Luminous Gems

Chapter 6

Finola stormed into Castellano's office, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. The midday sun streamed through the large windows, casting a harsh light on the sleek, modern furnishings. Castellano sat behind his imposing oak desk, calm and collected, barely glancing up from the report he was reading.

She shut the door behind her with more force than necessary, her heart pounding as she squared her shoulders.

"Finola," Castellano greeted coolly, not bothering to mask his irritation. "I don't recall scheduling a meeting with you."

"Well, consider this an unscheduled intervention," she shot back, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions brewing inside her. She crossed her arms and stood her ground, refusing to be intimidated by his composed demeanor.

Castellano sighed, setting his pen down with exaggerated patience. "i don't have all day, what are you doing here?" he said, leaning back in his chair.

Finola chuckles cutting through the thick tension in the room. "Pulling me from the competition was one thing. I accepted your so-called 'technical reasons' with a heavy heart because I trusted you had the company's best interests at heart. But this?" She gestured to the stack of files she had been assigned to organize earlier that morning. "This is sabotage, Castellano."

His expression didn't falter, but there was a flicker of something—annoyance? Guilt?—in his eyes. "Sabotage? That's a strong accusation," he said, folding his hands on the desk.

Finola took a step closer, her voice rising slightly. "Call it whatever you like, but let's not pretend you don't know exactly what you're doing. You took two of my most important clients—the ones I spent years building relationships with—and handed them to junior associates. And now, you've reduced me to running errands and filing paperwork like a glorified assistant. Do you think I don't see what's happening?"

Castellano raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Finola, if you're feeling undervalued, perhaps you should take a moment to reflect on your recent performance—"

"Oh, don't you dare," she interrupted, her voice firm and unwavering. "I've been with this company for eight years, Castellano. Eight years of pouring everything I have into making this place successful. Late nights, weekends, sacrifices you'll never understand. And this is how you repay me?"

He leaned forward slightly, his tone turning icy. "Careful, Finola. You're treading on thin ice."

She met his gaze head-on, refusing to back down. "Thin ice?" she echoed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "Let me tell you something, Castellano. If it's mind games you want, then be aware that two can play this game."

The smirk vanished from his face, replaced by a steely expression. "Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise," Finola said, her voice low and deliberate. "You can keep trying to undermine me, but don't think I'll keep taking it quietly. "

His smirk deepened, and there was a dangerous glint in his eyes as he leaned forward. "Why? Oh, Finola, you really don't see it, do you? Just because you find yourself as a mistress to a billion-dollar company doesn't mean it's contagious."

Her eyes widened in shock, the words hitting her like a physical blow.

"You honestly think that sleeping with him makes you special enough to justify this pathetic behavior? Newsflash: It's not transmitted through sex, sweetheart. No amount of your body will make you worthy of what you think you've earned," he continued, his tone razor-sharp. "Whatever fantasies you've cooked up in that head of yours about being indispensable here—let me be the one to break it to you: they're just that. Fantasies."