Chapter 42 MY LITTLE RAINA.
\~~~LUCIANO MORETTI.
“We still have time to turn back, boss,” Viktor turned his head gently to look at me as the driver pulled the car in front of the company, and I smacked.
“You talk too much, Viktor.”
He got out of the car, moved over to pull the door open, and I stepped out.
I adjusted my jacket, dropped my hand on Viktor’s shoulder, and then patted it.
“What is my next schedule?” I asked as I walked past him.
“Nothing till nine pm. You said you wanted to oversee the cargo shipment yourself,” he said, walking in.
The moment I stepped into the building, the atmosphere shifted. Conversations died halfway, footsteps faltered and people scrambled to clear a path like water parting under force. Those who couldn’t move fast enough bowed their heads.
“Chairman…”
I heard my title fill the air, heavy with fear and respect, but I didn’t acknowledge a single soul. My attention was on Viktor’s low voice as he updated me while we walked toward the elevator.
“…the shipment from Rotterdam arrived earlier than scheduled. No discrepancies so far…”
“Exactly, babe, can you imagine?!”
The sudden, sharp female voice cut through Viktor’s briefing. My eyes lifted just as a woman rushed toward the elevator, her heels clicking loudly against the marble floor. She slipped in right before the doors slid shut, forcing herself between Viktor and me.
She didn’t even look at us. Her phone was glued to her ear, her posture loose, and she was careless… too careless for someone sharing space with me.
“I heard she is the wife of the CEO's brother,” she whispered, lowering her voice unnecessarily.
That got my attention.
Viktor’s fingers stilled on his tablet and slowly, he turned his head to look at me. I didn’t react, not one bit.
“Trust me,” the woman continued, bitterness dripping from every word, “you can tell she is a novice just by looking at her. Always smiling like she doesn’t know where she is. I hate things like this. She got that position through connection, and yet she walks around as if she earned it.”
She scoffed softly, pacing one step inside the elevator.
“I have worked here for two years. Two, babe, two. And I haven’t been promoted once. Are they joking with me?”
I said nothing, neither did Viktor. Silence can be more terrifying than words, and I let it sit heavy in the air.
The elevator chimed and the doors opened on her floor.
“Who cares?” she added lightly as she stepped out. “She will embarrass herself soon enough. Then everyone will see how stupid she really is. And the people who put her there? They will regret it.”
She smiled to herself, lifting her phone again. “I am at my office now. I’ll call you back.”
The doors slid shut and for a moment, the elevator hummed quietly as it ascended. Then Viktor slowly turned to face me, and our eyes met.
“That… was unwise,” he said carefully.
I let out a soft, humorless chuckle.
“Certainly.”
“What do I do?” Viktor asked, but I ignored him.
I kept quiet, my hands dipped in my pockets till we arrived at our floor and then the door chimed open.
“Viktor,” I said calmly, my voice low and controlled.
“Boss.”
“Find out her name.”
Viktor didn’t hesitate. “And then?”
I finally looked at him.
“And then,” I said, cold satisfaction settling in my chest, “I remind this building exactly who decides who belongs here.”
With that, I stepped out, leaving the man behind.
____
The conference room doors were closed, but voices spilled through the walls. The presentation was already underway.
Perfect timing.
I pushed the door open and the reaction was instant.
Chairs scraped back violently, papers fumbled and every single person in the room stood to their feet.
“Chairman.”
I raised a hand, stopping them mid-motion.
“Sit,” I said calmly. “Don’t mind me.”
I crossed the room and took the empty seat beside Alessia, my sister and the company’s beloved CEO. She leaned in immediately, her eyes sharp and irritated.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she hissed under her breath. “You didn’t inform me.”
I leaned back in my chair, folding my arms, fully relaxed. “Do I need permission to visit my own company?” I paused, then added smoothly, “Or to see my wife?”
Her jaw clenched. “This is a formal meeting.”
“And I am formally interested,” I replied, eyes never leaving Raina.
She shifted where she stood as our eyes locked.
There it was. That faint flicker of uneasiness, buried beneath professionalism. She straightened, lifting her chin, trying to regain control. I smiled slowly, and knowingly.
Encouraging her with cruelty. I tilted my head forward once.
“Go on,” I said aloud. “Don’t let me distract you, please.”
Swallowing, Raina turned back to the screen. “As I was saying… the projected growth for the fourth quarter…”
Her voice was steady, but I could see the tension in her fingers, and the careful way she avoided looking at me again.
Oh, my little Raina.
What a fun woman.