Chapter 6

Elara's POV

I walk into Lorenzo's office building at exactly 8:30 a.m. the next day. My plan is to make him see me as a great and obedient employee, and then, when he isn’t aware, I'll strike hard. The office is furnished with dark wood furniture, floor-to-ceiling windows, and the most magnificent view of the city below.

As I knock on the door, I can’t shake the feeling that something significant awaits me on the other side.

“Come in,” Lorenzo calls, his voice commanding. I push the door open and step inside, only to freeze at the sight before me. Seated in front of Lorenzo is a woman with sleek black hair and an air of confidence that feels familiar. But I can’t quite see her face from where I stand.

“Good morning, Mr. Russo,” I chirp, forcing a smile as I step further into the room. My eyes flicker back to the woman, a growing unease settles within me.

“Have a seat, Walker,” Lorenzo says, his gaze sharp as it locks onto mine.

My eyes widen in disbelief as I finally see the face of the woman sitting across from him.

“Nina?” I gasp, my eyes not leaving her face.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Nina shoots back, rising to her feet, her expression a mixture of surprise and disgust as she sees me.

“You bitch! You sold me out for money! How could you, Nina? I thought we were friends!”

Nina scoffs. She rolls her eyes as her hands cross over her chest. “Friends? You think I would want to be friends with someone like you? You’re joking, right?”

What the hell does she mean by someone like me? She's the despicable one. “Nina, we grew up together in that neighborhood! You know me better than that. How could you support him?” I point at Lorenzo, my voice rising with each word. “His company ruined our lives, and you told him where Jayden was! You know his condition is delicate! Anything could happen to him!”

“Well, he offered me a job! I’m jobless, Elara. After our home was destroyed, I needed something, so I delivered the information. You can’t blame me for wanting to survive.”

Wow, how did I never see this evil side of Nina? “You are disgusting!”

“And you?” she fires back, a cruel smile on her lips. “What are you doing here? If I'm disgusting because I want his money, then so are you. Aren’t you here for the money too?”

I can feel my blood boiling. “You bitch, I am going to—”

“Shut up, both of you!” Lorenzo's sharp commanding voice interrupts. “Sit down.”

I glance at him, my eyes narrowing as I wonder what he's playing at.

“The two of you are acting like little children,” he says, his expression serious as he looks between us. “Now, Nina, you’re going to be my personal assistant.”

I blink, confused while Nina smirks. “But why am I here?”

“Well,” Lorenzo continues, “Nina needed a job, and she gave me the information in exchange for it. So, I couldn’t reject her. You’re both going to work as co-assistants to me,” he declares, his voice firm.

Nina’s expression shifts from smug to shocked. “Co-assistants?”

“Yes,” Lorenzo says, glancing at her. “Since Nina came first, she’ll be the leader and show Elara what to do.”

“What? No way!” I shout, rising to my feet again.

“Absolutely not!” Nina joins in, her voice rising to match mine.

Lorenzo glares at us, his eyes narrowing. “Enough! You will both sit down and do your jobs. This is not up for discussion. After some time, I'll choose who stays and who leaves.”

I feel the heat of his glare on me, and I glance down at my hands, which are clenched into tight fists. The realization hits me hard—I don’t have a choice in this matter.

“Fine,” I mutter, the word bitter on my tongue.

As we begin work, Nina doesn't hesitate to make my life miserable. While she focuses on carrying out the more important tasks, I become the errand girl. "Elara, go do this, go do that. Prepare coffee, blah blah blah." I hate this pretender.

Finally, I get some breathing space when Nina goes to deliver some files to HR. It is break time, and I am drained. I walk toward Lorenzo's office to ask for permission, but just as I raise my hand to knock, I overhear something that makes me freeze in my steps.

“Demolitions are set to begin on the east side,” Lorenzo's sharp voice announces.

I freeze, my heart racing. The east side? That’s where the Roselia orphanage is—the one I’ve cared about for years. That place is my first home. The home for older adults and the homeless shelter are also there. No! They can’t do that!

I lean closer, straining to catch more snippets of the conversation.

“Yes, sir, and once the plan gets approved, there’ll be no turning back,” a second voice replies urgently. “We can’t afford any delays.”

I stand there, thinking of how to disrupt this plan. I couldn't do anything when my home and livelihood were being destroyed by Lorenzo's henchmen. But this time, I won't stand here and watch them do the same to others.

I had tried so hard to put up a fight for the first time. I tried everything I could to sabotage their plans. But I had failed. This time, I was bound to succeed.

Deciding to just return to my seat and avoid the break, I turn and nearly jump out of my skin. Nina stands behind me, arms crossed and a smirk on her face. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” I snap, trying to bypass her.

Nina narrows her eyes. Her ugly, manicured hands stretch out to hold me in place. “I know you’re up to something. And I’m going to find out what it is. And then, I'm going to make sure you pay dearly,” she whispers, her sickly sweet voice making my stomach churn.

I open my mouth to retort, but just then, Lorenzo walks out of his office, flanked by a man in a grey suit—one of the executives.

“What’s going on here?”

“Nothing, sir,” Nina and I respond in unison before exchanging glares again.

“It’s time for a break,” Lorenzo states. “You can both head out.”

“I’m not tired," I say, turning towards my desk. The plan I just heard has ruined my appetite.

Nina, on the other hand, beams at him. “Are you going for lunch? Maybe I could join you?”

What the hell? She thinks we're in a dating academy? Bitch, this is an office.

Lorenzo glares at her, making me chuckle lowly. Poor girl just got rejected. As he turns to walk away, I lock eyes with the man in the grey suit, and he gives me a small smile. My face flushes a bright shade of crimson. Wow, he's cute. And he smiled at me.

Suddenly, Lorenzo halts in his steps and glares at me. Then he turns towards Nina. "You know what, Nina? Why don’t you join me? I have a beautiful restaurant reservation that Nicola here won’t be able to sit with me for, so I need someone to take his place.”

A gleeful smile spreads across Nina’s face as she launches herself toward him. “Of course! I’d love to!”

As they all walk away, I roll my eyes. I can’t believe Nina is so eager to hang out with Lorenzo after everything. And she even held his hand, like he's her boyfriend. Stupid jerks. I don't even know why it bothers me so much. She's a bitch and he's a demon.

An hour later, I decide to head to Lorenzo’s office. I need to find any information I can about the demolition project. That way, I'll know how to stop them.

After a long search, which consists of me opening and closing all cabinets multiple times, I hit the jackpot. Right on top of his table is a file named “East Side Projects.”

I open it and quickly scan through. My eyes land on a date: 23/01/25. That must be the date for the demolition.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoes from outside. Lorenzo is coming. Shit.

I quickly close the file and place it back in its original position. My heart drums wildly in my chest, threatening to break my ribcage. My eyes lock on the door as the knob turns. Shit. Shit. Shit. How do I explain my presence in his office when I am clearly not supposed to be there?

I glance up, my heart pounding as I see Nina stepping inside, a smug look across her face. Shit. Her being the one to see me is much worse.

"Well, well. What do we have here? Seems like someone's doing a little snooping. How cute."