Chapter 3

Early the next morning, Adrian announced that Iris had been promoted to Consigliere.

At the same time, I was demoted to the lowest level in the family.

I was already packing up my things when the announcement was made.

Adrian had even sent someone over to watch me and report back on my reaction. When I didn't get angry or make a scene, he finally believed I had accepted the decision.

That put him in an excellent mood.

As far as he was concerned, I had finally stopped being the jealous, unreasonable woman he'd accused me of becoming.

Not long after, someone came over with a message.

"He wants to see you in his office."

I hadn't planned on going. But after thinking about it, I changed my mind.

We had been together for so many years that, if nothing else, I owed the relationship a proper closure. Adrian had barely been home lately, and there was a good chance this would be the last time I ever saw him.

The door hadn't been shut all the way.

Through the narrow gap, I saw Iris sitting beside his desk, laughing so hard her shoulders shook. Adrian stood next to her with one hand resting lightly on her shoulder as he bent down and whispered something.

I couldn't hear what it was.

For a moment, I simply stood there.

I had already handed over almost everything connected to my work with the Castellanos. The only thing left was a key Adrian had given me in the early days, the first symbol of trust and authority he'd ever placed in my hands.

Part of me still wanted to return it to him personally.

But before I left, there was one last thing that needed to be settled.

I pushed open the door directly.

Without even looking up to see who had entered, Adrian snapped, "How many times have I told people to make an appointment before coming up here? Nobody sets foot on this floor without my permission. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"You're the one who asked me to come," I said, my tone flat.

Adrian snorted. He immediately picked up his phone and made a call.

"Did you tell Lena to come see me?"

The person on the other end clearly realized at once that they'd screwed up.

Whether they had actually delivered the message no longer mattered. If they wanted to stay out of trouble, there was only one answer they could give.

"No. I didn't tell her anything."

Adrian hung up and looked at me.

"Why are you putting on this act? If you wanted to see me, you could've just said so. You don't need to pretend this is some kind of business meeting. Or is this about Iris again? Are you still convinced something's going on between us?

"If you're going to police every move I make, why don't you lock me in the basement and tie me up? Then, I'll spend every hour of every day with no one to look at but you."

I met his gaze calmly. "Don't flatter yourself."

"Adrian, basta. Don't be angry."

Iris patted his shoulder before turning to me with a look of complete sincerity. "Lena only does these things because she cares about the family. I know she wants what's best for all of us."

Then, she looked at me sincerely.

"And Lena, please don't get the wrong idea. Adrian and I were only talking about how well the family's been doing lately. Business has been good, so we got a little excited. We really were just talking about work. That's all."

Even as she said it, her arm remained hooked through Adrian's as a hint of smug satisfaction flickered in her eyes.

I might not have known the full extent of whatever was going on between them, but I wasn't an idiot. Iris was nowhere near as innocent as she liked to pretend.

Still, there was no point saying any of that now.

When it came to her, Adrian had decided not to see what was right in front of him. He would've found a reason not to believe me.

"Iris, you don't need to explain yourself to her. She only hears what she wants to hear," Adrian said sternly. "Our engagement is one thing. You coming up here without permission is another. You're losing the next three months of your stipend."

Before I could respond, his assistant called.

"Adrian, I was going through today's emails, and Lena submitted a—"

"It's probably a couple of contracts that need approval," Adrian cut him off impatiently. "Did you seriously have to call me over something that minor?"

He hung up before the man could finish.

Adrian had never seriously considered the possibility that I might leave him.

So even now, the thought hadn't crossed his mind.

After venting his irritation, his tone softened when he spoke to me again.

"Lena, I'm not trying to pick on you. You're the person I love most, which is exactly why you have to set an example. If I let things slide for you, everyone else is going to think I'm playing favorites."

Of all the ridiculous things I had heard, that might have been the best one yet.

"Set an example?" I scoffed. "Then, find someone else to be your fiancee. She can set one for you."

"I know you're upset."

Adrian sighed, slipping into the patient tone of a man dealing with an unreasonable child. "Just stop fighting me on everything for a while. Once things settle down, we'll pick a date. It's time we got married."

I didn't let him finish.

Instead, I held out the key in my hand. "This is the key to the safe in your house. I'm giving it back."

I smiled faintly.

"And since we're talking about our relationship, here's something else you should know. We're done. I'm not part of the Castellano family anymore, either. From now on, you and I have nothing to do with each other."

I didn't wait to hear what either of them had to say.

I went downstairs, called a cab, and headed straight for the airport.