Two Can Play Devil—The Don's Fiery Wife

UNSPOKEN DEBT

Lorenzo's POV

Ten years is a long time to stay hungry.

I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office, looking down at the city that used to treat me like trash. Now, I owned the view. But my mind wasn't on the skyscrapers or the millions flowing through my accounts. It was on a woman in a red dress who probably spent her night cursing my name.

"You’re brooding again, Boss. It’s bad for the image."

I didn't turn around. I knew that voice anywhere. Leonardo—Leo to me—was leaning against the edge of my marble desk, tossing a gold lighter up and down. He was my right hand, my best friend, and the only person in this building who wasn't terrified of me.

"I'm not brooding, Leo. I'm calculating," I said, my voice flat.

Leo let out a short, sharp laugh. "Sure. Calculating how long it’ll take for Elena Moretti to walk through those doors? Are you sure she’s even coming? That girl has enough pride to fill this entire penthouse. She might just let the company burn out of spite."

I turned then, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. "She loves that company more than she hates me. It’s the only thing she has left of her father. She’ll be here."

Leo flipped the lighter open, the flame dancing for a second before he snapped it shut. "I saw the contract you drafted, Lorenzo. Those clauses... 'Wifely duties'? Bedroom duties? Don’t you think that’s a bit absurd? Even for a revenge plot? She’s going to look at that and throw the pen at your head."

"Then she can get out," I said, walking back toward my desk. I sat down in my leather chair, feeling the familiar weight of power. "She doesn't get to negotiate this time. Ten years ago, I was the one begging. Now, the roles are reversed. She signs what I give her, or she loses everything."

Leo opened his mouth to reply, probably to tell me I was being a Tier-1 jerk, but a soft knock on the door cut him off.

"Come," I muttered.

My secretary, a woman who knew better than to ever breathe loudly in my presence, stepped in. "Mr. Vitale, Ms. Elena Moretti is here to see you."

I looked at Leo. I didn't say a word, but my "I told you so" look was loud enough to fill the room. Leo just grinned and stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Let her in," I told the secretary.

As the doors opened, Leo whispered under his breath, "Let the devil’s play begin."

Then, she walked in.

Even though I’d seen her last night, the sight of her hit me like a physical blow to the chest. She wasn't wearing the red dress anymore. She was in a charcoal-grey suit that screamed Boss b***h. Her hair was perfect, her makeup was flawless, and she walked as if she owned the building, not me.

Internally, I chuckled. Still defiant. Still acting like a queen even when her kingdom is on fire.

She walked straight to the sofa and sat down. She didn't look at me. Instead, she made a show of brushing an imaginary speck of dust off the armrest before her eyes finally drifted toward the side of the room. She did a double-take when she saw Leo standing there.

"Leo?" she breathed, her voice losing its edge for a split second.

Leo gave her a small, sympathetic tilt of his head. "Hey, Elena."

I didn't like the way her voice softened for him. I cleared my throat, spinning my chair slightly to draw her attention back to where it belonged. On me.

"Oh, Elena," I said, my tone dripping with fake disappointment. "You’re actually on time. I’m almost disappointed. I thought for the sake of your pride, you’d make me wait at least three hours. Maybe four."

Elena adjusted herself on the sofa, finally looking me dead in the eye. "Don't flatter yourself, Lorenzo. My pride is perfectly intact. I'm here because, unlike you, I actually value my time—and you're currently wasting it. Why did you summon me here? I assume it’s not because you missed me."

The "missed me" comment bit. It was a mocking statement from her, but for a second, the memory of her laughter in my ears from a decade ago flashed through my mind. I pushed it down.

"I like that you’re still straight to business," I said, leaning forward. "It hasn't changed. It makes it all the more satisfying to watch you break."

I saw her swallow. It was a tiny movement in her throat, but I caught it. She was nervous. Good. But she recovered instantly, snapping back at me with that fire I’ve always secretly loved.

"Is that what this is about? You're still holding a grudge over something that happened when we were teenagers? Grow up, Lorenzo."

"It wasn't a grudge, Elena. It was a debt, which I have come to collect," I said. I pulled the thick folder from my drawer and slid it across the marble desk. "Everything is in there. The terms of our... partnership."

She raised a brow at the term I used.

"Hope you didn't actually think I wanted to marry you, Elena, cause it would actually be hilarious." My face grew extra cold. "This is nothing more than a contract, which will hold for a year at least, and then I discard you."

I expected her to make a snarky comeback, but she just clenched her fists as if holding herself back. I knew she was going to explode soon.

She stood up, grabbed the folder, and began flipping through it. I watched her eyes move. I waited for it.

I didn't have to wait long. She stopped on the second page, her face turning a bright, angry red.

"Wifely duties?" she hissed, looking up at me. "Public appearances, social events, and... 'bedroom duties'? Lorenzo, you have to be joking. You think I’m going to sign a contract that says I have to sleep with you?"

"It’s a marriage, Elena," I said, leaning back and lacing my fingers. "The board is looking for any reason to say this is a sham. If we don't live like a real couple, if we don't share a bed, they’ll know. You either agree to the full package, or you walk out that door right now."

She looked at me with pure disgust. "Are you really that desperate for my body? That you have to write it into a legal document?"

I couldn't help it. I let out a loud laugh, and behind me, I heard Leo chuckle too.

"Don't think too highly of yourself, Elena," I said, flashing her a flirtatious wink that I knew would piss her off. "It’s the only thing I actually get out of this contract. And besides... we both know we’re going to enjoy it. You were always a terrible liar when it came to how you felt in my arms."

"You—" she started, her hand trembling as she held the folder. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "Fine. But I have clauses of my own."

I arched a brow. That was easy, but I still muttered, "Go on."

"We stay out of each other's private business. I don't meddle in your business as long as it doesn't affect me, and you stay out of mine. And most importantly," she stepped closer, leaning over my desk, "you have nothing to do with my father’s company. You provide the name, you provide the 'marriage,' but the Moretti legacy stays with me."

I smiled. It was the smile of a predator who had already won. "I have no interest in a measly company, Elena. I have my own empire. Your father’s business is a toy compared to what I run. You can keep it."

I shoved a gold pen toward her. "Sign. Or leave."

She stared at the pen for a long time. I could see the battle happening behind her eyes. Then, with a frustrated growl, she grabbed the pen and scribbled her name so hard I thought the paper might tear.

She tossed the pen back at me. "I hate you."

"I know," I said, checking my watch. "Get ready by six. My driver will pick you up. There’s a party tonight—half the city will be there. We’re going to announce our engagement and give them something to talk about."

She turned to leave, her heels clicking angrily against the floor.

"Elena," I called out just as she reached the door.

She stopped, but didn't turn around. Her shoulders were tense.

"I look forward to taming you into my little obedient pet," I said softly.

She finally turned, giving me a look that could have melted steel. "I look forward to seeing you try, Lorenzo. Just don't be surprised when you get burned."

She slammed the door behind her.

Leo whistled, walking over to the desk. "Man... she’s going to kill you in your sleep."

I looked at her signature on the paper. "Let her try. It’s been ten years since I felt this alive."