HER REVENGE

22.

Luica burst out laughing as she placed a cup of coffee on the table.

"What? He did what?" she asked, barely able to contain her amusement.

"I'm serious!" Chiara said, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "He was so cruel, so callous."

"But it's so ridiculous!" Luica said,"I mean, who does that?" Chiara sighed

"So, what are you going to do?" Luica asked, her laughter subsiding.

"I'm going to keep trying, I know that if I just keep trying, he'll eventually fall in love with me."

"Oh my God, Chiara," Luica said, shaking her head in disbelief. "That's not the way to do it. You need to win his trust, not his affection."

"I'll make him trust me, and then he'll love me,"

"Just be careful you don't fall for him in the process,"

"Pfft, I could never fall for someone like that," Chiara scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, are you busy today?"

"Not at all!" Luica said, a smile playing on her lips. "Want to go shopping?"

Chiara clapped her hands together, delighted at the suggestion. "That sounds like the perfect way to forget about that fool!"
★★★

As Matteo entered the room, he saw Massimo sitting at his desk, a cigarette dangling from his fingers.

"What's with the attitude?" Matteo asked "What are you doing here?"

"You don't sound too happy to see me," Massimo observed, his own tone growing frosty. "I thought we were friends."

"I'm not sure we are anymore," Matteo said, crossing his arms over his chest

"Matteo, You told me you wanted to take down Alessandro. But now I find out that you're working as a photographer for his company?"

"How did you find out?"

"That's none of your business,"

"I thought you were fighting for the CEO position!" Massimo said, his voice rising in volume. "But now you're just going to let him have it?"

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me," Matteo said, his own temper flaring. "And for the record, I never wanted the CEO position. I'm perfectly happy being a photographer."

Massimo scoffed, Massimo took a step closer to Matteo, invading his personal space.

"You can fool everyone else, but you can't fool me, Stop being a coward and fight for the CEO position."

Matteo's eyes flashed with anger. "I am not a coward,I have told you, over and over again, that I do not want the CEO position. I am perfectly happy doing what I do now."

Massimo's gaze turned dark and menacing, "You're not the same Matteo I knew, But if you're not interested in the CEO position, maybe we can work together to take down Alessandro and steal the Fabrizio fortune."

. "You can't be serious, I would never betray my family like that."

Massimo's lip curled in a cruel smile."You said you never considered them family," Massimo said, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Let's work together to kill them."

"I'm sorry, but I can't, And you need to stay away from them."

Massimo's smirk turned into a sneer. "But you never liked Alessandro. What's changed?"

Matteo's jaw clenched, his hands balling into fists at his sides."I'm done talking to you, Get out."

"I see you've chosen their side, But let me tell you something - I won't stop until I kill Alessandro for what he did to me. And since you won't join me, I consider you an enemy as well."

Matteo's lips curled into a smirk, and he took a step closer to Massimo.

"I may look gentle now, But don't forget - I'm still the dangerous Matteo Perez you knew before. Be careful."

Massimo's eyes narrowed, his jaw set. "We'll see about that," he said, turning on his heel and walking away.

Matteo hit the wall with his fist, the force of the impact reverberating through his body. "I should have killed him when I had the chance,"
★★★

Alessandro was doing exercises when Chiara entered the room, dressed in a tight workout outfit that left little to the imagination. But Alessandro didn't even glance up, his attention focused entirely on the weight he was carrying.

Chiara cleared her throat, hoping to catch his attention, but he seemed oblivious to her presence. She bit her lip, frustration building inside her. What was she going to have to do to get him to notice her?

Chiara walked up to Alessandro, swaying her hips seductively. But he didn't even look up, continuing to lift the weights in front of him.

Chiara stood directly in front of him, her hands on her hips, trying to get his attention. "You look so sexy and hot," she purred.

Alessandro said nothing, his focus entirely on his workout. Chiara pouted, trying to come up with another strategy to get him to notice her. She bent down in front of him, but he just looked away. Chiara sighed.

Chiara placed her hand on Alessandro's chest, trying to get a reaction from him. "You're looking handsome," she said, a smile playing on her lips.

"Are you here to work out or to touch me?"

Chiara's smile faltered. She hadn't expected him to be so direct, and she felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her.

She stepped back, her cheeks flushed with heat. "I... I was just trying to be friendly," she stammered.

"Friendly?" Alessandro said, walking up to her until she was pressed against the door. He lifted her chin so she was forced to look at him.

"What do you mean by that?

"I... I just wanted to chat," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Alessandro chuckled, but there was no humor in the sound. "You want to chat, huh?, I thought we agreed to some ground rules, but you've crossed a line. I have no choice but to take action."

Chiara closed her eyes, her body tensing as he leaned in close. She felt like a cornered animal, her heart pounding in her chest.

Then, just as she thought he was going to do something, Alessandro opened the door, causing Chiara to stumble backwards and fall down on the floor.

Chiara opened her mouth to shout at him, but before she could get a word out, he'd already swung the door open and sent her tumbling to the floor.

...........................