REBORN TO RUIN HIM, CROWNED BEYOND HIS REACH

Chapter 4Who the Hell is She?!

(Elara's POV)

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Five Years Later…

The room is loud, not in volume but in power.

Every voice carries weight. Every handshake means something. Every smile hides a negotiation already in motion.

I stand near the center of it all, untouched.

“Ms. Virelli, your presence alone just shifted the entire room,” someone says beside me, half-joking, half-serious.

I glance at him briefly, offering a polite smile. “That tends to happen.”

He laughs. People always do when they’re not sure if I’m joking.

“Your next meeting is in ten minutes,” Matteo murmurs at my side.

I nod.

The doors open. Most people don’t notice, but I do as the air shifts into something familiar.

Five years later, and I’d still recognize that presence anywhere.

“Dominic Ashford just arrived,” Matteo adds quietly.

Of course he did. Right on time.

I pick up my glass, taking a slow sip, letting the moment stretch.

In my first life, I would’ve looked for him, waited.

Now? I make him wait.

“Send them to my office,” I say, already turning away to the conference room.

It is quiet when I step in, the kind of silence that comes from money deciding outcomes before words are spoken.

I take my seat at the head of the table, flipping through a file without reading it.

Numbers don’t interest me, people do.

The door opens and Matteo steps in first. “Mr. Ashford and Ms. Laurent have arrived.”

I close the file slowly. “Send them in.”

The door opens again, but I don’t look up.

“Mr. Ashford,” Matteo greets.

“Mr. Rinaldi,” Dominic replies.

His voice hasn’t changed. He still has that edge over his voice.

“And you must be Ms. Laurent.” Matteo acknowledges.

“Yes,” Isabella says smoothly. “It’s a pleasure.”

Of course it is, then Dominic looks up at Matteo. “I heard the Virelli heiress would be present.”

I smile and keep my composure, waiting for his reaction when he finally sees me.

“I’ve met her before,” Isabella says quickly.

A lie which I clearly expected from someone as her.

“Oh?” Dominic asks, turning to face her with smiles on both of his cheeks.

“Yes,” she continues, slipping her arm around him. “We’ve crossed paths at a private event. She’s… impressive.”

Of course she is. I close the file, the sound making their attention shift instantly.

I look up. Dominic sees me first and for a second everything in his expression fractures.

“Elara?” he says, staring at me with a straight face. My name sounds unfamiliar in his mouth.

Beside him, Isabella stills as though she couldn't recognize me anymore.

“What are you doing here?” Dominic asks, his brows pulling together.

He steps closer, tightening his arms by his side. “You came back?” he adds, quieter now. “For this?”

His gaze flicks around the room, then returns to me, putting both of his arms in his pocket. “Or did you finally realize walking away was a mistake?”

I say nothing.

“You should save yourself the trouble,” he continues, colder now. “I’m not interested in your advances and I don’t take back things I’ve already let go.”

Did he just say advances? I chuckle, shaking my head slightly. He really thinks so highly of himself.

Beside him, Isabella relaxes, still holding him tightly.

I rise slowly from my seat and walk toward him, until I stop right in front of him, close enough to see that shake in his expression.

I could see the way he is looking at me, of course he is seeing the version of me he doesn’t recognize.

I tilt my head slightly. “Mr. Ashford,” I say smoothly, extending my hand.

I pause and give a smile. “We’ve never been properly introduced.”