Chapter 14 - The Maid's Bite
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Camilla’s face twisted into a mask of pure, unadulterated venom. She looked Naya up and down, sneering at the simple cashmere sweater and slacks she wore.
“You think you’ve won?” Camilla hissed. “You’re just a prop. A pathetic little shield he’s using to save face. When the Five Families meet this weekend at the summit, they won’t accept a penniless nobody. They’ll strip him of his territory, and you’ll go back to scrubbing toilets.”
Naya felt the sting of the insult, but she didn’t let it show. She remembered standing in financial aid offices, taking the sneers of bureaucrats. Camilla was nothing new.
Naya took a step forward, completely unfazed.
“You’re right, Camilla. I don’t have a wealthy family backing me. I didn’t grow up with silk sheets or trust funds.” Naya’s voice was calm, but sharp as shattered glass. “But I also didn’t grow up weak. I know how to survive. I know how to stand by the people I care about when things get hard.”
Naya leaned in slightly, her eyes locking onto Camilla’s.
“You ran because you’re a coward. You came back because you realized your father is losing a war, and you want to be on the winning side. But that seat is taken. Now take your bodyguards and leave, before I show you exactly how a girl from the slums defends what is hers.”
The two Rossi bodyguards shifted nervously, looking at Leo, who was smiling for the first time in weeks.
Camilla let out a frustrated shriek, spun on her designer heels, and stormed out of the sunroom, her men hurrying behind her.
The heavy doors slammed shut.
Devan stared at Naya, completely mesmerized.
“You didn’t have to do that,” he said quietly.
“She was annoying me,” Naya replied, though her hands were shaking slightly from the adrenaline.
Devan reached out, catching her trembling hand in his. He pulled her closer, stopping his chair just inches from her legs.
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“The summit is in three days,” Devan said, his voice dropping to a low, intimate rumble. “It will be dangerous. Rossi is mobilizing the families against me. I need you by my side, Naya. Not as a fake wife. As my partner.”
Naya looked down into his hazel eyes, her heart pounding. She nodded. “I’ll be there.”
