Chapter 2 - THE DEAL WITH THE DEVIL IN A TAILORED SUIT

By the end of the month, my life had transformed completely. Nico and I had transitioned from a scandalous headline into a private, profound reality. He was everything Liam was not—attentive, emotionally intelligent, fiercely protective, and deeply passionate. We spent weekends at his estate, cooking together, debating literature, and losing ourselves in a romance that felt entirely consuming.

But a wounded animal always lashes out, and Liam and Amber were no exception.

I was at my gallery—the small art curation business I had been desperately trying to keep afloat—when the bell above the door chimed. I turned from the canvas I was inspecting and felt my blood run cold. Amber stood in the doorway, looking frantic and disheveled. Her designer clothes looked slept-in, and her usual smug aura had been replaced by a desperate, venomous energy.

"You ruined my life," Amber spat, marching toward me.

"I think you managed that all by yourself, Amber," I replied calmly, crossing my arms. "What do you want?"

"Liam's trust fund has been frozen," she shrieked, her voice echoing off the brick walls of the gallery. "His father cut him off! Complete financial severance. Liam can't even pay the rent on his penthouse. And it’s all your fault! You manipulated Nico into destroying his own son just to get back at me!"

I stared at her, genuinely shocked. Nico hadn't told me he had frozen the trust fund. But instead of feeling guilty, a wave of profound relief washed over me. Nico wasn't just defending me; he was demanding accountability.

"No, Amber," I said, stepping toward her with a cold, unwavering authority I didn't know I possessed. "Liam destroyed himself. His father finally stopped enabling him. And you? You hitched your wagon to a golden goose, only to find out the gold was fake. You betrayed your own blood for a man who has nothing to offer you now. Get out of my gallery."

"You haven't won," Amber hissed, tears of rage spilling down her cheeks. "Valentina won't let this stand. She's convening the board. Liam is still the heir."

"Get. Out," I repeated, picking up my phone and dialing security.

Amber fled before the call connected. My hands were shaking, but not from fear. I felt powerful. I immediately called Nico, intending to ask him about the trust fund, but he beat me to it.

"I know she was there," Nico's deep voice came through the speaker, sounding terrifyingly calm. "My security detail outside the gallery informed me. Are you alright, mia luce?"

"I'm fine. I handled her," I said, leaning against the counter. "Did you really cut him off?"

"I stripped him of his executive VP title this morning and froze the accounts," Nico confirmed. "He breached his fiduciary duties by abandoning his office for a week to wallow in self-pity with your sister. He is a liability. I am cleaning house. And tonight, I am taking you to Italy."