Chapter 6

The café was a private gallery on the Lower East Side, far from the glittering towers of Midtown. It smelled of oil paint and old money. It was the kind of place where no one asked questions, and more importantly, where Giovanni Baldwin's spies would never think to look.

Edith sat in a secluded alcove, her hands wrapped around a delicate porcelain cup. She hadn't touched the tea.

The discreet side door opened. Anya walked in, looking impeccable in a tailored suit, a stark contrast to Edith's own disheveled state.

She slid into the seat across from her, avoiding her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Edith," she said immediately, her voice thick with concern. "I should never have let you go back there."

Edith looked at her, her gaze steady. "I don't need your apology, Anya. I need to know why."

She leaned forward, dropping her voice. "Why would Giovanni do this to me? What is the real story behind the Woods-Baldwin merger, and what does it have to do with Dakota Ayala?"

Anya rubbed a hand over her face, the internal struggle visible in every line of her body. Giovanni was a dangerous enemy. The Baldwins were a dynasty. But the woman sitting across from her had been destroyed by his own hand.

"He didn't know," Anya blurted out, the words tumbling out of her. "About your father's deal with Harold. He thinks the merger was your family's idea, a hostile move after the Ayala partnership fell apart. He blames your father for Dakota's... accident."

Edith frowned, her stomach twisting. "What deal? What are you talking about?"

Anya took a deep breath, looking around the empty gallery before leaning in close. "Dakota Ayala's family company was Baldwin's key to the European market. But they were unstable. When Dakota died in that car crash, the partnership died with her. The Baldwins were hemorrhaging money. Your father, seeing an opportunity, approached Harold. He offered a merger-Woods International would stabilize their Asian markets in exchange for a controlling stake. But he had one condition."

The words hung in the air between them. Edith felt a coldness seep into her bones, a coldness that had nothing to do with the drafty gallery.

"The marriage," she whispered, the pieces clicking into place. "He demanded I marry Giovanni."

Anya nodded miserably. "Your father believed it was the only way to secure the deal and protect your future. A union of the two families. But Giovanni... he saw it as a betrayal. An insult to Dakota's memory. He thinks your family capitalized on his tragedy. He wanted to punish you. He wanted to make sure you could never give the family what they wanted. He didn't realize he was cutting his own throat until it was too late."

Edith sat back, the reality of it crashing over her. She wasn't a wife. She had never been a wife. She was a bargaining chip. A walking contract clause for the Baldwin legacy. And Giovanni, in his blind hatred, had smashed the very thing he was supposed to cultivate.

The cruelty wasn't just personal. It was systemic. She was a commodity, and she had been damaged goods the moment the deal was signed.

A harsh, broken laugh escaped her lips. It was a sound of pure despair. "So, his sudden concern, his offers of money and a united front... that's not regret. That's panic. He needs his merger back on track."

Anya looked down at the table, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry, Edith. I am so sorry."

Edith stood up. She didn't feel angry anymore. The anger had burned away, leaving only a cold, hard diamond of resolve in her chest.

"Thank you, Anya," she said, her voice completely devoid of emotion. "For telling me."

She walked out of the gallery into the brisk afternoon air. The city noise washed over her, but she felt detached from it all. She was living in a different world now. A world where the truth was a weapon, and she was the only one who knew it.

She took a cab back to the penthouse. The apartment was empty. Giovanni was still out, probably tearing the city apart looking for a way to salvage his deals.

Edith walked into the bedroom. Her small portfolio was still sitting on the bed. She hadn't unpacked it.

She zipped it closed. She pulled the engagement ring off her finger and placed it on the nightstand. It felt like removing a shackle.

She walked to the front door. Martha Kowalski was in the foyer, dusting a table that didn't need dusting. The housekeeper looked up, her eyes filled with a sadness that said she knew.

"Godspeed, Mrs. Baldwin," Martha whispered.

Edith paused at the door. She turned back, looking the older woman in the eye.

"It's Woods," Edith said firmly. "My name is Edith Woods."

She walked out of the penthouse, the heavy door closing behind her with a soft, final click. She walked past the doorman, out into the sunlight. The sun was warm on her face, but she felt nothing.

She was free. But she was also alone, broke, and broken. And she had a company to save.