Chapter 3

(Amelia's POV)

The weekend passed in a haze of pain and restless sleep. Come Monday morning, my leg still throbbed with every step, but I showed up at the Valenti family's main compound at precisely 8:55 AM. The grand, intimidating building, a monument to Lorenzo's power, felt more like a prison than ever.

The compound was a fortress disguised as luxury. Armed men in tailored suits patrolled the perimeter, their eyes missing nothing. The main hall echoed with the sounds of hushed conversations in Italian, the clinking of glasses, and the underlying tension that permeated every Valenti operation. I moved through the familiar corridors, receiving nods from soldiers and accountants alike—all of them aware of my position, yet none of them knowing the truth of what I was to their Don.

I moved through my morning routine on autopilot. Coffee—black, two sugars, just how he took his first cup. Sorting the mail, flagging the urgent contracts, clearing his schedule for the 10 AM meeting with the Lombardi family. It was a crucial negotiation, one I'd spent weeks preparing the briefs for. The Lombardis controlled the port access Lorenzo needed for his new shipping line. Annoying them was not an option.

As I organized the documents, Marco, Lorenzo's chief enforcer, approached my desk. His expression was grim. "The Lombardi crew arrived early. They're already in the meeting room, and they brought extra men. Fifteen, by my count. More than agreed."

I felt a chill. This was a show of force, a test. "Notify Don Valenti. And double our security in the hallway. Discreetly."

Marco nodded, his respect evident. In this world, I was known for my calm under pressure, my ability to anticipate threats before they materialized. Little did they know that skill was born from years of navigating the much more personal threat of Lorenzo's mercurial heart.

At 9:50, I gathered the necessary files and walked towards his office. The door to his private study was slightly ajar. I paused, my hand raised to knock, and through the gap, I saw them.

Isabella was perched on the edge of his massive oak desk, swinging a bare foot. She was wearing one of his dress shirts, the sleeves rolled up, the collar open. It was a blatant claim of ownership that made my stomach clench.

Lorenzo was seated in his high-backed leather chair, but he was turned towards her, his body angled in a way I'd never seen during business hours. She was feeding him a piece of a croissant, her fingers lingering near his lips. He ate it from her hand, a small, indulgent smile playing on his usually stern mouth.

"You mentioned craving these yesterday," I heard him say, his voice softer, more intimate than the one he used with me. "I had one of our men wait in line for an hour at that French patisserie you like."

"They're perfect, just as flaky as I remember," Isabella cooed, leaning forward to brush a crumb from his lower lip. "But Lorenzo, you're the Don. You shouldn't be sending your men to fetch pastries. That's what assistants are for."

His smile widened slightly. He reached out and took her hand, kissing her fingertips. "Anything for you, I handle myself. I don't delegate what matters."

The sight was a physical blow, knocking the air from my lungs. My chest constricted, a familiar, sour ache spreading through me. I looked down at my own hands, clenched so tightly around the manila folders that my knuckles were white and bloodless. The sharp edge of a staple bit into my palm, a tiny, focused pain to distract from the one tearing me apart inside.

I stood there, frozen, for a full minute, watching a version of Lorenzo I had only ever dreamed of. A version that was gentle, attentive, openly affectionate.

The clock on the wall ticked to 9:58. The meeting. The Lombardis were notoriously punctual and proud.

I forced air into my lungs, smoothed my expression into one of professional neutrality, and knocked firmly on the door.

"Mr. Valenti, the meeting with the Lombardis is starting."

Inside, the cozy scene shattered. Lorenzo straightened up, his Don's mask slipping back into place. He began to rise, but Isabella's hand shot out, wrapping around his forearm.

"No, don't go," she pouted, her voice a syrup-sweet whine. "Stay with me a little longer. I'm bored."

He hesitated, his gaze flicking from her pleading face to the door where I stood.

"Postpone the meeting," he said, his voice regaining its usual command, but directed at me now. "Two hours."

I felt a jolt of alarm. "Mr. Valenti, the Lombardi, Rossi, and Ferrara Dons are already in the meeting room. This negotiation is critical for the southern expansion..."

"Ugh, Lorenzo, your assistant is so tedious!" Isabella interrupted, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Does she have to be such a killjoy? Can't she take a hint?"

His expression, which had been momentarily conflicted, hardened as he looked at me. "I said, postpone it for two hours. No family business is more important than Isabella's happiness."

The words were a betrayal that went beyond the personal. He was jeopardizing a multi-million dollar deal, risking a war with three powerful families, all for a woman's whim. This was the man I had loved? The strategic genius I had admired? He was throwing it all away for a pretty smile and a pout.

But I was just the assistant. I nodded once, a tight, jerky motion. "Understood."

I closed the door softly and turned away, my shoulders slumping under an invisible weight. I walked to the meeting room, my heels clicking a hollow rhythm on the polished floor.

The walk felt like a death march. Each step echoed the dying beat of my hope. He had chosen. Not just between her and me, but between his responsibility and her caprice. And I, and the entire Valenti organization, had lost.

Inside, the three crime lords sat around the mahogany table. Enzo Lombardi, a bull of a man with thick gold rings on his fingers, tapped his watch impatiently.

"Where is he?" he grunted, his voice a low rumble.

I forced a calm I didn't feel. "My apologies, gentlemen. Mr. Valenti has been unavoidably detained. He requests we reschedule the meeting for two hours from now."

The air in the room turned cold. Marco Rossi, a slim, elegant man who was far more dangerous than he looked, leaned back in his chair, a thin smile on his lips. "Detained? By what, a more pressing engagement?"

I kept my gaze level. "A private matter, sir."

It was the wrong thing to say. One of Lombardi's underlings, a hulking brute named Riccardo whom I'd seen break a man's arm for spilling his drink, stepped forward. Before I could react, his open hand connected with my face. The sound cracked through the room.

Pain exploded in my cheek, my head snapping to the side. I tasted blood.

"A private matter?" Enzo Lombardi snarled, his voice dripping with contempt. He stood, leaning his massive fists on the table. "We clear our schedules for him, and he's off tending to 'private matters'? This is an insult! Does he think we are his errand boys?"

Riccardo drew back his hand again. I flinched, bracing for another blow. "Perhaps we should send a clearer message," he growled.

For the next two hours, I stood there and absorbed their fury. They didn't dare insult Lorenzo directly, so their anger, their condescension, their thinly-veiled threats, were all aimed at me. I endured the sting on my cheek, the humiliation of being used as a punching bag for their offended pride.

I thought of the seven years I had given Lorenzo, the loyalty, the love. This public shaming was the final payment. I was paying my debt in blood and shame.

When Lorenzo finally swept into the meeting room at noon, fresh and composed, the atmosphere shifted instantly. The other Dons swallowed their anger, their expressions becoming carefully neutral.

"I apologize for the delay, gentlemen," Lorenzo said, his voice smooth and commanding as he took his seat at the head of the table. "Shall we begin?"

His eyes scanned the room, briefly passing over me. Did they pause for a fraction of a second on my reddened cheek? If they did, he gave no sign. He didn't ask what had happened. He didn't care. The message was clear: I was disposable.

I slipped out, my head bowed not just to hide my bruised cheek, but to hide the cold, hard certainty that was finally solidifying in my heart.

"Amelia!"

Isabella's voice, sharp and clear, cut through the hallway. I stopped and turned.

She was walking towards me, a smug little smile on her face. "I heard from Lorenzo you make a decent cup of coffee. The men seem sluggish today. Be a dear and make a round for everyone in the main hall. My usual must be hand-ground, the beans measured to within half a gram."

She knew about the Lombardi meeting. She knew what had just transpired. She was rubbing my nose in my new reality: from trusted confidante to coffee servant.

I didn't dare refuse. "Of course."

The kitchen in the compound was state-of-the-art, but it wasn't designed for one person to make coffee for an entire hall of over a hundred family members and associates. It took me nearly two hours. Grinding the beans to her exact specification, brewing pot after pot, finding enough clean mugs, carefully preparing her specific handcrafted coffee.

My injured leg screamed in protest from the constant standing. The cut on my forehead, hidden under my bangs, throbbed in time with my heartbeat. But the physical pain was a welcome distraction from the deeper, more profound ache in my chest.

As I worked, memories assaulted me. Lorenzo, early in our arrangement, finding me exhausted after a similar task for a large gathering. He hadn't said a word, but later that night, his hands had been surprisingly gentle as he massaged my sore shoulders.

"You don't have to prove anything to anyone," he'd murmured against my hair. The contradiction was staggering. Then, I was worthy of a secret tenderness. Now, I was worthy of nothing but scorn.

Finally, I began carrying the trays out, distributing the cups. When I brought Isabella hers, she was lounging in a guest chair in Lorenzo's outer office, scrolling through her phone.

She took the delicate porcelain cup, took a small, deliberate sip, and her face contorted in disgust.

"This is revolting!" she shrieked, her voice echoing.

Before I could react, she flung the contents of the cup directly into my face. The hot, brown liquid hit my skin and eyes, stinging and blinding me. I cried out, my hands flying to my face as I stumbled back and fell.

But Isabella wasn't done. Her rage was a performance for the entire office. "You useless bitch!" she screamed, snatching up another full mug from the cart. "Do you think I don't know what you are? What you were to him?" She hurled the second mug, the hot liquid splashing across my chest and arms. "You're nothing! A convenient whore he kept around!"

A third mug followed, shattering against the floor near my head, spraying my hair and face with ceramic shards and more coffee. I was drenched, my hair and clothes soaked through with lukewarm coffee.

The smell of coffee was everywhere, suffocating. The pain was sharp and stinging.

I curled into a tight ball, my arms protecting my head, my knees drawn to my chest, making myself as small a target as possible. I bit my lip to keep from screaming.

The entire hall had fallen silent. Dozens of family members watched, frozen. No one moved. No one spoke. They just stared, their faces a mixture of horror and morbid fascination. They had all thought I was the future Signora Valenti, the woman who held the Don's ear and his trust.

Now they saw the truth: I was just another casualty in the brutal game of power and passion, discarded and destroyed by the very man I had served so loyally.

The commotion finally drew Lorenzo out of the meeting room. He stood in the doorway, his eyes taking in the scene: the pooling coffee on the floor, the shattered cups, and me, curled and drenched on the floor like a drowned, wounded animal.

His brow furrowed. "What is going on here?"

In an instant, Isabella's fury vanished. Her face crumpled into a picture of perfect victimhood. Tears welled in her large eyes. "Lorenzo," she whimpered, her voice trembling, "I just asked your assistant for a simple cup of coffee. It was gritty, like she put sand in it! My throat is raw!"

She hugged her throat, looking genuinely pained.

Lorenzo's gaze snapped to me, his expression hardening from confusion to cold anger. "You've been with me for four years, and you can't even get a simple coffee order right? Or do you have a problem with Isabella and did this on purpose?"

I lifted my head, my vision blurred by the coffee and tears I refused to shed. "Mr. Valenti, I—"

He didn't let me finish. He called for his underboss. "Amelia has violated family conduct. Dock her this month's salary and her quarterly bonus. Issue a family-wide memo. She will make a formal, public apology at the next gathering."

Then, he turned his back. He took off his suit jacket and draped it over Isabella's shoulders. "Come, 'cuore mio'. Let's get you home. You need to rest."

And he led her away, past me, as if I were nothing more than a piece of inconvenient trash left on the floor for the cleaning crew to deal with. The last thing I heard was Isabella's soft, satisfied sigh as they stepped into the elevator.

I lay there for a long moment, the cold marble seeping through my wet clothes. The silence in the hall was absolute. No one came to help me up. I was untouchable now, tainted by the Don's displeasure.

Slowly, painfully, I pushed myself to my hands and knees, then to my feet. I didn't look at anyone as I walked away, my head held high despite the humiliation, each step a silent vow. This was the end. Lorenzo Valenti had killed the last of my love with his indifference. All that remained was the ghost, and soon, even that would be gone.