BOUND BY CONTRACT, CLAIMED BY DESIRE

Chapter 17: The Broken Necklace

Valentina's POV

The morning light came through my window. I turned my head and saw the wedding ring on my nightstand. I had taken it off sometime in the night.

I put it back on. The ring fit perfectly, but it felt wrong.

I got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. I splashed water on my face, dark circles sat under my eyes, but I ignored them. I dried my face and reached for my mother’s necklace.

It was the only thing she left me. A thin gold chain with a small heart pendant which she wore every day and when I was twelve, she gave it to me.

"You're old enough to keep it safe," she had said, smiling softly. "This is my heart. Wear it close to yours." And I always kept it safe.

I held the necklace up to the light. The clasp was bent, the metal had snapped. I tried to pinch it close but it would not hold. I tried again, and the chain slipped through my fingers and fell into the sink.

"No," I whispered. "No, no, no."

"Valentina," a soft voice called. Mrs. Chen opened my door slightly.

"Mrs. Chen, good morning," I said, turning to face her.

"Is there a problem?" she asked. "Breakfast is ready. Leonardo said you should be eating more."

Since when did he care if I ate? I shoved the thought away.

"No problem. Thanks. I will be there soon,” I said, as she closed the door.

I looked at the necklace in my palm. The heart pendant caught the light. My mother's smile flashed in my memory; her hands, her voice, the way she kissed my forehead before bed.

I set the necklace on the dresser, as my eyes burned. "I will fix you," I said. "I promise."

I did not know how. But I would try.

"s**t," I whispered, seeing the clock. 7 AM already, as I quickly freshened up and wore a black pants and white blouse.

The car was already downstairs, and the driver opened the door when he saw me as I slid into the back seat.

The drive to CrossTech was quiet. I watched buildings pass, people on sidewalks, men in suits, women in heels. Everyone moving somewhere, everyone belonging somewhere.

"We did not even have a honeymoon," I whispered. I laughed softly. "Well, it is a contract marriage after all,” I said, while the laugh died in my throat.

I walked into the lobby and took the elevator to the forty third floor. I sat at my desk outside Leonardo's office. His door was closed, the blinds were drawn.

I started working; emails schedules, a meeting for the IPO team at ten, a call with a vendor at eleven, and lunch with…

My phone buzzed, as I looked at it. "I need a coffee,” it was a message from Leonadro.

I made the coffee and carried it to his door. "Come in,” his voice was flat.

I opened the door. Leonardo sat behind his desk. His eyes were on his laptop, and dark circles sat under his eyes. His hair was messy, and he looked like he had not slept.

"Your coffee, Mr. Monte,” I said, setting the coffee down on his desk.

I stood there for a moment, waiting for something I could not name.

"Is there anything you need?" he asked, finally looking at me.

"No," I said. I turned to leave.

"Close the door on your way out,” he said, as I closed the door and sat back at my desk.

The clock said 2 PM. I had worked through the morning, through lunch and I had not even eaten, but I kept working anyway.

At 3 PM, I needed him to sign documents. “Come in,” he said, the familiar voice making me roll my eyes.

He was on the phone, speaking Italian. His voice was loud fillithe whole room.

"Non mi interessa la tua scusa. Voglio i numeri entro domani, o il contratto è nullo."

He ended the call and stared at his computer. "What do you want?" he asked, finally looking at me.

"Documents need your signature."

"Put them on the desk,” he heaved a sigh, as I walked to his desk and set the folder down.

"Will there be anything else?" he asked, looking at me like I was a boring movie.

"No," I said, as I rolled my eyes inside my head.

"Valentina,” I heard his voice from my back, as I turned.

His eyes were hard, but something else moved behind them. "Your work today, it's good.”

"Thank you," I said, as he looked back at his computer.

***

That night, I returned to the penthouse. Mrs. Chen smiled softly when I walked in and continued arranhing dinner while I walked to my room.

I opened the door and my eyes went straight to the dresser where the necklace was.

The clasp was fixed, the chain was whole again. Someone had repaired it.

I turned the necklace over in my hands. My mother's heart pendant swung gently and a wide smile spread across my face, but I saw the small piece of paper.

"Mrs. Chen found a jeweler.”

"Did she sneak into my room?" I said, laughing softly.

But Mrs. Chen didn't know about this necklace. She didn't know it was broken, she didn’t see me leave it on the dresser this morning and she's not always around in the afternoon.

Leonardo…

He must have come into my room while I was at work. He saw the necklace. He noticed it was broken. He had someone fix it.

I sat on the bed and held the necklace against my chest. The chain was warm and the heart pendant pressed against my collarbone. Why did he do it?

He called me his employee, he said nothing was different and he barely looked at me all day, but he fixed my mother's necklace.

I closed my eyes, the necklace warmed against my skin. "What are you doing to me?" I whispered.

I opened my eyes and looked at the door, listening for footsteps, but none. I lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

He fixed the necklace, he cared. And that terrified me more than his cruelty ever could.

Because cruelty I could hate. But this? This small, quiet, undeserved kindness? This was how he would destroy me.

Not with anger, but with hope.