Chapter 6 - THE WHISPERED BETRAYAL
The penthouse suite on the 50th floor was completely dark.
Valeria paced back and forth across the hardwood floor.
Her phone vibrated against her palm.
She answered on the first ring.
“Tell me you fixed this,” Valeria hissed into the receiver.
“Alessandro is losing his mind,” Uncle Marco’s voice whispered on the other end. “The board is turning against him.”
“He promised me financial security!” Valeria cried out.
“He doesn’t have any money left, Valeria,” Marco said coldly. “Sarah froze every trust fund. We made a bad bet.”
Valeria’s breath caught.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean we need to cut our losses,” Marco said. “I’m handing over all of Alessandro’s ledger books to the federal prosecutor tonight.”
A cold chill ran down Valeria’s spine.
“You’re betraying him?”
“Survival isn’t betrayal, my dear,” Marco laughed softly. “It’s good business.”
The line went dead.
Valeria dropped her phone onto the sofa.
She looked toward the bedroom where Alessandro sat in total darkness, drinking whiskey straight from the bottle.
She grabbed her designer handbag from the counter.
She tiptoed toward the private elevator.
She pressed the down button frantically.
The bell chimed.
The doors slid open.
Sarah stood inside the elevator car, holding a leather briefcase.
Valeria gasped, stumbling backward.
“Going somewhere, Valeria?” Sarah asked softly.
Valeria swallowed hard, her hands shaking.
“Sarah… please. I was tricked by him too.”
Sarah stepped out of the elevator.
She stopped right in front of the terrified mistress.
“You chose the wrong man to manipulate,” Sarah said calmly.
Sarah raised her hand and slapped Valeria across the face with surgical precision.
Valeria fell against the wall, clutching her reddening cheek.
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“Pack your bags,” Sarah whispered. “Your time in this city is over.”
THE END OF CHAPTER 6
