Crossed line

Chapter Eleven 

Bruno’s POV

I wasn’t supposed to be here today.

For weeks, I’d been tied up with meetings, acquisitions, endless paperwork—but this company… this one I just bought—I hadn’t even had the time to properly look into it.

So I came, unannounced, unprepared.

Just to see things for myself.

The building was exactly what I expected—polished, structured, efficient. Staff moved with purpose, greeting me with nervous respect the moment they recognized who I was.

Good.

That meant things were running… at least on the surface.

I was on my way to the managing director’s office when I heard it.

Voices, raised and sharp.

An argument. My steps slowed.

Then stopped.

The sound coming from behind the door wasn’t just tension—it was something else.

Something off.

Something wrong.

My jaw tightened.

Without bothering to knock, I pushed the door open.

And what I saw—

My blood boiled instantly.

Martina.

Standing near the door.

Cornered.

And Collins—his hand too close, his posture too familiar, too invasive.

Rage surged through me so fast it almost felt blinding.

Before I could think—

I moved.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” my voice thundered through the room.

Collins flinched.

Actually flinched.

I grabbed his wrist and shoved his hand away from her with enough force to make him stagger slightly.

The look on his face shifted immediately—from arrogance to fear.

Good.

He should be afraid.

“Mr. Bruno—you’re here?” he stammered, straightening up quickly, his earlier confidence completely gone.

I didn’t even look at him, my eyes were on her.

Martina.

She was staring at me like she’d just seen a ghost.

Shock, confusion.

And something else.

Something that hit harder than I expected.

Hostility.

Her gaze hardened, and in that moment… it felt like I was the last person she wanted to see.

Like I was her worst enemy.

The look cut deeper than it should have.

Deeper than I was prepared for.

My chest tightened slightly, but I forced it down, my expression turning cold again as I finally turned back to Collins.

The silence in the room stretches.

Collins is still talking—something about misunderstandings, about not realizing she was “just an employee”—but his voice sounds distant now. Unimportant.

My attention keeps drifting back to Martina.

She hasn’t moved.

Still standing near the door.

Still staring at me like I’m something she’d rather erase from the room.

I exhale slowly, forcing myself to regain control.

“Leave,” I say coldly to Collins.

He hesitates. “Mr. Bruno, I can explain—”

“I said leave.”

This time, my voice is sharper.

Final.

He swallows hard, grabs the file on his desk, and practically rushes out of the room without another word.

The door clicks shut behind him.

Silence returns.

But it’s heavier now.

Just me and her.

Martina shifts slightly, adjusting her posture like she’s preparing to leave too. She doesn’t look at me. Not even once.

“Martina,” I say her name before I can stop myself.

She pauses.

Just for a second.

My chest tightens slightly at that small reaction—like maybe she’ll turn around. Maybe she’ll at least acknowledge me.

I take a step forward, my voice softening without permission. “Are you alright?”

She finally moves.

But not toward me.

Away from me.

She walks past without even glancing in my direction.

No answer, It’s like I don’t exist. The door opens and closes.

And she’s gone, just like that.

I stand there for a moment, staring at the empty space where she just was.

My jaw tightens, Of course.

I shouldn’t be surprised.

But somehow—

It still feels like a punch I didn’t see coming.

I let out a slow breath, dragging a hand through my hair as I turn slightly toward the desk.

“She hates me that much already,” I mutter under my breath.

I don’t understand why I still feel like this.

I shouldn’t. Not after everything.

Not after what I did.

If anything, I should be used to it by now the cold looks, the silence, the distance.

I caused this.

So why does it still sting?

I let out a slow breath, dragging my hand across my face, trying to shake off the tightness in my chest.

She walked away like I was nothing.

Like I didn’t matter.

Like I never did.

Before I can get too deep into my thoughts, the door suddenly swings open.

My head snaps up instantly.

For a split second— Hope.

Maybe she came back.

Maybe, But it’s not her.

It’s him, Jeffery.

The disappointment hits harder than I expect, and I let out a low hiss, looking away.

“It looks like I’m not the one you were expecting,” he says, stepping inside with a knowing smirk.

I don’t even bother denying it.

“Yeah,” I mutter, my voice rougher than usual. “You’re not.”

He raises a brow, closing the door behind him. “That bad?”

I let out a short breath, pacing once before stopping.

“Do you know what just happened?” I ask, running my fingers through my hair. “Martina just left.”

His expression shifts immediately.

“What? How?”

I glance at him, jaw tightening as I replay everything in my head.

“Collins,” I say, my voice dropping. “He crossed the line.”

And just saying it out loud makes the anger rise again.

I explain everything—what I walked into, what I saw, the look on her face… the way she walked out without even acknowledging me.

By the time I’m done, the room feels heavier.

Jeffrey's expression darkens.

“Collins must be out of his mind,” he says, his voice cold with anger. “He really thinks he can get away with something like that?”

My silence is answer enough.

He takes a step closer, his tone sharpening.

“He won’t,” he adds. “Not if you don’t want him to.”

There’s a brief pause. Then

“What do you want me to do to him?”