Chapter 11 - The Party Crashed
|
Vanessa froze. The color completely drained from her face, leaving her looking like a wax statue in her expensive red gown.
The guests murmured collectively, a low hum of shock rippling through the foyer. This wasn't a private argument anymore; this was a public execution of her social standing.
“You’re… you’re joking,” Vanessa stammered, her fake laugh sounding like breaking glass. “You’re humiliating me in front of our friends over some old hammers and a stupid piece of wood?”
“I’m canceling a wedding over a liar,” Luca said, his voice cold and resolute.
He didn't yell. He didn't have to. The quiet authority in his voice was far more terrifying than any scream. He turned slightly, making eye contact with Bruno, who had finished securing the perimeter and stepped back inside.
“Escort Miss Bellini to the guest house,” Luca ordered, pointing toward the front doors. “She has exactly one hour to pack her personal belongings. If she tries to take a single item that doesn't belong to her, break her fingers.”
“Luca, you can't do this!” Vanessa shrieked, finally dropping the shattered remnants of her poise. She threw her champagne glass to the floor, where it shattered into a hundred pieces across the marble. “I am a Bellini! My family—”
“Your family is alive because I allow it,” Luca cut her off, taking one intimidating step forward that made her physically recoil. “Don't push your luck tonight, Vanessa.”
He turned back to Bruno, ignoring her entirely. “Track down the demolition crew she hired. I want every single tool back in that garage by midnight. If anything is missing, find out who bought it, and remind them who they stole from.”
As two burly security guards moved in and grabbed Vanessa by the arms, she fought wildly. Her perfectly styled hair fell into her face. As they dragged her toward the heavy oak doors, she locked eyes with me standing near the library entrance.
“This is your fault!” she spat venomously, pointing a manicured finger directly at my chest. “You! You’re nothing but a desperate little maid! I will ruin you!”
Before I could even take a step back, Luca stepped between us, shielding me from her view. He didn't even look back at her. He just gave the guards a single, sharp nod.
“Get her out of my house.”
May you like
Vanessa was dragged backward, screaming about her ring, her dress, and her lawyers, until the heavy front doors slammed shut behind her, cutting her off completely.
The silence that followed was deafening.
