Valeria's POV
I entered Siren Industries like a shadow, my presence noticed by the few who dared cross my path. The hum of the office was just as I remembered it—efficient, cold, and indifferent. The usual chatter was muted in the background, but I had no need for it. My thoughts were a storm, a whirlwind of frustration, anger, and something deeper I wasn't ready to face. Adrian had betrayed me. No, not just betrayed. He had broken the one thing I thought would never snap—the bond between us.
It had been severed, like a delicate thread pulled taut and finally snapping under the weight of his decisions. He had destroyed what little trust I had left in him. He had turned his back on me, and now, I was left to deal with the consequences.
I could feel the old coldness creeping back into me, wrapping itself around my heart, solidifying like ice. No more feelings. No more care. I would not allow myself to feel any of the bitterness, the hurt, that wanted to crawl its way to the surface. I had no room for it. Not here, not now.
I walked through the sleek glass doors of my office, the familiar scent of polished wood and leather greeting me like a lover's embrace. But there was nothing soft about it. Nothing welcoming.
I removed my coat and tossed it aside. My fingers brushed against the smooth surface of the desk, lingering for a moment. This was where I belonged. Here, I had power. I was in control, and no one—least of all Adrian—could take that away from me.
The memories of him and the bond we had shared were already fading, replaced by a cold, calculated drive to continue. To rise above the foolishness he had forced me to confront. I could still feel the tremor of his touch, the sting of his abandonment, but it was nothing compared to the raging fire inside me now.
I was Valeria Moretti. And nothing could change that.
"Good morning, Ms. Moretti," a voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me out of the void. I glanced up to see my assistant, Sara, standing in the doorway with a stack of papers.
I didn't answer right away, my gaze locking with hers. There was a quiet wariness in her eyes, a subtle shift in her posture. She knew. They all knew. Something was different about me today.
"Take a seat," I said, my voice colder than I intended. Sara hesitated but sat across from me, handing over the documents.
"Everything is set for today's meeting with the board," she said, her voice soft, careful. I could sense her hesitation. She didn't want to ask, didn't want to intrude. But I wasn't the same. I had always been ruthless, but now there was an edge to me.
I scanned the papers, my mind already shifting gears. The business had to continue. The power had to remain with me. I wouldn't let anyone see the cracks that had formed. Not even my closest associates.
I dismissed her with a simple nod, and she left as quietly as she had entered. As the door clicked shut behind her, I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes for a moment.
The silence was suffocating, but I welcomed it. It was the only constant I had now.
Adrian's betrayal had done more than break our bond. It had solidified my path. I would no longer waste time on those who couldn't understand the price of loyalty. I wouldn't waste time on the weak.
Tomorrow, when the board meeting came, I would be the Siren they all feared. I would be the woman they respected. The woman who controlled everything in her wake. And Adrian? He would fade into the background, nothing more than a shadow of a fool who couldn't handle the fire he'd once played with.
I stood from the desk, my movements fluid, calculated.
Tomorrow, everything would return to normal. My world would be right again.
And Adrian would learn that it was not his absence that mattered—but the absence of my care for him.