Chapter 53 Consequences.
CHAPTER 53
Consequences.
SCARLETT – POINT OF VIEW
Roman hasn’t returned.
I try not to worry and focus instead. Elena walks me around, introducing me to everyone, cementing the notion that I belong to Roman. In a way, I do belong to him, and I am fine with that.
“Where is Roman? He has to give a speech soon.” Elena frowns, stepping away from the chaos.
I look around the hall, trying to find him. Instead, I see Dante, at the other end of the hall, watching me, eyes glinting with darkness and an obvious satisfaction.
My heart sinks to the ground, and my chest caves in immediately. What the fuck is he doing here? Why is he here?
Goose bumps break out over my skin as my chest burns. Terror slowly rises to the surface, but I push it down. I need to talk to Roman. I need to tell him what I’ve done. He needs to hear it from me, not Dante. Oh, God. What have I done?
Caleb walks in, flanked by Damian and some other men. The look on their faces is grave, and my heart pounds hard.
Something is wrong. I can feel it.
“Where is Roman? He has a speech to give in two minutes.” Elena whispers harshly, frowning deeply when she sees the distress on their faces.
“What happened?” Eve asks, looking at me, then at them.
They don’t respond. They don’t get the chance to because Roman walks in, face covered in a mask of impassiveness. He doesn’t look at me. He doesn’t look at any of us. He just walks to the podium and stands there, waiting for everyone to sit.
I sit beside Elena and Eve. My full attention is on him.
He begins, composed and steady, “Tonight is about integrity, not the kind people perform when cameras are present, but the kind that remains when there’s no one watching, when we are alone,”
He adjusts his cufflink, waits a beat and continues, “We are all businessmen and women in this room. Even if you don’t run companies, we are entrepreneurs, navigating our way in the profession of our choice, and through this, we face various challenges, some that seek to break us down and keep us down. In the modern business, betrayal is rarely loud. It doesn’t arrive kicking down doors. It comes quietly, through proximity, through access, through people you trusted enough to keep close.”
He knows.
Oh, he knows.
Soft murmurs fill the room, everyone tense and on the edge of their seats.
He doesn’t look at him. “The most dangerous losses don’t come from enemies. They come from friends, leaks, misjudgment, and from believing the loyalty was mutual.”
Nausea rushes through me, loud and biting.
He finally looks at me and holds. I stop breathing. The emptiness in his eyes kills me. I want to fall to my knees and beg.
He smiles, dark and calculating, “Mistakes have consequences, structural and permanent consequences. Let me be clear tonight, I don’t negotiate with sentiment, excuse negligence or forgive liabilities. I built my company from the ground up by being cutthroat and firm. Sterling will continue to thrive.”
He glances at his watch, clenches his jaw, “Enjoy the evening. The party doesn’t end till morning, but I hope you can excuse me for tonight.”
He steps back from the podium without another glance and walks straight to me.
My heart tumbles and falls. I stand on trembling legs and weak knees. He knows what I did. He knows I betrayed him. He knows I lied.
“What’s going on?” Eve reaches for me, but I step out of her hold.
I did this alone, and I will suffer the consequences alone.
“Let’s go,” Roman says calmly, and I nod.
“You’re leaving?” Elena intercepts, confused.
I shake my head, telling her to back down. Everyone is so confused, but I need this contained before it gets in the media. Roman doesn’t wait for me to catch up. He just leaves, knowing I will follow behind. I have no choice but to.
I say goodbye to the girls and head to him. Rick and Rue follow behind me, but I don’t care about that right now. Roman knows what I have done. There will be hell to pay.
He’s already in the car, drumming his hands on the wheel.
He dismisses Rick and Rue, who are reluctant to leave because they know that something is wrong.
Rick finally walks away when I assure him I’m fine. I don’t know what to expect. Roman cannot physically hurt me. I’m his prized calf, after all.
Once we are alone, he drives.
He doesn’t speak, but the silence is stifling, a gaping void between us that has taken the shape of an elephant in the car. My heart is a talking drum, beating in tandem with the beat of his hand.
Thankfully, we beat traffic and made our way home in record time.
He puts off the car and throws his head back, sighing deeply.
My guilt sits heavily in my stomach, and my eyes sting with tears. I can’t take the silence anymore, so I speak, “Roman,”
He cuts me off with a raised hand.
“Think carefully. This is the last time I’ll ask you anything without consequences.” He whispers, but he might as well be shouting.
My heart pounds harder, and every part of me shatters.
“I’m sorry, Roman. The first night we went out, he came to me, he had a gun in his hand, he aimed it at me, said he knew who I am, what I did, and how he could use it to ruin us. He wanted me to steal something from you. I told him I couldn’t do that, but he was going to kill me. He said you wouldn’t care if I died. He wanted me to steal a file from you, and I didn’t want to do it. You have to understand, Roman. I didn’t.” The words spill out of me desperately. I need him to believe me.
Instead, he cuts me off again. “I don’t want to hear it.”
My heart sinks, and blood rushes to my head, “W – what?”
“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. You had the opportunity to come to me then, and you didn’t. There’s no point crying over spilt milk. Our arrangement continues, strictly according to the contents of the contract. Adjustments will be made based on Elena’s input, but you will not get anything I didn’t explicitly give. Now, get out of my car.”
He doesn’t yell. He speaks calmly as he shatters me as if last night meant nothing.
My head is pounding as I get out of his car, only to trip and fall face-first.