His Fiancée Betrayed Him Publicly—Then the Mafia Boss Chose the Woman Everyone Mocked
Chapter 5
Isabella returned three months later.
She arrived at Moretti Holdings with a legal team.
Her father had sent her to negotiate.
She expected Adrian to be angry.
Instead, he was polite.
“Isabella.”
“Adrian.”
She smiled.
“You look well.”
“So do you.”
She glanced around.
“I heard things changed.”
“They did.”
“I came to discuss a partnership.”
“No.”
She blinked.
“You didn’t even hear it.”
“I know enough.”
She looked at Elena.
“Who is she?”
Adrian answered.
“Elena Carter.”
“Your assistant?”
“Executive operations coordinator.”
Isabella smiled.
“She looks familiar.”
“She should.”
“What?”
“You met her at the engagement party.”
Isabella remembered.
“The girl with the broken glasses.”
Elena’s expression tightened.
Isabella laughed.
“I didn’t mean anything.”
Adrian’s voice became cold.
“That’s exactly the problem.”
Isabella’s smile disappeared.
She placed a folder on the table.
“We can still work together.”
“No.”
“My father owns several assets you need.”
“I don’t need them.”
“You will.”
Adrian looked at her.
“That’s not how this works.”
She leaned forward.
“Your company has enemies.”
“So does yours.”
She lowered her voice.
“Do you really think this woman can protect you?”
Elena stood.
“I don’t need to protect him.”
Isabella turned.
“Then why are you here?”
Elena answered calmly.
“Because he trusts me.”
Isabella laughed.
“That won’t last.”
She left.
Elena returned to her desk.
Adrian walked toward her.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“You handled that well.”
“I wanted to throw coffee at her.”
He smiled.
“You should have.”
She laughed.
A few weeks later, another problem emerged.
Someone was leaking confidential company documents.
Schedules.
Contracts.
Internal plans.
Adrian suspected a senior executive.
Elena noticed something.
Every leaked document had been accessed through the same office.
The chairman’s.
She showed Adrian.
“That can’t be right.”
“Why?”
“Because the chairman isn’t involved.”
“Then someone is using his credentials.”
They investigated quietly.
The evidence led to Adrian’s cousin, Marco Moretti.
Marco had been trying to weaken Adrian for years.
But he wasn’t working alone.
The financial records connected him to Isabella’s father.
Adrian was furious.
Elena touched his arm.
“Don’t do anything stupid.”
He looked at her.
“What would that be?”
“Whatever you’re thinking.”
He smiled.
“You’re the only person who talks to me like that.”
“Someone has to.”
He looked at her hand on his arm.
Neither moved.
Then Adrian said quietly,
“Stay close.”
Elena’s heart skipped.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want you getting hurt.”
