-LOTHARIO’S POV-
I sat behind my massive desk, fingers drumming against the polished wood as I stared at the report in front of me. A new CEO had taken over one of Anderson Corporation’s biggest subsidiaries, and in just a few weeks, they were already making moves that directly threatened my business.
My jaw clenched. Whoever this new CEO was, they weren’t wasting any time. They were aggressive, ruthless- dangerous. And the worst part? I couldn’t find a single detail about them. No press releases, no public appearances, nothing. It was as if they had appeared out of thin air 2.
“Who the hell is this Cressida Lancaster?” I muttered, my voice laced with irritation.!!
From the plush couch across my office, Alessia let out an exaggerated sigh, sipping on her expensive wine like she was born for this life. “Why are you so obsessed with some nobody?” she drawled, rolling her eyes. “It’s probably just another rich brat trying to prove themselves. Nothing to worry about.”
I didn’t respond, still fixated on the numbers in the report. Whoever this woman was, she was bleeding my company dry in the stock market, and if I didn’t act fast, she’d be a bigger problem than I anticipated.
Alessia, bored with my silence, got up and walked over to me, draping her arms around my shoulders. “You should be focusing on me, not some corporate war,” she purred, running her fingers through my hair. “After all, you’re the one who begged me to come back
I exhaled sharply but didn’t push her away. I had fought too hard to get her back, to erase the humiliation of being abandoned when I was nothing. Now that I had her again, I refused to let her slip away
“I didn’t beg.” I corrected coldly, flipping the page of the report.
She laughed, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Oh, darling, if that’s what helps you sleep at night.”
Her eyes flickered to my desk, where an invitation to an upcoming business gala sat untouched. She picked it up, smirking. “Ah, perfect. We should go. You need to remind people who you are, and I need to make sure they know I’m the future Mrs. De Luca.”
I gave her a sideways glance. “You just want to parade around as Alexander Anderson’s daughter.”
“And why shouldn’t I?” she said, tilting her head with a sickeningly sweet smile. “You and I both know your business wouldn’t be where it is today without my connections.”
I stiffened. I hated that she was right.
When she left me years ago, I had been nothing. Just a struggling entrepreneur barely making ends meet, working myself to the bone while she pursued her modeling career. And then there had been her–Pearl.
The woman who had built me up, who had sacrificed for me, who had stayed when Alessia hadn’t.
But in the end, none of that mattered. Pearl was replaceable. Alessia was legacy.I
With her by my side, I had secured power, wealth, status. And Hf that meant letting her dig her claws into my company, so be it.
She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “You trust me, don’t you, amore mio?”
I inhaled deeply, my mind battling between logic and pride. Finally, I reached for the gala invitation and tossed it onto my desk.
“We’ll go,” I said firmly. “But don’t push your luck, Alessia.”
She simply smiled, knowing full well she had already won.
Then I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temple as I tried to focus on the reports in front of me. But no matter how hard I tried, a pair of tear–filled eyes kept haunting my mind.
Pearl.X
I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. I shouldn’t be thinking about her. I wouldn’t think about her. The woman had the audacity to crash my engagement party, making a scene in front of the most powerful business elites. If I hadn’t paid the media to shut their mouths and silenced a few reporters with hefty checks, my entire reputation would have been at risk.
That night, I had been furious. Pearl had almost ruined everything. I was ready to go straight to her apartment and teach her a lesson, to remind her who I was and that she should have accepted her place. But then, Alessia had pulled me into bed, whispering sweet praises in my ear, telling me how proud she was of me, how I had made the right choice.
And God, that night, I lost myself in her
Once, twice–no, five times–until exhaustion finally took over. By the time I woke up, the anger had dulled into a cold resolve. I would deal with Pearl, put her back in her place, and make sure she understood what respect meant
But when I arrived at her apartment, expecting to find her sulking inside, I was met with something that made my stomach drop.
11:42 AM A
She was gone.
Her things–my things–had been thrown into the bin outside, still smoldering from the fire that had devoured them. The apartment was empty, every trace of her wiped clean, as if she had never existed in my life.
I stood in the doorway, fists clenched at my sides. My jaw tightened, my breath slow and controlled, but inside, something sharp and unfamiliar twisted in my chest.
She really left.
Not just a temporary escape. Not a dramatic act of rebellion.
She was gone.
And for the first time since I threw her away, an uncomfortable ache settled deep inside me.
Then, as if the universe had a twisted sense of humor, my phone buzzed with a new email
I glanced at the sender. Anderson Corporation.
My stomach tightened as I opened the message.
It was an invitation.S
To a private business gala.
Hosted by Cressida Lancaster. Just like the invitation on my table.
I froze. The name taunted me. The woman who had been silently destroying my company from the shadows… my jaw glenched.
11:33 AM w
