G4
Ciara’s Pov
I stepped out of the luxury boutique, my heels clicking against the pavement, my mood sour. Marco, my ever–loyal bodyguard and now my driver, opened the car door for me.
“Miss Ciara, is everything alright?”
I let out an annoyed sigh, sliding into the passenger seat. “No, Marco. Everything is not alright.”
He shut the door behind me and got into the driver’s seat. “What happened?”
I huffed, crossing my arms. “I picked out the perfect dress, but when I got to the counter, my card declined. The cashier looked at me like I was some kind of criminal.”
Marco’s hands tightened around the steering wheel. “They what?”
“Oh, and the best part?” I leaned my head back, closing my eyes. “I bumped into Tony and Hailey. They acted as if
they were royalty and I was a peasant.” I let out a bitter laugh. “If only they knew.”
Marco let out a deep breath, trying to keep his professionalism. “I’m sorry, Miss Ciara.”
I opened my eyes and glanced at him. “It’s not your fault.”
He shook his head. “I know, but still.”
I watched as Marco’s jaw clenched, but he remained silent.
“Well, you don’t have to feel bad for me,” I said, sitting up straighter, “Because soon, Tony and Hailey will wish they never set foot back in this city”
Marco nodded, pulling out of the parking lot. “Then I’ll be right here to watch them fall.”
As soon as I stepped inside the house, my mother’s voice greeted me.
“There you are! Did you find a dress?”
I walked into the sitting room, pulling out the dress from the boutique’s bag. “I did. But you won’t believe who i ran into today.”
My father, who had been reading a newspaper, looked up. “Who?”
I smirked. “Tony and Hailey.”
My mother scoffed. “Those two?”
My mother’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Be careful, Ciara.”
Before I could respond, the door opened, and Zaverio walked in. He looked sharp, as always, but there was a rare softness in his expression.
He walked straight toward me. “I heard what happened at the store.”
Iraised a brow. “You did?”
He nodded. “My manager informed me.”
Zaverio sighed. “I’m sorry for how they treated you. That won’t happen again.”
I smirked. “Damn right, it won’t.”
He chuckled, but then his expression turned serious. “Those two showing up–Tony and Hailey–it only speeds up the process.”
I leaned forward. “What do you mean?”
Zaverio sat down beside me, his dark eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “I’ve acquired a new company.”
I blinked. “And?”
He smiled. “It’s the same company Tony and his father are meeting with tomorrow. The one they think they’re closing a deal with.”
me….
For a moment, I was silent. Then the realization hit me, and a slow grin spread across my face. “You mean to tell
Zaverio nodded. “They’re walking into a deal with me.”
I let out a laugh, leaning back against the couch. “Oh, this is perfect.”
My father chuckled, shaking his head. “Smart move, son.
Zaverio smirked. “I thought so.”
I stood up, stretching my arms. “This calls for a celebration.”
Zaverio tilted his head. “And how do you propose we celebrate?”
I grinned. “An ice cream date. My treat.”
Zaverio chuckled. “How can I say no to that?”
We walked along the busy street, our ice creams in hand. The city was alive with the sound of laughter, honking
cars, and distant music.
“You know,” I said, licking my vanilla cone. “I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to a business meeting this
much.”
The Divorced Billionaire Mulia Queen
Zaverio smirked. “It’ll be a show, that’s for sure.”
Just as he spoke, I heard an all–too–familiar laugh. My grip tightened around my cone as I turned and spotted them–Tony and Hailey, standing a few feet away.
Hailey’s eyes landed on us, and her lips curled into a smirk. “Well, well, well. Look who we have here.”
Tony’s gaze flickered to Zaverio before settling on me. “Ciara. Enjoying your last days of freedom before reality sets in?”
I rolled my eyes. “Reality?”
Tony smirked. “Once we close our deal tomorrow, we’ll be in a different league. You won’t even be worth our time.”
Zaverio chuckled beside me “Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure about that”
Hailey scoffed, looking Zaverio up and down. “And who exactly are you?”
I smiled sweetly. “Oh, Hailey, have you not heard? This is my husband, Zaverio Gurrelio.”
Hailey’s brows shot up. “Husband?” She laughed mockingly. “You married this nobody?”
Zaverio’s smirk didn’t waver. “A nobody?” He tsked. “That’s rich, coming from you
Tony crossed his arms. “You think you can play in our league? We’re signing a deal with one of the biggest companies in Italy tomorrow. You two are nothing compared to us.”
Hailey grinned. “But feel free to come watch. Maybe you’ll learn a thing or two.”
Zaverio chuckled, taking a step closer. “Oh, don’t worry. We’ll definitely be there
I smiled, my eyes glinting with amusement. “And we’ll be watching very closely ”
Tony and Hailey exchanged glances, clearly thinking they had the upper hand. They laughed as they walked away, their arrogance filling the air.
I turned to Zaverio, who was still smirking. “They have no idea, do they?”
He shook his head. “Not a clue.”
I licked my ice cream, savoring the moment. “This is going to be fun.”
