CHAPTER SIX

The room fell silent after Dominic left. Olivia immediately crossed to the bedside table, picked up the phone Margaret had recovered from my bag, and handed it to me. She was watching me closely, her expression serious.

"Do it," Olivia whispered, her hand grounding me. "It’s time."

My fingers trembled slightly as I dialed a number I hadn't permitted myself to call in years. Every time things got hard with Dominic, every time Eleanor looked down on me for where I came from, I kept my mouth shut. I wanted to prove I could make my marriage work on my own.

I lifted the phone to my ear. It didn't even ring twice.

"Bianca."

The deep voice on the other end made my chest tighten. He didn't ask who was calling. He already knew. Just hearing him brought a sudden sting to my eyes.

"Grandfather..." I whispered.

"I already know," he said, cutting me off. His voice softened, and that alone nearly brought tears to my eyes.

"Olivia's firm contacted my team an hour ago. You're out of that house. That's all that matters right now."

I looked down at my bare finger. "I took the ring off," I whispered. "I'm done."

There was a brief, heavy pause on the other end of the line. "Good. You have bled enough for a boy who couldn't even see the value of the woman beside him. Come home, Bianca. The car is already downstairs."

The call ended. Margaret looked at me with wide eyes, while Olivia gave a small nod. The way they reacted made me pause. 

The sedan eventually pulled into the underground entrance of a quiet office tower in Manhattan. 

"Welcome back, Miss Bianca," he murmured.

I stepped out of the car and smoothed down the black velvet suit Olivia had picked out for me. As I made my way toward the elevators, I noticed the difference immediately. The atmosphere was calm. A few executives carrying briefcases paused their conversations when I passed. No one looked at me with pity I had grown used to in Dominic's world. They simply stepped aside and watched me with curiosity.

The elevator stopped at the executive floor. When the doors opened, I stepped into a quiet library lined with bookshelves.

My grandfather was sitting behind a large desk. He looked up as I entered, his sharp gray eyes settling on me immediately. He stood up, moving with a slow, deliberate grace, and walked around the desk. Before I could say a word, his large, calloused hand came up to cup my face, his thumb gently wiping away the dry tear tracks on my cheek.

"You look pale," he said, studying me closely.

"Olivia told me what happened at that dinner table." His jaw tightened. "You should never have been treated that way."

"I was naive, Grandfather," I said softly, the confession burning my throat. "I thought if I gave him enough time, if I managed his home and protected his name, he would finally see me."

"Dominic Brown is a fool," my grandfather said quietly. His hand settled on my shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"He didn't want an equal, Bianca. He wanted someone who would always stay in the background and never ask for more." His expression hardened.

"Let them think they've won. Let them enjoy it while they can."

He turned back to his desk, lifting a heavy, matte-black folder with a silver seal pressed into the center. He slid the folder across the desk, landing right in front of me.

I looked down at the envelope, running my fingers over the silver seal before opening it.

Inside was a single cream-colored card. An invitation to New York's most prestigious luxury asset and land auction.

"Tonight, I want you to represent us," my grandfather commanded.

I looked down at the invitation, confused.

"Represent who?"

My grandfather's gaze dropped to my bare ring finger. For the first time since I'd arrived, a faint smile touched his face.

"The family you chose to abandon for Dominic Brown."