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Chapter 9
I walked into De Luca Enterprises like I owned the place. The familiar scent of polished wood and expensive cologne filled the air, bringing back memories I had long buried. But I wasn’t here as Valeria De Luca.
I was Victoria Moretti now.
My heels clicked against the marble floor as I approached the front desk. The receptionist barely glanced at me, too busy scrolling through her phone.
“I’m here to apply for the secretary position,” I said smoothly, sliding my forged resume across the counter.
She barely looked up. “Do you have an appointment?”
I leaned forward, lowering my voice just enough to sound intriguing. “No, but Mr. De Luca will be glad having me. Tell Mr. De Luca his new secretary is waiting.”
That made her snap to attention. Her eyes flickered with something between curiosity and concern. “I–uh, let me check with his assistant.”
As she fumbled with the phone, I turned slightly, scanning the luxurious office. Everything was the same. The grand chandeliers. The glass walls overlooking the city. And the man sitting in the largest office at the top floor- Lorenzo.
A man who was about to fall into my trap.
***
Fifteen minutes later, I was led into his office.
Lorenzo sat behind a massive desk, fingers steepled under his chin, eyes dark with boredom. “Name?”
I smiled. “Victoria Moretti.”
His gaze lifted. Recognition flickered–but he dismissed it too quickly.
“Experience?”
“I’ve handled powerful men before,” I said smoothly, crossing my legs. “I know how to keep things running efficiently.”
His lips twitched, almost as if he wanted to smirk.
“Why do you want to work here?”
Because I want to destroy you. Because I want to make you beg for a
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woman who no longer exists.
Instead, I tilted my head, pretending to think. “Because I admire men like you, Mr. De Luca. Ruthless. Brilliant. Unstoppable.”
Something shifted in his expression. He had heard those words before. From me. From Valeria.
His jaw clenched. “You’re hired.”
Working under Lorenzo was effortless.
I anticipated his every move, scheduled meetings before he even asked, handled negotiations with the same sharp tongue he once admired in Valeria. I was everywhere–efficient, composed, impossible to ignore.
And I knew it was driving him insane.
One evening, after most employees had left, I entered his office with a stack of reports.
“You should eat,” I murmured, placing a plate of food beside him.
He looked up, startled. “I didn’t ask for this.”
“You don’t have to.”
A muscle in his jaw ticked. He stared at the plate, then at me. His eyes trailed over my form, lingering too long.
“You remind me of someone.” His voice was low, almost… troubled.
I feigned innocence. “Oh? Should I be flattered?”
He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. “It doesn’t matter.”
I leaned in, deliberately close. “You should eat, boss.” And then I left, letting my scent linger.
The following week, he called me into his office.
I stepped inside, locking the door behind me. “You wanted to see me?”
Lorenzo was standing by the window, a whiskey glass in his hand. “Sit.” I obeyed, watching him. He looked… restless. Haunted.
“Where are you from, Victoria?”
I tilted my head. “Does it matter?”
“I like knowing the backgrounds of the people working for me.”
Liar. He was trying to place me.
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I smiled. “I’ve been everywhere. A little bit of Italy, a little bit of Spain… but I call no place home.”
His grip tightened around the glass. “You sound like her.”
I raised a brow. “Like who?”
He exhaled sharply, turning toward me. “Forget it.”
I let silence stretch before I stood and walked toward him. He didn’t move as I placed a hand on his desk, leaning just close enough for him to catch my scent.
“Do I make you uncomfortable, boss?”
He tensed. “No.”
Liar.
I let out a soft chuckle. “Good. Because I intend to be here for a long time.”
His eyes darkened. “Is that so?”
I smirked. “Absolutely.”
And then I left him with his thoughts.
***
While I was driving Lorenzo to madness, Isabella was losing hers.
She saw the way Lorenzo’s gaze followed me. How he dismissed her calls, how he grew distant.
One evening, she barged into his office. “Lorenzo, we need to talk.”
He barely looked up. “Later.”
“No, now,” she snapped, slamming a pregnancy test on his desk.
Lorenzo’s eyes finally lifted, widening at the sight. “What is this?”
“I’m pregnant.”
Silence.
Then Lorenzo leaned back, rubbing his temples. “How do I know this is real?”
Isabella gasped, tears welling up instantly. “You think I would lie to you?” He didn’t answer.
Her hands balled into fists. “Ever since that secretary arrived, you’ve been different.” She sniffled, voice trembling. “I see the way you look at her. Like you’re searching for someone in her.”
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Lorenzo remained cold, unmoving.
She stepped closer, lowering her voice. “Do you still love her?”
Lorenzo’s jaw clenched. “Valeria is dead.”
A tear slipped down Isabella’s cheek. “Then prove it.”
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Lorenzo exhaled sharply, his fingers pressing into his temples. “I need
time.”
She smiled through her tears. “Of course, amore mio.”
And just like that, she tightened the chains around his neck.
***
I watched from the shadows as Isabella clung to Lorenzo that night at an elite event.
Pathetic.
She thought a fake pregnancy would keep him, but she didn’t realize…
She was already losing him to a ghost.
Ronan’s voice crackled through my earpiece. “Step one is complete. What’s next, Queen?”
I sipped my champagne, smirking. “We make him need me more.”
Ronan chuckled. “You really want him obsessed with you?”
I let my gaze flicker to Lorenzo, watching as his eyes briefly–almost desperately–searched the room. Looking for someone he couldn’t name.
“I don’t just want him obsessed, Ronan.” I let my lips curve into a wicked smile. “I want him ruined.”
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