Chapter 6

Dazzling lights buzzes relentlessly above, casting a not so pleasing glow across the interrogation room. I sat alone, my fingers absently tracing the rough edges of the wooden table that separates me and the guy on uniform . The table felt more like a protective  barrier, though whether it was protecting me or them, I wasn't sure of what anymore.

My evening gown, which had seemed so off at the party just hours ago, was  stained and wrinkled all the more. I could feel my hair coming loose from its careful styling , going out of shape like an honest nest, adding to my wretched appearance. Outside the room, I could hear the steady rhythm of shoes hitting beats against the tiled floor and the murmur of voices discussing what they believe to be my fate. In all my efforts to calm myself, my heart raced against my ribcage threatening to break through.

As I waited, my mind wandered to questions I'd been asking myself all night. Is Marino's heart really made of stone? Throughout our five years of relationship and three years of marriage, I had never go wrong on him, not once. Yet here I was, sitting in a police station because he couldn't be bothered to get his facts straight before having me arrested.

The irony wouldn't lose out on me. Three years ago, Marino had sent me packing with nothing to my name. Now, at our first meeting since then, he was sending me to the police station,how beautiful. Some reunion this really is.

The heavy door clicked open, and there he was – Marino Myers, standing tall and firm, arms crossed over his  broad chest . The sight of him sent an unconscious cold shiver down my spine, though still fought to keep my face neutral to all. He  haven't changed much from Three years ,back  when he tore my world apart, right down to that air of indifference that seemed to cling to him like expensive perfumes.

"Gianna," he said, his voice as cold as I remembered, looking down at me as if I were something unpleasant he stepped on at the bottom of his boots. "You really need to understand the consequences of your actions. Freya's been hospitalized. I think you should know better."

 

Meeting his gaze with a disregard of my own, pushing down the sadness that threatened to overwhelm me once more.     I Instead, let a mask of indifference sit over my features – two could play at this game. "Mr. Myers, you're so powerful that you could do anything you want. I'll be waiting to see what you can do. An apology? Me? Apologies?Well,You can get it in your next life."

The muscles in his jaw tightened – the only indication that my words had any effect on him at all. Before he could give me a reply that could show how deep I cut through, a police officer entered the room, his presence momentarily diffusing the tension between us.

"Miss, we need  to ask you a few  questions,simple ones too," the officer began, but was interrupted by the shrill ring of my phone. I took a glance at Marino, half-expecting him to object to something, but he just stood there, watching with that infuriating blankness as usual.

"Excuse me," I said, answering the call. Immediately, Thane's voice blared through the receiver, so loud I had to hold the phone away from my ear, before my eardrums burst open.

"Gianna, where the hell are you? Didn't I tell you to wait in the lounge for me?"

I squealed at his intensed tone. "I'm sorry, Mr. Reed! Something came up  and I am also currently at the police station now."

"What? The police station? Why?How did you  ..?" His impatience was extremely thick even through the phone, it was obvious.

"Well... Well..." I struggled to find the words to explain the situation. How do you explain being  arrested for assaulting your boss's business partner's daughter? Or  That the carefully set up evening he'd planned had devolved into chaos because I couldn't keep my temper in check?

As I fumbled for a response, a thought hit me with crushing clarity: men are truly the cruelest creatures in the world, and Marino is one of the leaders of the pack of those beast. I must have been blind to have fallen in love with such a cold-blooded and heartless beast like him back then. Looking at him now, standing there with his perfect suit and perfectly blank expression, I couldn't even recognize the man I'd once loved.

The police officer, perhaps sensing my distress, spoke up with what I suppose he thought was a helpful suggestion. His voice was almost sympathetic as he asked with pity in his eyes, "Miss, why did you offend this couple of all? The lady is Mr. Cook's daughter, and Marino is a business tycoon. Apologizing might help you resolve this."

I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. "Thank you, sir. Now that I've lost my job and I have nowhere to go, being locked up here might help me tide through things a bit. Also,Forget about the apology."

The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the continuous buzz of those awful fluorescent lights that seemed like they were aimed at me. Marino's expression hadn't changed, but I could sense his growing irritation for me. Good. Let him be irritated. I had nothing left to lose.

Just when the tension in the room was about becoming unbearable for me, the door bursts open again. This time, it was Thane who entered, his presence immediately commanding attention in a way that even Marino couldn't match. He took in the scene before him – me in my ruined dress, Marino by the wall, the sympathetic officer – and a smirk played across his lips.

"Gianna, get up. We're leaving." His voice wouldn't take no for an answer, booming with confidence and power that seemed to fill the small room.

I stared at him, hesitant but intrigued. "Leave?"

Thane's smirk widened. "Do you want to stay here?"

I glanced at Marino, who remained impassive, then back at Thane. Slowly, I stood up, smoothing down my dress in a futile attempt to regain some of my dignity after almost losing my pride. The wooden chair scraped against the floor as I pushed it back, the sound unnaturally loud in the tense atmosphere.

As Thane led me out of the police station, his confident stride a stark contrast to my uncertain steps, he actually laughed. "I can't believe you let them bully you like this!"

I rolled my eyes, though internally, I was grateful for his presence. "Thanks for coming, I guess."

The night air hit me as we stepped into the parking lot, and I took my first deep breath in what felt like hours. The weight of the world felt a little lighter, but doubts still lingered still. What consequences lay ahead with Marino? What about my career? Thane might have gotten me out of the immediate situation, but the night's events would have repercussions I couldn't yet fathom.

As we walked to his car, I couldn't help but replay the events of the evening in my head. The party, Freya's screams, the chaos that followed – it all seemed surreal now. But what stuck with me most was the look in Marino's eyes when he'd seen me in that interrogation room. Not anger, not hate, just... nothing, nothing but emptiness he felt for me,As if I meant nothing to him. As if our years together had meant nothing, as if our memories where empty and all.

Thane opened the car door for me, his usual bravado momentarily softened. "You okay?"

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. As I slid into the passenger seat, I caught a glimpse of myself in the side mirror – disheveled, makeup smeared all over, looking every bit like someone who  just got rounded up. But beneath the mess, I saw something else in my reflection: determination. Marino might thinke this was over, thinking he'd won by humiliating me at the police station. But he was wrong, very wrong 

This isn't end tho. It was just the beginning.

As Thane started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, I gave a small room for a smile to settle on my face. Marino had always underestimated me – it was time to show him exactly what I was capable of. The night might have been a disaster, but tomorrow was a new day. And I had nothing left to lose.

The city lights blurred past the window as we drove, and I felt a strange sense of calm settle within me. Whatever came next, I would face it head-on. After all, when you've hit rock bottom, the only way left for you, is to go up. And I was ready to climb, no matter how difficult the journey might be.

As we stopped at a red light, Thane glanced over at me. "You know this isn't over, right? Marino won't let you go easily."

I met his gaze sternly. "I know. But neither will I."

The light turned green, and we moved forward into the night, leaving the police station and Marino behind. But as the distance between us grew, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the first skirmish in what would become a much larger battle.

Let him come, I thought. I Will definitely be ready, this time.