Chapter 8 - The Confrontation In The Drawing Room
Vanessa didn't bother to step inside the library; she simply stood in the doorway like a storm cloud about to break, clutching a thick manila legal folder in her manicured hand. Her sharp gaze swept over the table, lingering on the ivory lace before snapping up to lock onto Luca.
"I see you’ve turned my future bridal workshop into a museum for old rags," Vanessa said, her voice dripping with calculated venom. She stepped into the room, her high heels clicking sharply against the polished hardwood floor. "Luca, my father’s legal counsel has already reviewed the estate bylaws. If this employee isn't terminated immediately and the dress sent to the municipal landfill, we will be forced to reevaluate the merger agreement between our families."
Luca didn't flinch. He slowly straightened up from the table, stepping between Vanessa and me as if placing a physical barrier of protection. He didn't raise his voice, but the cold authority in his tone made the temperature in the room drop instantly.
"You can call your father's lawyers whenever you like, Vanessa," Luca said, his dark eyes narrowing. "And you can tell them that the merger is already under review. Because yesterday afternoon, I pulled the security logs from the service corridors leading down to the west wing."
Vanessa's face went completely bloodless. The red color drained from her cheeks, leaving her skin looking remarkably pale under the library lights. For a fraction of a second, her composure fractured, her lips parting as she tried to find words.
"The... the security logs?" she stammered, her fingers tightening around the manila folder until the cardboard buckled. "What are you talking about? The system was down for routine maintenance."
"It was down for thirty minutes," Luca replied smoothly, stepping closer to her. "Just long enough for someone in a red evening gown to carry a pair of embroidery shears down to the staff laundry bins and deliberately slash my mother's dress to pieces. We have the high-definition footage, Vanessa. Sound and video."
I watched from the edge of the table as Vanessa's facade completely crumbled. The arrogant, untouchable socialite vanished, replaced by a desperate woman realizing the trap had finally snapped shut. She looked around the library as if searching for an escape route, but the heavy oak door stood firmly behind her.
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"You're making a catastrophic mistake," Vanessa whispered, her voice trembling with suppressed rage as she pointed a shaking finger at me. "That little nobody has manipulated you from the start. She’s playing a long game for the estate, Luca. She’s nothing!"
"She has more integrity in her smallest finger than you have in your entire family line," Luca said coldly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small set of brass keys, dropping them onto the side table. "You have twenty-four hours to pack your bags from the guest wing and vacate the premises. If I see your face anywhere near these archives again, I won't just dissolve the engagement—I'll make sure every board member in the city sees the footage before dinner."
