Elodie’s POV
I bit down on my lip hard enough to taste copper and forced myself to look away.
Away from Dante’s cold stare. Away from Levi’s raised eyebrows and that knowing smirk.
I gently pushed against Johnny’s arm, and he let go imdiately, still oblivious to what was happening above us.
“Did you twist your ankle?” he asked, concern written all over his face.
“No,” I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. Let’s just... let’s go.”
I didn’t look back. Didn’t glance up to see if Dante was still watching. I just kept moving, one foot in front of the other, climbing those stairs with Johnny beside .
My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might break through my ribs.
We passed right by them, Dante and Levi, close enough that I could sll Dante’s cologne, that familiar scent that used to make feel safe and now just made feel sick.
I kept my eyes forward. Kept walking.
Like they weren’t there.
Like seeing my husband for the first ti since I’d left his company didn’t make want to collapse right there on the stairs.
Johnny was saying sothing, asking about what I wanted to eat, maybe but I couldn’t hear him over the rushing in my ears.
We made it to the second floor and the hostess led us to a private room.
The door closed behind us, and I finally let myself breathe.
“You okay?” Johnny asked, pulling out my chair. “You look pale.”
“I’m fine,” I lied. Again. “Just tired. Long day.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push. Just sat down across from and started looking at the nu.
——————
Dante’s POV
“That was your wife, right?” Levi asked, staring after Elodie as she disappeared up the stairs with Johnny Gray.
I didn’t bother answering.
“She just walked past us like we weren’t even there,” Levi continued, sounding almost impressed. “And she was pretty cozy with Gray. Is this so new strategy? Trying to make you jealous?”
I started walking again. “Let’s go.”
Levi laughed as he fell into step beside . “She’s got so tricks up her sleeve, I’ll give her that.”
I said nothing.
Because that’s all this was... all tricks. Gas. Elodie being dramatic.
She’d done this before, just never quite this elaborately. Get upset about sothing, pull away for a few days, make a show of being “independent,” and then co back once she’d gotten whatever was bothering her out of her system.
This ti she’d just added so extra steps. Quit Wilson Group. Got a job sowhere else. Pretended not to see .
It was almost creative, really.
When we reached the private room, Sienna looked up from where she was helping Liora color on a nu.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, clearly picking up on Levi’s amusent.
Levi grinned. “Nothing. Just ran into soone interesting.”
Sienna’s eyes flicked to , questioning, but I just sat down and picked up my nu.
Dinner was fine. Business talk with Levi, Sienna making everyone laugh, Liora chattering about her day. Normal.
I didn’t think about Elodie at all.
-----
Later that night, after dropping Sienna off, Liora and I got ho.
The second the car stopped, Liora bolted for the door.
“Mommy! Mommy!” she called, her voice echoing through the foyer.
I followed more slowly, already knowing what she’d find.
Sabina erged from the kitchen. “Luna Elodie hasn’t returned yet, little miss.”
Liora’s face fell. “What? But I wanted to see her...”
“I’m sure she’s just busy.”
“She’s always busy now,” Liora complained, trudging toward the stairs.
Sabina glanced at , uncertain.
I shook my head. “It’s fine.”
Upstairs, my bedroom looked exactly as it had that morning. Empty.
Elodie’s things were still everywhere, her book on the nightstand, slippers by the bed, her robe on the bathroom door.
Like she’d just stepped out.
She hadn’t been here in days, but she’d be back soon enough. This was just taking longer than her usual cooling-off periods.
-----
The next morning, I ca downstairs to find Liora staring sadly at her breakfast.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“This isn’t Mommy’s breakfast,” she said, poking at her eggs.
Sabina looked apologetic. “Luna Elodie isn’t ho, miss.”
Liora frowned. “Where did she go? Did she go back to Grandma’s house again?”
“Probably,” Sabina said uncertainly.
Liora turned to . “Daddy, where’s Mommy?”
I took a sip of my coffee which was still not right, still missing whatever Elodie did to make it taste how I liked and kept my tone casual. “If you want to know, call her yourself.”
Liora thought about it, then shook her head. “I’ll just ask her tonight when she cos ho.”
Right.
When she ca ho.
Because she would. Obviously.
————
**Elodie’s POV
After forcing down breakfast, toast that tasted like cardboard and coffee that did nothing to wake up, I headed to the office.
I was barely through the door when Johnny waved into his office.
“Morning. I wanted to talk to you about the new product developnt tiline—”
His phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, frowned, and answered. “Hello?”
I started to stand, to give him privacy, but he held up a hand. Then he hit the speaker button.
“Johnny, did your company do sothing to piss off the Bellini Pack recently?”
My blood went cold.
Johnny looked at , confused. “What? No. Why?”
“Because soone from the Bellini family just tried to cause so serious problems for Cole Corporation. We managed to block it, but barely. What the hell is going on?”
I felt like the floor had dropped out from under .
My hands clenched into fists in my lap, my nails digging into my palms hard enough to hurt.
Dante.
Of course it was Dante.
He hadn’t said anything to after seeing with Johnny at the restaurant. Hadn’t called, hadn’t texted, hadn’t confronted about supposedly “bullying” Sienna.
I’d thought maybe he didn’t care. Maybe he’d just let it go.
But no.
He just couldn’t be bothered to argue with directly. Instead, he’d gone straight for Johnny’s company. Straight for the one good thing I was trying to build for myself.
Because I’d dared to refuse Sienna a job. Because I’d dared to move on.
Because he wanted to make sure I understood there would be consequences.
“Shit,” Johnny muttered, running a hand through his hair. He looked at . “This is about—”
“,” I whispered. “It’s about .”
He squeezed my hand. “Don’t worry. Cole has strong governnt contracts and connections. The Bellini Pack can rattle our cage, but they can’t actually touch us.”
I nodded numbly, but inside I was screaming.
This was Dante protecting Sienna. Making it crystal clear that anyone who stood in her way, anyone who denied her anything, would pay for it.
Even .
Especially .
Johnny ended the call and imdiately looked worried about sothing else. “Elodie, if they can’t go after Cole... will they target the Miller Pack instead?”
My stomach twisted.
My family’s Pack wasn’t large. Wasn’t powerful. If Dante decided to retaliate there instead—
“No,” I said, though my voice shook. “He won’t go after my family.”
“How do you know?”
“Because of Nonna.” I took a shaky breath. “She wouldn’t allow it. And Dante still respects her enough not to cross that line.”
At least, I hoped he did.
God, I hoped he did.
Johnny looked relieved but still concerned. “Okay. Okay, good.”
We tried to get back to work, but I couldn’t focus. Couldn’t think about anything except what Dante had just tried to do.
He’d tried to destroy Johnny’s company because of .
Because I’d left him. Because I’d dared to have my own life.
The hours crawled by. Every ti my phone buzzed, I jumped. Every ti soone walked past my desk, I tensed.
By the ti evening rolled around, I felt like I’d aged ten years.
I was packing up my things when my phone rang.
It was Liora.
My heart clenched as I answered. “Hey, baby.”
“Mommy! When are you coming ho? I’m starving!”
I closed my eyes. “Didn’t Sabina make you dinner?”
“Yeah, but I don’t want what she made.” Liora’s voice turned plaintive. “I want crab cakes. The ones you make. Please, Mommy? You promised you’d make them for , rember?”
I did rember. Back when she’d been sick, I’d promised.
“Sweetheart, I—”
“Please? I’ve been waiting and waiting and you never ca ho last night and you’re not here now and I just want to see you.”
The guilt hit like a tidal wave.
She was six years old. She didn’t understand why Mommy wasn’t coming ho anymore. Didn’t understand that the house she lived in didn’t feel like ho to anymore.
All she knew was that I wasn’t there.
“Liora...”
“Please, Mommy. I miss you.”
Those three words broke sothing inside .
I didn’t want to go back to that house. Didn’t want to see Dante. Didn’t want to be in that space where I’d spent seven years feeling invisible.
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