Chapter 4 - Unraveling the Mistress
While the men dismantled the Cole finances in the study, Vanessa Hart tried to slip out through the rear service hallway. She had packed two designer leather bags stuffed with diamond jewelry, high-end watches, and cash from Adrian’s private safe. If the Cole empire was burning, she intended to salvage enough to fund her escape to Europe.
She pushed open the heavy oak service door leading to the garden—and stopped dead in her tracks.
Two massive men in tactical gear blocked the stone pathway, their faces impassive in the moonlight. Standing beside them was Nico Moretti, casually tossing a set of diamond-encrusted car keys in his palm.
“Going somewhere, Vanessa?” Nico asked, a sardonic smile playing on his lips.
Vanessa forced a trembling, high-pitched laugh, stepping back inside. “You must be mistaken. I’m a guest here. Adrian invited me—this is all a misunderstanding. I’ll just go back inside—”
“Guest?” Nico stepped forward, closing the distance between them with unsettling speed. He caught the strap of her designer bag, pulling it gently from her shoulder. “Let’s talk about your status as a ‘guest,’ Vanessa. Or better yet, let’s talk about your employment history.”
Vanessa’s face drained of all color. “What are you talking about?”
“Gabriel pulled your financial records before we even reached the gates,” Nico said, opening the bag and dumping its glittering contents onto a patio table. Diamonds, sapphires, and cash spilled across the stone. “Three years ago, you were an assistant accountant at a firm in Chicago. You embezzled four hundred thousand dollars, framed your superior, and skipped town. The warrant is still active, Vanessa. It just expired on our desk instead of the local precinct’s.”
Vanessa dropped to her knees, her manicured hands trembling as she grabbed at Nico’s trousers. “Please! Please don’t send me to prison! Adrian promised me everything! He said his wife was a nobody, a charity case who wouldn't fight back! He told me he was going to divorce her once the new construction contracts cleared!”
Nico looked down at her with pure disgust, stepping out of her reach. “A nobody? My sister has carried the weight of this family’s name longer than you’ve been drawing breath. You thought you were playing a high-stakes game with an amateur, Vanessa. But you were just a pawn in a slaughterhouse.”
From the doorway, Elena stepped out into the cool night air, her brothers’ overcoat draped over her shoulders. She looked down at the woman who had smiled as the whip tore into her flesh.
“Stand up, Vanessa,” Elena said quietly.
May you like
Vanessa looked up, tears streaking her makeup, her expensive dress ruined by grass stains and spilled wine. “Elena… please. You can take the money. You can take Adrian. Just let me go.”
“I’m not interested in your money, Vanessa,” Elena replied. “I’m interested in your testimony. Every single text message, every bank transfer, every recorded promise Adrian made to you while sharing our bed. You’re going to hand it all over to Luca. And then, you’re going to tell the world exactly who destroyed the Cole family.”
