CHAPTER 5

“At this point, it’s my word against theirs… And we all know who you and everybody else are going to believe…” she said slowly in a defeated tone and sat on a chair. “I’m absolutely sure that nothing I might say or do might save my reputation when I have to fight against people with money and prestige.”

Tears started falling down her cheek, but Norah wiped them off with the back of her hand. No one must see her crying, not Phillip Weldon, not Fabio Sensi, and, definitely, not Leone Gritti.

“I tried to play by the rules, but in the end, I’ve lost anyway,” she continued this time talking more to herself than to Leone. “My image is trashed all over social media, my reputation is torn… All I’ve worked for so hard and sacrificed so much is vanished into thin air. All I’ve dreamed to achieve is not possible anymore… What am I going to do now?”

Without saying a word to her or in general, Leone plucked his white handkerchief from his jacket pocket and moved to damp