Chapter 5

The next morning, I received a termination notice from the jewelry brand I'd just signed a contract with.

The brand was fairly well known in the industry, and since I hadn't designed anything in a long time, I needed new work to rebuild my credibility.

That's why I'd reached out to them in the first place. When the creative director saw my initial drafts, he'd agreed to collaborate with me almost immediately.

While I was in the hospital, I'd thrown myself into revising the designs to keep my mind off Luca. Even as I recovered from my injuries, I'd worked through several sleepless nights to finish the final versions.

When the project manager received them, he praised my work repeatedly, calling the designs truly stunning.

Yet now, the only thing waiting in my inbox was a notice terminating our collaboration.

I called the project manager.

"Was there a problem with my designs?" I asked.

"No. We all think your proposals are excellent," he assured me.

"Then why are you terminating the contract?"

At first, he gave me the usual excuse about internal restructuring. It wasn't until I pressed him for a straight answer that he finally relented.

The Valentino Famiglia had offered to cover the brand's entire promotional budget for the upcoming quarter on the condition that the company replaced my designs with Viola's to strengthen her portfolio ahead of an upcoming competition.

"The executives reviewed her work and decided it was good enough to use. This way, we save a substantial amount of money and get to establish a business relationship with the Valentino Famiglia…" His voice trailed off.

I asked just one question. "Does Luca know that I'm the one being replaced?"

A long silence followed on the other end of the line.

Finally, he answered in a quiet voice, "The Don… gave the order personally."

He then continued, "Ms. Greenwood, I'm truly sorry. We did try to fight for you on our end, but the decision has already been—"

"Just pay the compensation stipulated in the contract."

He began apologizing profusely, but I didn't make things any harder for him. Luca had already made the decision for them, and there was no point in fighting something that wouldn't be reversed.

A wave of sorrow washed over me. I couldn't tell whether I felt disappointed or heartbroken.

After hanging up, I called Luca.

He answered almost immediately. "You're awake? Why weren't you home last night?"

I cut straight to the point. "Why did the brand replace my designs? You knew I was the original designer, didn't you?"

"Elena, your designs are excellent, but Viola is different. She's worked hard for a long time to put this portfolio together. This is her career," he explained.

"Don't you think that's ridiculous? Didn't I pour my heart and soul into this project, too?"

"I know you put a lot of effort into it," he assured me, but his tone was more like that of someone trying to soothe an unreasonable child than a man speaking to the woman he'd loved for eight years.

"But you're about to become Donna. Working with a brand like this could make people think you're using the family's influence for personal gain. That wouldn't look good, either."

I let out a quiet laugh.

"You paid for an entire quarter's worth of promotional expenses for Viola, yet you're worried about me abusing my position for personal gain?"

"That's not what happened," he countered. "The brand made its own decision. I merely put them in touch."

Before I could respond, Luca continued, "Just let her have this one. I'll arrange for a top jeweler to bring your designs to life, and I'll buy you that Heart of the Ocean diamond at auction. You can use it in your work. How does that sound?"

"I don't need it."

"Stop saying things you don't mean just because you're angry. Come home tonight, and we'll discuss the wedding arrangements."

"We'll see."

I hung up. By then, I felt completely numb.

I began to wonder if all eight years of our relationship had been nothing more than a fantasy I'd created in my own mind. Otherwise, why was I the only one who kept compromising, the only one who kept enduring everything?

…

Over the next two days, Luca didn't call me once.

In the past, whenever he got angry, I was always the first to give in. I'd find some excuse to reach out, asking whether he'd eaten or if he was tired.

But this time, I locked myself in my hotel room and devoted all my attention to the assignment my mentor had given me, using the gray, hazy sea stretching beyond my window as my backdrop.

On the final day, I sent my revised work to my mentor. The moment I closed my laptop, I suddenly became aware of the strong sea breeze and the dazzling sunlight streaming through the window.

Even without Luca in my life, the sun still rose every morning, right on schedule.

My phone screen lit up. It was the first text he'd sent me in three days.

"Now that you've gotten your little tantrum out of your system, come home. I'll let the past few days slide."

I offered no explanation.

Instead, I deactivated all my social media accounts, snapped my SIM card in half, and tossed it into the cold trash can in the airport terminal.

Over the loudspeaker, boarding announcements began for the flight to Zurviano. Bathed in the first light of dawn spilling through the windows, I walked through the boarding gate without looking back.