Page 65 of Begin Again
Brina rubs her cheek gently before she scoffs, looking around my office before her gaze lands back on me. “Your father would be disappointed to see how this place has turned out. To seeyouat the helm. This was never meant to beyours, Davina.”
She stands from the chair, looping her arm through her bag strap, letting it hang from the crook of her elbow. Rolling hershoulders, she lifts her chin and purses her lips, looking me up and down with disdain.
“Alaric Villa is rolling over in his grave at what you’ve done to this company—to his empire. How you have taken what he worked so hard to build and destroyed it piece by piece.”
Every word she utters hits me harder than the last, but I swallow the emotions threatening to spill over my already overflowing cup. I cannot let her know how much her words affect me. She can’t know she can still rip me to shreds with a single look. This woman…this monster who has done nothing but pick me apart and try to ruin any ounce of confidence I’ve had my entire life.
“I will not stand by and watch you continue to ruin Alaric Villa’s legacy.”
“È una minaccia o una promessa?”I narrow my gaze.Is that a threat or a promise?“Because if you’re going to make threats, you better come prepared to back them up. And if it’s a promise—”
“Ti prometto che acquisirò la proprietà di questa azienda prima che tutto sia finito,”she says.
I promise you I will have control of this company before everything is said and done.
Her words draw the corners of my mouth up. I knew she faked not understanding for all those years. There was no way she was married to Daddy for so long and not picked up something.
“I’d like to see you try,puttana,”I say, leaning further over my desk.
The fire in her gaze burns hotter than before, and she swings her palm toward my cheek, but I catch it. “You dare call me awhore? You watch your mouth, you little bitch!”
“Vattene via dal mio ufficio, cazzo.”The words come out in a low hiss as I shove her hand from me. “Get out before I call security.”
“What the fuck is going on in here?” My brother’s voice echoes around us. He storms into my office, not even bothering to close the door behind him. “Mother, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, Kai, darling! I was coming to—”
“To start shit with me,” I finish for her. “We haven’t spoken in almost ten years, but she shows up now, pretending to care that my husband is gone.”
Kai glares at her. “You’re about ten months too late.”
“Ten months?” Brina’s head whips around to me, this time a look of what I think might be genuine concern in her eyes. That’s a first. “He’s been gone ten months? But I thought—”
“Get the fuck out,” I say, and when she doesn’t move an inch, I repeat the sentiment in a less-than-friendly way.
“Tell Ophelia I look forward to seeing her,” Brina says when she passes by my brother, whose gaze narrows even further.
Kai slams the office door behind her but stands with his back to me for a moment longer than I feel he should. What did she mean by she looked forward to seeing Ophelia? Had he been in contact with her? After everything she has done…he wouldn’t crawl back to her, would he?
“Nina—”
“Stai parlando con lei?”I cut him off before he can begin peddling whatever lie he’s about to spew. I watch his throat bob with a hard swallow and it’s all the confirmation I need, but I want to hear him say it. To admit he’s going to let that bitch back into his life, and ultimately into mine. I repeat myself, “Are you speaking to her?”
“Nin, I…I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know how. She…she came by not long ago and asked to talk. She apologized for everything.”
“Oh, I’m sure she did. You know what, Kai?Vaffanculo.Fuck you. I have worked my ass off for this company. And for you. So you can come and go as you please, playing pretend CEO when youfeellike it. I’m the one who made this company into what it is,non tu.” I roll my shoulders and straighten my back. “Not you, Kai. Me. I’m the one who sacrificedmyfamily so you could have yours! You, this company—you’re the fucking reason my husband went missing.Tu sei la ragione per cui se n'è andato!You and this company are the reason he’s gone. And I will not let his death be in fucking vain. I will not stand by and watch as that gold-diggingputtanaweasels her way back into our lives and this company because that is all she wants.”
“She wants to know her grandchildren, Nina.”
“If you believe that…you’re dumber than I thought.” I scoff. “Now, get the fuck out of my office.”
“But Nina—”
“Esci!”I slam the palm of my hand on my desk, breathing out an exasperated huff.
Kai stands there a moment longer with a pleading look in his eye, one I’ve seen many times over our lives. The same one that used to appear when Brina and I would get into one of our arguments and he’d stand there, idly, trying to decide what to do. And ultimately, he always chose to side with her, because it was easier than ending up on her shit list, where I held permanent residence.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
