Chapter 7 - The Woman Nobody Expected to Become Mrs. Russo
The boardroom was filled before Damian arrived.
Twenty-three executives.
Four attorneys.
Three bankers.
And Vivian.
She stood at the head of the table.
“I regret that circumstances have forced me to step into this role.”
Nobody believed the tears in her voice.
But they respected her confidence.
Then the door opened.
Damian walked in.
Not rolled.
Walked.
Every person in the room stood.
Vivian went pale.
Damian looked around.
“Good morning.”
Nobody spoke.
Vivian whispered, “You can walk.”
“Yes.”
She stepped backward.
“How?”
“You should have asked better doctors.”
Damian placed a folder on the table.
“Your offshore accounts.”
Another folder.
“Your payments to the men who followed me.”
Another.
“Your communications with your father.”
Vivian's face collapsed.
“You're lying.”
“I wish I were.”
She looked around.
“Do you know what you're doing?”
“Yes.”
“You can't destroy me.”
“No.”
Damian moved closer.
“I'm going to let you destroy yourself.”
The files were projected onto the screen.
Messages.
Bank transfers.
Recordings.
Everything.
Then the final document appeared.
A marriage agreement.
Not Damian and Vivian.
Damian and Lena.
Lena stood in the doorway.
She had no idea what was happening.
Damian turned.
“Come in.”
“Why?”
“Because there's something I need to say.”
She walked toward him.
Damian looked at everyone.
“This woman protected me when every person in this room assumed I was helpless.”
No one moved.
“She protected a secret that could have cost her life.”
He took Lena's hand.
“And she never asked me for anything.”
Vivian laughed bitterly.
“You're going to marry a maid?”
Damian looked at her.
“No.”
He squeezed Lena's hand.
“I'm going to marry the woman who loved me when she believed I had nothing left to offer.”
The room went silent.
Lena's eyes filled with tears.
“You don't have to do this.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
“Because I want to.”
Vivian's face hardened.
“You're making a mistake.”
Damian looked at her.
“No.”
He glanced at the screen.
“My mistake was believing you loved me.”
Vivian left the room.
But the war was not over.
Charles Mercer had disappeared.
May you like
And he had one final weapon.
Lena.
