The Coldwell

Taking out the trash

Vanessa returned those photographs to where they were. She didn't want her brother to think she was snooping through his things, though she did want to know what was up with that girl. She would wait for him to take care of telling her; if not, she'd find out later.

Darius emerged from the bathroom shortly after, and Vane smiled to see he had put on his plush pajamas. The fabric was covered in brown teddy bears, a matching set they had bought years ago—one for each of them.

"I see you still have it."

"And why wouldn't I? It was a gift from my beautiful sister. Is something wrong?" Darius asked, noting that her presence in his room at this hour meant something was amiss.

"My boss is in the foulest mood."

"And how does that concern me?"

"I think you know perfectly well, dear brother. What do you intend by causing the Harrigans to break the agreement you have with the Damascos? I've heard they'll be signing with you."

"Well, news travels fast."

"Darius, could you wait for me to come out of there before doing whatever it is you're doing? Please, I'm asking you."

"Since the moment I found out that man will be your target, he earned my hatred. I'm sorry, I can't help it. He'll be the first i***t to lay hands on my little sister, so I plan to ruin his perfect days from now on."

"Darius! Could you wait to do that?"

Vane looked at him with a pleading expression, hoping to convince him. She didn't want to tell him that she would be the one paying the price for her boss's bad mood.

"No, and it's not up for discussion, little spider."

Vane smiled despite his refusal. Little spider was the nickname he used to call her when she was a child.

"Well then, no problem. You're the one in charge of the corporation. I'm leaving; I'm super tired. There was a lot of work at the office."

"See you tomorrow. Rest well."

Vane headed towards her grandmother's room. She had to come to terms with the fact that Darius wouldn't back down. Shortly after, she spoke with Greta.

"What's going on, dear?"

"Dante Damasco wants a list of your closest clients and partners. In fact, I have to give him a list. Darius has ruined a big deal by causing the Harrigans to sever all ties with his company. I made the mistake of putting in my documents that I work at Coldwell Corporation, and to him, my last name is Sandres."

"Uhmmm, let me look. I think I have an old agenda around here. I have the contacts of old partners; you can use that information for the list."

"Thank you, Grandma. I knew you would help me."

"If he questions you and says those people are no longer associated with our corporation, just tell him that when you worked at the company, they were still active members."

"Perfect, that's what I'll tell him." The grandmother went to the desk in her room and pulled out the old agenda, handing it to Vane.

The girl said a heartfelt goodbye before wishing her a good night.

The grandmother smiled as she watched her leave; it was no secret that Vane was her favorite. She placed all her hope in her, expecting that she would take over when the time came, even though she knew the girl was the most rebellious of all her granddaughters, not completely agreeing with what they were doing.

As soon as Vane entered her room, she started working on that list.

Meanwhile, another Coldwell, Sara, was in a luxurious apartment on the other side of the enormous city. It was the one her current lover had rented for their passionate encounters.

The girl had dressed sensually and attractively in a bright red, high-necked dress that hugged her body, with an opening revealing the white skin of her leg, making her look radiant.

Her beautiful long blonde hair and the stunning green eyes, both distinctive features of the Coldwell girls, were covered by a wig with dark black hair and intense green contact lenses.

Michael arrived at the usual time; it was Thursday, the day they had their appointments. Sara had told him it was a special occasion, and she had prepared a delicious dinner. He thought she might finally accept his marriage proposal, now that his divorce from Monica was in progress.

"Darling, I'm glad you've arrived. I thought dinner would get cold."

"Well, it seems not, my love. Here I am, as punctual as always. You look as beautiful as ever, simply dazzling." He took Sara's hand to plant a kiss on it while looking deeply into her eyes.

"We better have dinner now; there will be time for other things later." She said with a sultry smile, running her tongue sensually over her lips before turning to walk towards the dining table.

Michael swept her with his gaze, placed his hand on his crotch, adjusting something in his pants, and then followed her.

Sara chatted amiably with the naive man during dinner. Her smile had him mesmerized as always. After finishing dinner, Sara stood up and asked him to do the same for a toast.

He couldn't wait until the end. From his pants pocket, he pulled out a small red velvet box, her favorite color.

"Susette, my love, let me speak first," that was the name she had presented to him, Sara. "I met you a short time ago, but for me, it's enough to know that I can't live without you. You've become more indispensable than the air I breathe."

Michael knelt in front of her, then opened the small box, revealing a ring with a beautiful diamond.

"Haha, look at yourself, poor trash." Sara decided not to wait any longer; she couldn't stand it, and she had achieved her goal.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Michael didn't understand what was happening. Perhaps the wine bottle was adulterated, and that's why she was acting this way.

"Do you know the disgust I felt every time you touched me? No, I don't think so. In your egocentric mind, all women are dying to open their legs for you."

"Damn it! I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, but I won't allow you to insult me like this."

Michael stood up furiously, then approached her rudely. At that moment, two huge men entered the apartment, positioning themselves next to Sara.

"You're naive, Michael. I don't know how you could believe that I really cared about you."

"Susette, you can't do this to me. I truly love you; I've ended my marriage with Monica to be able to build a life with you."

"Do you think I would marry a man who has cheated on so many women? You're a piece of garbage. You dared to a***e the adopted daughter of your ex-wife; you'll pay for all of that. I've gathered and handed over all the evidence; you'll spend the rest of your life behind bars."

Sara had collected various pieces of evidence against Michael, including phone recordings and videos showing how he abused some girls, including some very young ones.

"Take him away, and deliver him. He's already waiting for you to give him a warm welcome."

"No, Susette, enough with your damn joke. If you dare to hand me over, I'll make your life a hell, you damn bitch."

"Good luck with that. I'll make sure everyone knows what you've been doing. No one in your circle of friends will want to have any connection with you anymore. You thought you had silenced the voices of all those girls; today, I raise my voice for all of them. Tomorrow, you'll be front-page news in every newspaper and news program."

Michael lunged at her, but the two men stopped him, dragging him out of the apartment.

"Tomorrow, I'll add a new trophy to my collection, thanks to you, dear Michael, and the world will have one less piece of trash on the streets."

Sara took a sip from her glass for a final drink before leaving. After she left, three girls entered to clean the apartment, ensuring that no trace of Sara remained, doing so to prevent anyone from investigating her true identity. They didn't want future revenge.

The next morning, Vane woke up very early, had a quick breakfast, and then returned to her room to get ready. She didn't have much time to conquer Dante; she wanted to do it quickly and move on to the next target, avoiding falling in love. Her blonde boss made her excessively nervous.

She put on a tight black dress that highlighted all her curves without being vulgar. It had three-quarter sleeves and a discreet front neckline that still accentuated her well-proportioned attributes. The length was slightly above the knee, and paired with the high heels she chose, it emphasized her toned legs.

She left her long and beautiful blonde hair loose in waves, applied subtle makeup, highlighting her plump and well-shaped lips with gloss. She grabbed her bag and headed to the office.

When she said goodbye to her mother and grandmother, they both smiled, confident that Dante Damasco would soon be captivated by her.

Vanessa arrived at the office a few minutes later, saw the door to her boss's office slightly ajar, indicating that he was already inside. She went to the break room to make coffee and then knocked on Dante's office door.

"Come in," Dante ordered upon hearing the knock.

Vane walked slowly until she stood in front of him. He had his gaze fixed on the screen, and when he realized the girl wasn't saying anything, he looked up.

For a moment, his eyes darkened; he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was and how perfect her body was. He cleared his throat discreetly before addressing her.

"What do you want?" he replied rudely, not wanting to show that the beautiful sight in front of him was causing a stir in his groin.

"I thought you might want some coffee. It's early, and it's a bit cold," Vane said.

"Don't you dare bring me anything if I didn't ask for it. Understood?" Dante felt the urge to throw the hot coffee over her, but he managed to restrain himself.

"Understood, sir. It won't happen again."

"Now that you brought it, leave it. Call someone to bring you some clothes, change, and put on something more decent."

"I apologize for what I'm about to say, sir, but my clothes are not indecent. As you can see, I am not exposed."

"Here, we don't question what I say. You just obey, period."

"Yes, sir. I understand."

Vane turned around and stormed out, furious. That man was unbearable. In the office, Dante took the coffee cup to take a sip, never taking his eyes off the door.

"I have to be careful with this girl. I can't control my body's reactions when she's around," he said, drinking the coffee while staring at the door.