Page 6 of Veiled Vows

The woman across from her quickly intervenes. "Excuse me, sir—"

"Who are you?" I cut her off, my gaze never leaving Serena's.

The woman, slightly taken aback, finally introduces herself. "I'm Evelyn Harper, Serena's former university professor. She’s agreed to join my firm as a junior partner."

My eyes flick to the document now lying on the table, freshly signed and stamped. Serena's signature stares back at me, taunting, defiant. All this for a job she didn't discuss with me first.

My grip tightens on the back of Serena’s chair until my knuckles turn white. "You signed a contract to work for her without consulting me first?" I hiss under my breath.

Serena’s eyes meet mine, unwavering. "I needed this for myself, Salvatore. This isn’t about you."

Ignoring the anger in my demeanor, Harper tries to defuse the situation. "Mr. Agosti, Serena is an incredible talent. Her skills will be an asset to any firm, and I am honored to—"

“This is between my wife and me,” I snap, cutting her off. “Your involvement ends here.”

Harper retreats, throwing a quick goodbye to my wife and stuffing the contract in her briefcase, knowing better than to engage further. Serena looks at her apologetically before standing, her chin tilted upward.

"I’ve signed the contract, Salvatore. Deal with it."

Without another word, I grab her arm, practically dragging her out of the café. She resists, but I tighten my grip, making her follow. Once we’re in the car, I slam the door shut, signaling to Marco to raise the visor to give us privacy.

I glare at her. “Did you even read the contract?” I snap.

She scoffs. “One of us here is a lawyer, and it isn’t you."

“What professional discusses these things in a café?"

Her eyes blaze with defiance. "I chose where we met up to talk. Don't interfere in my life any longer."

"You aren’t going to work for her, Serena. My wife works for no one."

"It isn’t any of your business what I do," she retorts.

“If you told me you wanted to practice, I would have built a firm from the ground up for you," I growl.

She rolls her eyes, and my hands itch to spank her. “I do not want anything from you.”

“You aren’t going to work for her,” I bark.

She looks at me, and I can’t find any trace of the woman that once looked at me with smitten eyes.

"Watch me.”

Chapter 4

Salvatore

And I do watch her the next day. Sitting in the shadows in my car, I hold a cigarette between my fingers and observe her through the window of the office building. Despite the early morning hustle around me, my attention remains focused on only one thing.

Serena.

Sitting at her desk, with her back straight, she organizes her papers. I don’t see a trace of the girl who never once refused me anything. Completely opposite to what I’ve come to expect from her.

A puff of smoke escapes my mouth when I breathe out, leaving an acrid flavor on my tongue. I find myself thinking about the talk I had with my father last night.

"Salvatore, this is an incredible opportunity," my father’s voice crackles over the phone. "Having a practicing lawyer in the family will be invaluable. Think of the leverage, the connections. Why don't you want her to work? Are you catching feelings, Salvatore?"

Feelings. The word tastes bitter in my mouth. "No," I reply curtly, the denial swift and sharp. But his question lingers, festering like a wound. Am I catching feelings? It seems absurd, yet here I am, watching her every move, consumed by thoughts of her.

---