Chapter 10

Elba slapped a hand over her forehead, her cheeks burning bright red. "W-what are you doing?" she stammered.

Angelo realized what he had just done. He cleared his throat, straightening his posture, and walked briskly back to his desk to hide his sudden awkwardness. "A reward. For sitting quietly and not interrupting my work."

Elba rolled her eyes behind his back.

Psychopath, she grumbled internally. Slap me in the face one day, give me candy the next.

A sharp knock echoed through the room. Frank Baxter, Angelo's Chief Executive Assistant, walked in carrying a thick stack of folders.

Frank had been with Angelo for five years. He was fiercely loyal, meticulous, and quiet.

He set the folders on the desk. "Boss, the legal documents for the reverse takeover are ready for your signature."

Elba leaned over the back of the sofa, looking at Frank. A wave of deep sadness washed over her.

Frank is such a good guy, she sighed in her mind. It's a tragedy that next month, the CFO-who is secretly working for Georgina-is going to frame him for stealing corporate secrets. Frank is going to jump off the roof of this building.

Angelo had just uncapped his expensive fountain pen. He froze. The gold nib pressed so hard into the paper it tore a jagged gash through the contract.

He slowly raised his head. His eyes locked onto Frank, but his mind was spinning with violent rage. The CFO was Georgina's mole?!

Frank shifted uncomfortably under the intense stare. "Boss? Is there an error in the contract?"

Angelo forced his muscles to relax. He signed his name over the torn paper and handed the folder back. "No error. Frank, effective immediately, sever the CFO's access to the core encrypted database."

Frank blinked in surprise, but his training kicked in. "Understood. I'll handle it right now."

As Frank turned to leave, Angelo spoke again, his voice dangerously low. "And Frank... put a shadow team on the CFO. Track every cent moving through his personal accounts. Absolute secrecy."

Frank's posture stiffened. He realized there was a traitor. He nodded sharply and left the room.

Elba sat back on the sofa, scratching her head.

Did he take crazy pills today? she wondered. Why is he suddenly investigating the CFO? Did Frank secretly report something to him earlier? Or... does he have an even more terrifying intelligence network than I thought?

Angelo's heart skipped a beat. He quickly picked up his coffee mug, taking a sip to hide his face. He could never let her figure out he was reading her mind.

Suddenly, the private landline on his desk rang loudly.

Angelo looked at the caller ID. His jaw clenched. It was the Long Island estate.

He pressed the speaker button.

His mother's voice, Carla Potter, filled the room. It was shrill and vibrating with fury.

"Angelo! Bring Elba back to the estate this instant!" Carla screamed through the speaker. "Georgina was humiliated at the banquet today! You both owe her an apology, and Elba needs to be disciplined!"

The air in the office turned to ice.

Elba heard her mother's voice. Her body violently flinched. The visceral terror of her past life-being screamed at, dragged out of the house, abandoned to die-crashed over her.

She wrapped her arms tightly around her knees, pulling herself into a tiny ball, shaking uncontrollably.

The Last Supper is here, her mind wept in absolute despair. If we go back to the estate, Georgina will find a way to kill me. The countdown to the Potter family's destruction starts tonight.

Angelo heard the raw, agonizing fear in her mind. His blood ran cold, then boiled with a protective rage so fierce it physically hurt his chest.

He leaned over the desk. His voice was terrifyingly calm, devoid of any filial respect. "Mother. We will come back tonight. But we are not coming to apologize. We are coming to settle the score."

Carla gasped on the other end, but before she could scream again, Angelo slammed his finger down, cutting the line.

He walked around the desk. He approached the sofa and slowly dropped to one knee, lowering his physical height until he was looking up into Elba's terrified eyes.

He reached out and wrapped his large, warm hands over her freezing, trembling fingers.

He stared directly into her soul, his voice a vow of absolute certainty. "Do not be afraid. I am here. No one is going to touch a single hair on your head. Not Georgina. And not our parents."

Elba looked at his fierce, unyielding eyes. A hot tear slipped down her cheek. The storm was coming, but for the first time in two lifetimes, she wasn't facing it alone.