Chapter 19
AbrAM
Iclench my jaw so tightly that pain shoots down my neck. Every muscle is rigid, fighting the instinctive urge to physically throw Daria from my office. Instead, I walk silently to the wet bar, grab a fresh cloth and the bottle of club soda.
“Here.” I thrust them toward her abruptly. “Clean yourself up.”
She snatches the towel from my hand. Without another word, she douses the cloth then slams the bottle hard onto my desk. She scrubs violently at the tiny coffee stain, each aggressive stroke turning the quarter-sized spot into a blotchy mess three times larger.
“You’re making it worse,” I say coldly.
Her eyes flash with contempt. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you? Watching me ruin something else?”
“I don’t have time for your theatrics, Daria,” I snap. “Get to the fucking point. Why are you here?”
Her gaze narrows, mouth curving into an ugly smile. “What’s wrong, Abram? Worried your precious secretary might overhear us?”
The venom in her voice makes my blood boil. “She’s none of your goddamn business.”
“Oh, please.” She rolls her eyes dramatically. “Do you really think I don’t believe you’re sleeping with her?” She scoffs, tossing her hair over her shoulder with practiced indifference. “Are you getting desperate? I mean, big girls aren’t exactly your style.”
My temper snaps, words spilling out before I can stop them. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Jenna’s more woman than you could ever hope to be.”
Fuck.
The second I see the triumphant gleam in Daria’s eyes, I realize my mistake. She tricked me, baited me into defending Jenna, admitting something that was none of her business.
“Oh, Abram,” she purrs, voice silky with satisfaction. “Always so predictable. Always playing protector. You’ve made yourself an easy target.”
“I won’t discuss Jenna with you,” I say, my voice ice-cold. “Not another word.”
She shrugs, glancing down as she continues to ruin her blouse. “Fine. But it’s sweet, really, how much you care. A man like you could have anyone, but I suppose you’ve grown desperate since our divorce.”
I refuse to rise to the jab, remaining silent though anger simmers just beneath my skin, barely contained.
“I came here,” she continues, voice turning serious, “because I wanted to tell you myself. I didn’t want you to hear it from someone else.”
“Tell me what? We have nothing left to say to each other.”
She tosses the cloth onto the bar, turning fully to face me. Her lips curve into a cruel smile. “I’m seeing Nico Agosti.”
Every nerve in my body goes on high alert, tension radiating throughout my chest. Nico fucking Agosti—my most persistent rival. The son of the don who’s determined to reclaim territory his family lost decades ago.
“Agosti,” I say, my voice carefully neutral. “Interesting choice. You really think he gives a shit about you?”
Her eyes flash. “He’s a perfect gentleman, and he knows exactly how to treat a woman.”
I chuckle humorlessly. “Daria, please. You really haven’t considered that maybe, just maybe, Nico’s using you to get to me?”
Her expression hardens, fury radiating off of her in waves. “God, you are unbelievable. It’s always about you, isn’t it? Nico didn’t even know my last name when we met.”
I laugh outright. “You honestly believe that? The man’s been trying to infiltrate my territory for years. He knows exactly who you are.”
She visibly flinches, masking her doubt with anger. “You’re pathetic, Abram. Jealousy doesn’t suit you.”
I lean forward, my gaze hardening. “I don’t give a damn who you fuck. But if you think Agosti isn’t playing you, you’re a fool. Just keep my name out of your mouth.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” she spits, her voice rising. “You lost that right when you walked out!”
My temper flares. “You’re the one who walked out, Daria. The only regret I have is saying ‘I do’ to a snake like you in the first place.”
She lunges forward, one manicured finger pointing accusingly. “You loved me. You’d have given anything to keep me!”
“I was blind,” I growl, standing straight, towering over her. “But thankfully, I got my sight back. Now get out of my office before I throw you out.”
She scoffs, folding her arms defiantly. “Make me.”
I snatch up the phone on my desk, stabbing the numbers to the security line. “Send two men up to my office immediately. I need them to escort Ms. Vasilieva off the property.”
She screams, her voice shrill enough to shatter glass. “I don’t go by that fucking name anymore!”
“Then change it legally,” I reply, calmly replacing the receiver. “I don’t want to be associated with you.”
She stares at me, chest heaving, eyes filled with pure venom. She hurls her coffee mug at me with impressive force, aiming for my head. I see it coming just in time and catch it reflexively, coffee sloshing out and soaking into my shirt sleeve. It burns a bit, but I ignore the pain.
“You fucking—” My teeth grind together so hard my jaw throbs, vision narrowing to a pinpoint.
Before I can take another step toward her, the door swings open. Jenna stands there with two broad-shouldered security guards behind her. Her eyes dart from my soaked sleeve to Daria’s defiant stance.
Daria instantly straightens and smooths her hair, her stature switching back to calm, polished, and infuriatingly poised. “No need for dramatics, boys. I’m leaving.”
She moves toward the door with exaggerated grace, pausing just long enough to lean close to Jenna, eyes filled with cruelty. Her voice is low but loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Enjoy being his chubby little whore while it lasts.”
Jenna pales, shock flickering across her face, quickly replaced by fury. My fists clench so tightly my knuckles crack audibly.
“Get the fuck out, Daria,” I snarl.
She smirks, sweeping from the room without another word, security following closely. Jenna steps aside stiffly, avoiding my eyes.
The elevator doors click shut, silence slamming down like a hammer.
I stand there, heart pounding, ears ringing.
Jenna’s still in the doorway, arms wrapped tightly around herself, her expression unreadable.
My stomach twists, guilt pooling low and hot.
I hate that she had to hear any of that, especially Daria’s venomous words.
I can handle Daria’s cruelty. But Jenna shouldn’t have to.
“Jenna—” I start softly, taking a step forward.
She lifts her chin, eyes bright with unshed tears. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not.” I move closer, gently gripping her shoulders. “She had no right to say that.”
She shakes her head, stepping out of my grasp, her gaze dropping to the floor. “It’s nothing I haven’t heard before.”
“Not from me,” I say firmly. “You’re stunning and she knows it. She’s lashing out because she’s jealous.”
Jenna’s expression softens slightly, though pain still flickers behind her eyes. “I don’t want your pity, Abram.”
“It’s not pity. It’s honesty.”
She hesitantly meets my gaze, searching. “You didn’t tell me you had an ex-wife.”
“Because she doesn’t matter,” I state firmly. “Not anymore.”
“Clearly, she thinks she does,” Jenna replies. “Or she wouldn’t have come here.”
I sigh heavily, running a hand over my face. “She’s poison. I made a mistake marrying her. She’s manipulative, selfish, and thrives on drama.”
“Then why did you?” Jenna asks softly. “Marry her, I mean.”
It’s a fair question, one I’ve asked myself a thousand times. “Because at one point, I believed she was someone else. I fell for an illusion.”
She nods slowly, absorbing my words. Her guard seems to lower slightly, vulnerability softening the set of her shoulders. “She mentioned Nico Agosti. Should I be worried?”
My jaw tightens again. “Yes. Not about Daria but about Agosti. He’s dangerous. He’ll use anyone to get to me, even her.”
She swallows hard, a shadow of fear crossing her features. “What does all of that mean?”
“It means,” I say, reaching out to gently touch her cheek, “you need to be careful. Stay close, do exactly as I say, and trust me.”
She searches my eyes, then nods. “I trust you.”
The relief that floods me is intense and unexpected. “Good. Because I won’t let him or Daria hurt you.”
She gives me a faint smile. “If you didn’t scare the hell out of me, I’d say you’re trying to be romantic.”
I chuckle softly. “Maybe I am. In my own fucked-up way.”
She lets out a small laugh, genuine this time. The sound makes something inside me loosen just a bit.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with Daria’s shit,” I tell her sincerely. “I promise it won’t happen again.”
She nods, looking down briefly before meeting my eyes again. “Thank you.”
We stand there for a long, quiet moment. I sigh, glancing down at my coffee-soaked sleeve. “Guess I need a new shirt,” I mutter.
Jenna smiles softly, amusement returning to her eyes. “I might know where to find one.”
I smile back, feeling the warmth return. “Good. I’ll need it before the next meeting.”
She turns toward the door then pauses, looking back at me. “Abram?”
“Yes?”
“She doesn’t get to me. Not really.”
I nod slowly, relieved. “Good.”
“I mean it.” Her voice steadies, quiet strength shining through. “What she thinks doesn’t matter.”
“Damn right,” I agree.
She smiles again before turning and walking out the door, leaving me alone.
I drop heavily into my chair, exhaling deeply. My hands still shake slightly with adrenaline, rage still simmering beneath my skin. Daria’s reappearance is trouble enough. But now she’s aligned with Nico Agosti?
That’s a dangerous game, even for her.
The question is, what is Agosti’s endgame? And how far is he willing to go to get it?
More importantly, how do I keep Jenna from being caught in the crossfire?
My mind flickers back to Daria’s venomous parting shot. She has no idea who Jenna is. No idea of the strength, the fire beneath Jenna’s calm exterior.
Daria underestimates her. And that might just be to our advantage.
I lean back and stare at the ceiling, formulating plans and contingencies. One thing is clear—Agosti is making his move.
The rules have changed, and I have to be ready.